Interview with Dr. Miroslav Sarac of Dr. Isidor Apothecary

What sort of world are we going to choose to leave our children? Will it be a world made of synthetic ingredients and artificial products without any natural ingredients? No original seeds? No flowers or plants or bees involved? Or will we choose instead to support alternatives to synthetics? It is time to make your choice.

If you are a Perfume Lover, you should be looking for Natural Perfumes the same way you are looking for Natural and Healthier Food. International Perfume Foundation is bringing perfume lovers and natural perfumers together to preserve our precious world heritage. Enjoy the interview with Dr. Miroslav Sarac, GA, U.S.A. of Dr. Isidor Apothecary:

– How did you start? What was the first scent that made you decide to become a perfumer? When was that?

For the past 30 years, I was faithfully studied the ethnology and folklore of the Mediterranean region researching and collecting ancient and traditional apothecary and perfumery formulas and studying ways on how to merge them with our modern way of life. My perfumery is performed by using knowledge, skills, and accumulated 30+ years of laboratory experience in synthesis, formulation, and design, and I would add a lot of imagination, creativity, symbolism, and artistic skills. Perfumery is an art, not only a craftsmanship. I would add the science as well. Each of my perfumes, either natural perfume oils (which I personally called “aromatics”) or Eau de Parfum (made by using technology and formulation from the 14th – 19th century), is one story or simply the story itself. It will tell you a story. It is simply an art, similar to the art of writing, art of painting, or art of sculpturing…

As a formulator/perfumer I am telling the story by making a perfume. I am “writing a story” (a perfume), not by using a pen and paper, but by using natural fragrance oils, infusion oils and carrier oils. Sometimes, I will “transfer” you to the certain geographical region of the World (such as the case with my perfumes “Gibraltar”, “San Remo”, “Spring in Paris” or “Caucasus Caravan”). You will get the feeling of being there. My perfumes are the stories (“Memories”), the fairy tales (“Queen Mab”, “Charms”), or simply the tale about some event, dedication to the historical characters (“Alexander the Great” and “Marco Polo”, a part of the World.

Simply and honestly, my first perfume was about me, myself, my wishes, desires, personality, it is “me”. The name of the perfume was “Dr. Isidor”. My second perfume was dedicated to the lunar eclipse. As a person born under the total lunar eclipse in December 1964 my goal in design of this particular perfume is to transfer the symbols of the Moon and the life under the Moon. The name of this particular perfume was “Lunar Eclipse”. It was 20 years ago. Now, I am dedicated to advance natural perfumery writing the stories in my perfumes.

– You are a natural perfumer, so when did you made the choice to become a natural perfumer instead of following the majority of the brands making synthetic perfumes. What led you to make this choice?

Even now, as a retired university professor of pathology/pathophysiology and pharmacology I was and I am in the direct contact with the nature, natural and earth/nature-based lifestyle. Perfumery is connected to aromatherapy. Recently, they became two separate entities. In ancient Egypt, people were wearing perfume oils as “healing remedies” to cure or alleviate the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, other mental illness, or even some organ system altered physiology and illnesses. It is widely forgotten in the perfumery.

Still, today I can see clearly that connection, the 100% natural perfume can also be a “healing remedy” to alleviate some symptoms and signs of certain diseases. Even for my panel of the Eau de Parfum I am using technology and formulation from the 14th to 19th century based on natural ingredients. Do I like some synthetic perfumes? Yes, I do, some aldehydes and aromatic alcohols are beautiful fragrances. Do I use synthetic perfumes? No, I do not.

– Where are you based?

Dr. Miroslav Sarac lives and works in Ellijay, state of Georgia, the United States of America. The area belongs to the north mountain area of Georgia, the starting point of the glorious Appalachian Mountains.

Each formula in natural perfumery is handcrafted and made of artisanal concentrate blends of organic carrier and pure essential oils, extracts and infusions of herbs, flowers, fruits, seeds, even some vegetables, and resins. Almost all herbs and plants used in my formulation are organically grown or widely harvested near the Appalachian Mountains of Northern Georgia on the elevation 2400 feet.

Herbs and flowers are harvested at proper times under the lunar and astrological calendar, taking seriously into consideration seasonal variations of the quality of the natural ingredients, and all formulas follow the same principle.

– Where can we find your perfumes? Are you distributed worldwide?

My natural perfumes and natural Eau de Parfum formulas can be found on website: www.DrIsidorApothecary.com

I distribute worldwide either perfumes from the currently available collection or signature/custom designed natural perfumes. The signature / custom designed natural perfume or Eau de Parfum requires the protocol and intensive communication between me and customer. The process takes usually one-two months for natural perfumes. A client is getting two preliminary version of the formula and the final version of the formula.

– Can you give us an idea what type of person buys your product? From which country are most of them from? Do you have many European clients?

Mostly my clients are women, age 40 to 70+. Currently, most of the clients are from the U.S.A. despite the fact that Dr. Isidor Apothecary website offers the short description of our offers on several foreign languages, French, German, Arabic, Serbian, Italian.

– Do you think the use of social media can spread the message of natural perfume as a healthier alternative?

The social media can be useful, however Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter… cannot spread the message of natural perfume as a healthier alternative. I strongly believe that the public education is absolutely necessary to spread the message firmly, seriously and with HIGH quality.

Simply, we are facing one big problem in our modern everyday life and that is NATURAL (either natural perfumery or natural cosmetics) existing more in stereotype than in substance, more in image than in reality. Everybody talks that natural is better, healthier…but still our customers are running to big retail shops to buy rather “synthetic perfume” than search for natural perfumes.

One of the “excuses” are for example: “the synthetic fragrances last longer almost two days after application, it is cheaper compared with natural perfumes”. This big problem cannot solve only social media, bigger campaign should be covered by TV stations, commercials, articles carefully and knowledgably tailored for the beauty and fashion magazines, newspapers, public workshops and presentations, explaining the TRUTH.

Still our customers are confused, misguided by huge beauty industry. One more clear point, we cannot compete with them but we can explain to our customers that there are TWO alternatives on the market, synthetic and natural, and explain the truth why natural is better for their health not only in a short-time manner but in a long-time manner. That needs to be done, knowledgeable, with results of the modern cosmetic and fragrance science, toxicology and pathology.

Simply WE NEED to explain that people should “reconnect with nature” (International Perfume Foundation/ IPF campaign) to age gracefully and wisely with 100% natural perfumes and natural cosmetics as our ancestors without cheap chemicals, toxic parabens and phthalates, aldehydes and aromatic alcohols and overly expensive cosmetic jars and perfume bottles.