Toxin Free (ish)

The Next Big Thing in Clean Fragrance: The Story of Creating Wyld Notes with CEO Gaya Samarasingha ✨ Ep. 104

• Wendy Kathryn • Episode 104

Share episode

There hasn't been a single fragrance brand that has cracked the code on creating a fragrance that is 100% botanical, has zero synthetics, uses non- denatured alcohol AND smells like a truly fine fragrance with all it's complexities (until now!). 

One or two have gotten close, but consumers complain they smell too strongly of layered essential oils and not enough like the perfumes they miss. Don't get me wrong, I wear essential oils all day and love them.  But I missed having a perfume to love.  The other thing is that most of them are still using petroleum derived additives in their denatured alcohol.

When my friend Gaya, the visionary CEO behind Wyld Notes, approached me about ingredients for the this new 100% synthetic free fragrance line, I honestly didn't realize just how difficult it would be to create something that was 100% natural.

This podcast is our story, the behind the scenes that takes you from the vision to the creation of Wyld Notes. (launching in March!).  We expose why the "clean" fragrance movement isn't as clean as you think it is and why Wyld Notes is so different than anything else out there. 


In today's episode, we're chatting about: 

• Why synthetic fragrances are linked to migraines, skin reactions, and hormone disruption 

• How Wyld Notes sources ingredients from regenerative farms 

• The truth about denatured alcohol in perfumes 

• Why traditional fragrance houses resist going 100% natural 

• How to layer botanical perfumes for a unique signature scent


About Wyld Notes

Launching Mid March!


Download the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid and become a label reading pro! 

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to the Toxin-Freege podcast. As always, I'm your host, wendy, a former environmental toxins attorney turned clean living coach, and this is where toxin-free living meets real life. And today's episode is such a special one for me. I've literally been counting down the days to finally share and actually months. I've been counting down the months to finally share this conversation with you. I have had the incredible opportunity to help shape something truly groundbreaking in the clean fragrance industry, and that is a brand new, 100% botanical fragrance brand called Wild Notes. And today I have the beautiful and talented Gaia with me, who is not only a friend and a fellow entrepreneur, but she is the brilliance and the passion and the CEO of Wild Notes. And when Gaia first shared her vision with me, which was a zero synthetic, 100% botanical, fine fragrance line that didn't just smell like you were wearing essential oils, but a fragrance that truly smelled like a fine fragrance, I was beyond excited. But I also had zero clue, no idea just how challenging that journey would be. And in this episode, gaia held nothing back. She is sharing how she navigated countless hurdles and everything from finding a fragrance house who was more than just willing but really excited to create blends with 100% botanicals, to holding the highest standards of sourcing ingredients from regenerative organic farms, and even the near impossible task of finding a manufacturer willing to use pure, non-denatured organic alcohol. And I can't wait for you to hear about this journey because, honestly, it's not just about the fragrance itself. It's about shifting an entire industry towards greater transparency and cleaner choices, and you know I am all about that here. Plus, you're going to love hearing about the unique scents that completely changed my mind about what botanical fragrances can smell like. These fragrances don't just smell like essential oils, I'm telling you. They are complex and they are beautiful and they truly smell like a high-end perfume and I am obsessed. So let's dive in and explore how Wild Notes is setting the new standard for clean fragrance and why I am so honored to have been a part of this exciting project.

Speaker 1:

Hey friend, real quick, before we dive in, I want to let you in on something important. You've probably noticed that I don't run paid ads on this podcast, and that is totally intentional and a core value of mine. This podcast, the editing, the hosting, the tech, the support is fully funded by you, not through donations, but by the simple act of using my affiliate links when you shop for products I love and use and honestly would share with you, even without an affiliate link. And here's my promise to you I only share brands I personally trust, use and believe in the same ones you're going to find in my house. If you popped over in the morning for a cup of coffee, and when you shop through my links, you get a special discount and I earn a small commission. That helps keep this podcast going and allows me to say no to paid sponsorships. It's a win-win and something I feel good about. So when you hear me talking about a product during an episode break, just know it's my way of sharing what I love. No weird sponsorships, no outside influence and no paid ads, because this podcast it's not just mine, it's ours Parents.

Speaker 1:

Listen up. This might be the single most important thing you hear today. Did you know that almost every single child has an underdeveloped jaw and airway and that this single issue could be the root cause of everything from chronic cavities, snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep, adhd-like symptoms, dark circles under their eyes, picky eating and even frequent ear infections? And here's the crappy part Most pediatricians and dentists aren't talking about it, even though the Academy of Pediatrics states very clearly that all children should be assessed. So here's what we're going to do about it, friends. We are going to take things into our own hands and I'm going to help you do it.

Speaker 1:

If you have a child between the ages of three and 12, you can get them a free virtual video assessment. It usually costs 50 bucks, but Toothpillow, which is the brand that I deeply believe in and support, is offering all of my listeners a free virtual video assessment for their child. It's so easy. All you have to do is snap six photos. You can even use your iPhone, answer a quick questionnaire and an airway-trained dentist will personally review your child's case for free and provide you a video walkthrough assessment of your child's jaw and airway. And did I mention, this is free. You have nothing to lose and priceless information about your child's health to gain. It is super simple. It literally takes minutes.

Speaker 1:

Head on over to wwwtoothpillowcom. That's T-O-O-T-H-P-I-L-L-O-W. Toothpillowcom. That's T-O-O-T-H-P-I-L-L-O-W Toothpillowcom, and click start here on mobile or is my child a candidate? On desktop, tell them. Wendy at Toxin Fridge sent you. Follow the simple prompts and upload the photos that you took. This is the important part. At checkout, enter code WENDY to make sure that that $50 assessment is free of charge. Please don't wait. Get your free assessment today. Go to wwwtoothpillowcom and use code WENDY today at checkout. Every single child should be screened for this. Don't wait, get the answers now. Gaia, welcome to the Talks in Fridge podcast. I'm so excited you're here. I've been waiting. What is it? Six months now we've been talking about this. Yeah, I think it's been six months. You are coming out. Well, you're the woman, you're the brains and you're the beauty, which is what I say Behind the new brand, wild Notes. Thank you so much for being here. I would love for my audience to kind of know how did this all get started?

Speaker 2:

Well, I feel like, even though it's only six months, it's just been a lifetime. That's how I feel. But I mean, you know, I've been in the health, the wellness beauty space for about 15 years now. I've built my whole career in that space, created my own brand about seven years ago.

Speaker 2:

It was such an impromptu, unexpected conversation with someone that has also been in the health wellness space, but a lot longer than I have, and created an amazing global brand, and a woman that I hold dear to my heart and respect so much in our space reached out and just said hey, I have this idea of creating something innovative and different in the fragrance world, fine fragrance world. We both realized how bad when it comes to ingredients, how bad the fine fragrance world is, and she said I want to bring something new, innovative, clean and safe for people. I was asked if I want to come and partner with her to create something new. It was hard to pass up an opportunity like that, in more than anything else, to work with someone that I respect so much and I have known for over a decade. So I jumped at it. I just said, ok, let's just figure it out. So that's kind of where it started, and that was six months ago.

Speaker 1:

I love it. And you had no idea what you were getting yourself into, did you?

Speaker 2:

No, I don't think so, because I didn't even take time to think through and process it, because we just sat down and we were just talking. It's been a while since we've seen each other and two hours into the conversation she goes Sokaya, do you want to come and do this with me? And I looked at her. I was like you're asking me to answer that question right now on this one. I looked at it. I was like you're asking me to answer that question right now on this one. But you know, that's how the best things in our life always happens, right, it's unexpected, but I'm always up for a challenge. That's just my personality. And you just jump in head first and ask questions later type of person.

Speaker 1:

So I said yes and I love it. I love that you said yes and we're friends and working with you has been so phenomenal and I love it. I love that you said yes and we're friends and working with you has been so phenomenal and I am really excited to tell this story because you have done a phenomenal job and it's really opened up the conversation more you know, to people who there's so many women out there who haven't worn perfume in a decade because you know there's a lot of reasons and we're going to get into them. But even just hearing people or getting messages on the internet of women saying like I miss perfume Women, I think, just innately, we love smelling beautiful, we love smelling good, we love other people noticing that we smell good. I think it's just something that we really enjoy.

Speaker 1:

And for women who can't use synthetic perfumes because they have reactions, skin reactions, migraines I cannot go near synthetic fragrance. My daughter breaks out in eczema, I get migraines, and I think a lot of people have had those experiences. And so when you told me you were doing this, I was like, oh my God, I'm so excited me you were doing this. I was like, oh my God, I'm so excited. But really the biggest reason is women's health, right, like you said at the very beginning, there are a lot of bad things in fragrance, so bear with me. I just want to like list them out really fast and for my community that's listening, and for anybody new to the podcast. I have individual podcasts touching on each one of these ingredients that you can go down in the show notes and listen to.

Speaker 1:

But a lot of this undisclosed synthetic fragrance perfumes that are out there. They have things like phthalates in them, which are under-contra-srupters. They can lead to infertility. They can lead to birth defect issues, as well as an increased risk of breast cancer. They have Lilial in them, which is a fragrance ingredient that has been banned in the European Union since last March, but they gave brands five years notice and they said, hey, this is a reproductive toxin, you need to get it out of your perfume, but it's still widely used in the United States. And Musk Ambra is another one that's widely used that we now know is linked to early puberty in girls, which causes major issues later in life, and so it's not just about getting migraines or having a skin reaction. Perfumes have really toxic ingredients in them. So tell everyone why Wild Notes is going to be different.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean 100%. I remember really taking notice in some of the ingredients in personal care skincare about 10, 11 years ago especially after I had my daughter in really looking at ingredients and saying like, if it has fragrance in them, I have slowly taken them out of my products that I use and that makes you also very sensitive to fragrances, right, like I remember I used to be that girl who wears perfume and I had my favorites and I kind of missed them, but at the same time now not wearing them for so long I'm more sensitive to anything that smells synthetics that smell strong. So that's where I mean to your point, it's just fragrance is one of those categories I think in the beauty space that hasn't evolved. When it comes to clean ingredients, I feel like when you look at skincare, hair care, body care, there are a lot of cleaner products and brands out there. At least, a lot of brands are attempting to keep it clean and making improvements and there's, I think, more regulations around them as well as an industry.

Speaker 2:

But perfume has been always one of those that, because it's proprietary right, they get to not disclose the ingredients and it's kind of acceptable to not disclose the ingredients and add anything, any synthetics, any other chemicals in them, and people are still okay with it. I mean, it's such, it's a multi-billion dollar industry and still growing. Compared to last year it's grown 12%, I think, like double digit growth, like it's crazy to think that we've had. It's a growing industry but we haven't really evolved from a clean ingredient standpoint and that's where we wanted to make a difference. We wanted to go back to the roots of what fragrance really were.

Speaker 2:

Thousands of years ago they were pure essential oils and these natural ingredients people combine together to create these beautiful scents. So that's what we are going back to and now, having all the research, all the technology to combine those ingredients much better than it used to be hundreds of years ago, we have been able to come up with some amazing, beautiful fragrances that can compete with these $400, $500 perfumes that's out there that are synthetics. But from a performance standpoint how long it lasts and it smells we've been able to compete in that same space as a fine fragrance, but have it all be 100% natural. So I think that's just. We're redefining the fragrance space and that's where I am so excited about it, because it's innovative, it's different, it is.

Speaker 1:

So, to your point, there are so many clean skincare companies out there right now and I know because I reviewed them all and there's a lot, there's a lot out there. And there are some fragrance companies that you know really sell themselves as clean, they market themselves as clean. And there's this new movement that I call the safe synthetic movement, where companies are making perfumes and they're using these quote unquote safe synthetic molecules, which basically just means they're synthetic molecules that the company has decided for themselves that they're safe. Right, there's no regulatory body out there saying like, yes, these are safe and these are not body out there saying like, yes, these are safe and these are not. Why didn't you do that? Why did you take a look at using synthetics at all? Or, from the very beginning, that was an absolute no, you knew Wild Notes was going to be a botanical fragrance.

Speaker 2:

From day one, we knew we're not going to use any synthetics. But to your point, though, when I interviewed different fragrance houses, I I interviewed different fragrance houses. I spoke with seven fragrance houses, and these are all top 10 in the world, right? So these are not little mom and pop shops. These are top 10 in the world with decades of experience in worldwide global presence, and they formulate for every top brand that you can just name it out there. Pretty much every single one of them pushed me, saying yes, we can use some naturals, but if you want the same performance that I'm expecting with a really top grade, fine fragrance, I have to use synthetics. And many of them said the same thing oh, there are clean synthetics that you can use and they're safe, they're clean. But we knew we didn't want to do the same old. We wanted to push the boundaries and do something different. So I kept going, I kept interviewing different fragrance houses until I found one who was actually excited about the new challenge. I mean, they said on our first conversation, they said we've never done this before. I'm going to be honest with you, we've never done this before, but it's exciting Instead of doing the same old, same old again and again. Exciting Instead of doing the same old, same old, again and again. We're excited to innovate. We're excited to create something new and different in the space, and we're willing to work with you. They happen to be a 150-year-old fragrance house that was started in France and have a global presence, so they were the ideal partner for us.

Speaker 2:

But it took a while to find the right partner that caught on to our vision and was not afraid by the challenge of doing something new. Because when I talked to them, I also said there are some clean fragrances out there that are natural, but the challenge with them is they don't last long. They don't have that sophistication that you get from a true fine fragrance. But we want it all. Right, yeah, all of it. I want it all. I wasn't willing to compromise on the performance or the ingredients, and the challenge was can you combine the two? And they did so. It's always out there. I think we can always push boundaries, but we have to find the right partner to do it right People who see the vision.

Speaker 1:

Speaking of diligence and not giving up, can we talk about the alcohol? We need to talk about the alcohol, and I'm going to be the first one to admit and over the last year now, I'm consulting with a lot of companies, so I've learned a lot about the manufacturing space in a lot of different ways, and I actually, looking back at some of the reviews that I've done, I do think that it's easy to be hard on brands and say things like, oh, this isn't clean, this isn't clean, this ingredient isn't clean. But when you start to get to know the brands, you find out one of their hurdles is getting a manufacturer who's willing to actually make a formula with what they're asking for, and that is something that would have never crossed my mind before, but now I am intimately familiar with that struggle. So one of the very first things that you started sending me alcohol, you know I'd get these text messages from you like what about this one?

Speaker 1:

What about this one? What about this one? They just kept coming right. And it's so interesting to me here in the United States and I think most people don't realize this is that in order to sell a perfume that, where it's approved through the alcohol and tobacco agencies right, Like there are very formal regulations on this that you have to denature it, which basically just means you're putting some kind of chemical in it that makes it I'm just going to use the words poisonous to drink, right, Undrinkable, so that the government knows you're not like selling rum in a perfume bottle, right, that's pretty. I mean, in a nutshell, that's the whole thing.

Speaker 1:

And so if you want to make a perfume and sell it without these extra chemicals in the alcohol which you were very clear from the beginning, this is a non-negotiable in the alcohol, which you were very clear from the beginning, this is a non-negotiable. We are not denaturing our alcohol. And also, just as for education purposes, if the words alcohol do not are on an ingredient list, that is a denatured alcohol. And the most popular one out there is tert-butyl alcohol. That is what most companies are denaturing their alcohol with. It's a petroleum-derived ingredient. There's a few other ones. But this was a sticking point for manufacturers. I mean, how many did you call? I mean for months, I mean months and months. And I actually started to sweat about it, I actually started. It was keeping me up at night, Like I actually started to sweat about it.

Speaker 2:

I actually started it was keeping me up at night Like how many do you think you called? I probably called between me and my team. We probably call about 70 or so around the country. But I want to go back to talking about denatured alcohol a little bit. There are two ways of denaturing alcohol too. One is actually using essential oils. So you could use a very strong oil like peppermint or bergamot to denature the alcohol, and that's obviously. Then it could be 100% natural option. But when you're making a fine fragrance, that's not an option because it has a very overpowering smell of whatever the essential oil that they use. So for something like a hand sanitizer, that could work, but for fine fragrance, we've even tried. We've gotten samples of some of these denatured alcohol that are denatured with essential oils, but they were just, they were very strong, and you will get a bergamot fragrance if you use that. So we couldn't use that. So when you use, when you formulate fragrances, fine fragrances you have to use the denatured alcohol that's denatured with something like TBA, a chemical. That's obviously.

Speaker 1:

It doesn't have a scent to it. Yeah, it doesn't have a scent, it's only like meld to it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but you can drink it, because it makes it poisonous or it's undrinkable, but it doesn't interfere with the fragrance oil blend. So that's kind of where the two I mean. I learned a lot about alcohol during this process.

Speaker 2:

But there are two different ways of denaturing. So, given that we only could use an alcohol that doesn't have a strong smell, our options were either using the TBA version or using 100% food-grade non-denatured alcohol. But the problem with that was all the manufacturers needed a very special permit to be able to use that or bring it even to their facility. They have to have an alcohol beverage license. Yeah, wow, like a bar? Yeah, like a bar. Or a distillery or a winery. They are the ones that. Who has it?

Speaker 2:

But the problem is those manufacturers do not manufacture cosmetics or perfumes, because usually it's a food grade manufacturing process and they don't want to mix in a cosmetic product in their production line. Usually they're very separated right. So it's very rare to find I mean, I was blown away by this, but it's very rare to find a manufacturer who has the alcohol beverage license but they also have the capabilities to blend and fill cosmetics. And that's a rare combo because you're not in both usually and it's not just the company having it. That specific manufacturing plant has to be certified too. So I have found some big companies. They have license but they don't. Their specific plant only does one or the other.

Speaker 2:

So it was just really, really hard and, honestly, after calling about 70 or so manufacturers around the country, we have found two that actually had the license. Total, yeah, yeah, that's it. And one was not a great partner. I mean, we started conversations with him and we could tell like he was a little shady, so we didn't go with him and I mean it was literally kept me awake at night most days and I there was a time that I went back and I said I don't know if you can do this, like maybe we are trying to do something impossible. I do not know. I came to a point almost saying maybe that doesn't exist, like we'll have to get our own license and put our own manufacturing.

Speaker 1:

You have to do that, yeah, and that's. There are a very small handful of you know companies that are filling it and manufacturing it like themselves. Yeah, yeah, to get around this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah so, but then we wouldn't have launched for another year until we get a whole manufacturing plant up and running. Honestly, the way that I found the manufacturer I found was I was awake at two o'clock in the morning because I couldn't sleep, thinking with the pressure, and I started going through this database, government database that had listed the companies who have that specific license. So I started going middle of the night, one by one, to see if any of them manufacture cosmetics, and found one here In your backyard right.

Speaker 1:

Are there really close to like literally? I remember you were like I'm going to go drive over there.

Speaker 2:

It was wild, yeah, but I mean it just goes to show how far behind we are in the fine fragrance world when it comes to having safer, cleaner products.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean, I can't imagine that. Most, you know, most companies start with people that have a heart and a vision and a mission. And you know, I can imagine these women like I'm going to start a perfume line and they start making calls and after 50, they're probably like, well, forget, right, like I did, this is such a barrier to cleaning up the fragrance industry in general. And so I I still remember in vivid detail you telling me we found, we found. We were even joking like we should open one, we should. You were like we're in the wrong business. Maybe I need to invest in a plant, you know, a manufacturing plant, like clearly there's a need here for this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think the more consumers demand that I think it hopefully will improve. Hopefully, we will create awareness through what we are doing to make the consumers more aware and educated and demand better for themselves, right, and that's the hope.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Well, now other companies will see like, well, wild Notes did it right. Like, if they can do it, we can do it, and so I think collectively, as a community, it will get the word out and I hope what I hope happens is that more companies will start demanding it. So, absolutely Okay.

Speaker 1:

So one of the other things I hear all the time is what we already touched on, but it's this idea that, oh, it's great if you want to make a perfume that's like 100% botanical, yes, of course, that's clean and beautiful and safe and good for you, but you're destroying the environment, right. So I hear this a lot. I hear a lot of it takes way too many botanicals, it's super destructive to make a little bit of perfume. It's not eco-friendly, it's not good for the environment. And to that I always say to these companies that say that to me you could be a part of the solution, because if you were supporting the farmers and sourcing from regenerative farming sources, then you could actually be healing the environment. So Wild Notes is sourcing from regenerative, zero pesticides, organic farms, and that was like a core value also from the beginning. So let's talk about that. Let's talk about where you're getting your botanicals from and why that was so important.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so there are three different sources. One, obviously, some of our unique ingredients come from our own farms that practice regenerative agriculture. They're certified organic I mean, we take a lot of pride in our farms around the world, right. So there's that. And then there are some actually some of these ingredients come from the wild and just to go with our name right, we'll pray our name name right but they are sustainably sourced and they have some incredible stories of how some of our harvesting and the way that we bring those ingredients actually help the environment in during that process.

Speaker 2:

And then the third is there are some really unique ingredients in our fragrances that are sourced through our fragrance house. But they have the same very thorough, rigorous process of how they source their ingredients and their sustainability practices in all of that, like they went through their supply chain just the same way that we do. And that's why I was excited to partner with them, because they have very same like we do, same standards like we do, and they look at business like the way that we do. So it was really exciting when I found them. You know, when you find a partner, business partner that actually has the same standards, it's just the best partnership. So those are the three ways that we source our ingredients that go into our fragrances, and then, obviously, when it comes to alcohol, it's organic, non-d-nature, sugarcane alcohol. So you are getting the best, the best of the best. Yep, yep when it comes to ingredients.

Speaker 1:

You're also a part of 1% for the planet as well.

Speaker 2:

Yes, when it comes to ingredients, you're also a part of 1% for the planet as well. Yes, so I mean we are bringing in these really beautiful, unique ingredients that nature has to offer. Right, we are sourcing from nature and we wanted to make sure that we give back and do our part to protect the planet and give back. So that's why 1% of all of our top line revenue goes towards our restoration program, and we'll start with reforestation project. But as we grow, I mean that's one of the most exciting parts of this brand, that the impact that we will get to do around the world through this reforestation and other restoration efforts that we'll get to do around the world through this reforestation and other restoration efforts that we'll get to do. But, yeah, I'm really excited about that. I think that's going to be our way of giving back to the nature that we take our ingredients from.

Speaker 1:

I think it's so important for people to understand like I talk about regenerative agriculture a lot, and I think it's easy to think that regenerative just means you do things a little bit better. But really, what regenerative means is you're using cover crops and you are healing the soil in the microbiome. You're not tilling right. You're restoring things like wetlands. You're bringing in cleaner water. You're not using synthetic fertilizers. You are literally healing, restoring the planet, the environment. You're creating balance. You're creating a carbon sink, right.

Speaker 1:

So when we've moved away from farming regeneratively and moved to this monocropping, when we brought pesticides in, we took away all of those carbon sinks that were naturally part of our ecosystem. And so when you support regenerative agriculture by sourcing from farms that are due and I have been to a lot of these farms, you know you just by sourcing them from there, you are making the environment better and you're moving the regenerative agriculture movement forward. And I think that that in and of itself is beautiful and what I look for in like the best of the best and the cleanest of the cleanest, because I do think that botanicals are amazing, but you have to do it in a way that honors and respects our environment 100% and I think again, there are not very many companies out there that are doing that right.

Speaker 2:

But it takes one to start that right, it takes one to set that standard, and that's what we are here for and hopefully we can move the entire beauty industry forward with some of these efforts that we are doing.

Speaker 1:

I love it Opening doors. So let's talk about the actual perfume, right, because?

Speaker 1:

that's why we're here, we're talking about the actual perfume and, for clarity, the farms we're talking about are Young Living Farms. Wild Notes is sourcing these regenerative, organically grown essential oils from Young Living Farms. There's five. So when Wild Notes launches which will launch soon after this podcast airs there's going to be five fragrances that are going to be launched. There's going to be five fragrances that are going to be launched and you're going to be able to get a discovery set of all five of them so you can try them out and see which ones you love. Should we just like walk through them and then talk about, kind of like, the main ingredient that people are going to love?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so there are five very distinct fragrances and they are gender neutral. So you get to choose what you love and what works with your skin, because when you wear perfumes and that's one of the things right it just with your chemistry, it just it smells different. Right, and you can, we both can wear the same fragrance. It will smell different. So that's the uniqueness about it. But we have a good variety, multiple different scent profiles that we're hitting with these five. So do you want me to go one?

Speaker 1:

by one. Yeah, let's go through them one by one. By the way, I have them all and I have my favorite. I'll tell you I'll keep that as a secret, and then I'll tell you which one's my favorite as we go through them Okay.

Speaker 2:

So Smokey Amber I think I feel like that's probably the boldest fragrance out of the five. At least, I feel it's the one that you want to wear when you want to feel really bold and ambitious and walk into that boardroom or go on the red carpet moment, type of that's how I feel about smoky amber. It has a little bit of sweetness, but really deep woody undertone to it, and then you have timeless floral, which is, I think, a really beautiful floral. There's a mix of florals in there, a little bit of citrus in there, but it's really elegant. I feel like you know for somebody who loves floral.

Speaker 1:

I think they're going to love it. I knew so. I'm not a floral person. I've never worn florals before. I think everyone has their thing. I'm a citrus girl. I'm such a citrus girl, but I smelled it and what I loved about it is, you know, I think the reason why I hate floral scents is because I hate synthetic floral scents.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But when you smell something that is completely botanical and floral. It was very easy on my nose and I was surprised by that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I was surprised, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And then you have your rugged wilderness. It just makes you feel like you're in the mountains and in the wild.

Speaker 1:

And my son loves it. My son my 16-year-old son was like am I getting a bottle?

Speaker 2:

of that. I think that's going to be one of the favorites for a lot of men. I think, yeah, great color. And then you have Fireside Citrus. That has citrus top notes mixed in with a little bit of woody undertone to it and it has a little bit of smokiness to it. I don't know, I just absolutely love that.

Speaker 1:

So I said I'm a citrus girl, I 100%. When you sent these to me, I was like that's going to be my favorite Hands down. I said from the very beginning of this project please make me a citrus. I want a citrus and I love it and it's beautiful and it smells really good with my skin and I adore it. But it was not my top pick. I was shocked by this. So there's one more Go ahead.

Speaker 2:

Yep, sweet decadent. So I think this is probably the most out there, trendiest one out of the five, and it's the vanilla coconut pistachio. It's a really sweet fragrance, it's I I I expect it to be a top seller, especially with younger girls, because I think it's very trendy.

Speaker 1:

But but that being said though, I have a lot of friends If you would have explained that to me. And you did explain it to me and I was like I'm not going to like that, maybe my daughter will love that. I don't like super sweet either. I'm just not into that. I am obsessed with this fragrance. When I ran out I cried. I was like how long do I have to wait for the full bottle? What's happening? I don't know. It's like this really high-end vanilla that is like not, it's not like a super sweet vanilla and it's got undertones of like that cocoa and that coconut, but it's refreshing. It's so weird to say that about a vanilla being refreshing, but it's like it's a high end, luxury vanilla. It's not like. I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to like the cocoa butter and the super sweet vanillie, but oh my God, I love that perfume so much, I am so obsessed with it and I cannot wait to get my hands on a full bottle.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I mean here's the interesting part of you know, when you think about vanilla, pistachio, sweet, you think it's for women, right? Even I kind of felt that way. But we had a friend over a few weeks ago and I had him try, like smell all of them, and then I said what, which one would you wear? And he said sweet, decadence. I said what? Like this is a macho, macho man like you know, like I mean, it's just and I'm like what? And he's like, yes, that's the one. So we sprayed it on him. It didn't smell as sweet, but it smells so good on him. And like he was spot on when he said that that's the one and and we even made him try other ones, none of them were like no really, yeah, this rugged wilderness one but he, he said and he he's like, no, but we I mean.

Speaker 2:

But he was right, because when we smelled it on him that was the best out of the five. He knew his scent, but I don't want people to think, oh, that's very feminine. But that's where the discovery set comes into play. People can get it for $50, but then you get $20 coupon code that can go towards your first bottle. You can try all five. So for $30, you get to try all five in those 1.5 ml vials and then you can find your signature scent. And here's the best part we have also tried layering them, yep, and it is like I love the Fireside Citrus and the Sweet Decadence that is my sweet spot.

Speaker 1:

I love the fireside citrus and the sweet decadence that is my sweet spot.

Speaker 2:

I love it. Mine is smoky amber and timeless floral. Oh, okay, yeah, and my husband likes smoky amber and rugged wilderness together, so I think that's the other beautiful thing. So I think that's the other beautiful thing. If you get the discovery set, you could actually layer them and see if you have a signature scent that you absolutely love and that's going to be very unique to you, right?

Speaker 1:

So I want to touch on this actually, because another thing companies tell me when they use synthetic fragrance is we can't control the way that harvests go every year, right, like very similar to the essential oil world. Like every year when you harvest, the way that oils come out and the way they smell and their constituents, and everything is dependent on the soil and the rain and the seasons and the you know all these things, that the evolution of that plant, of that seed because you know you guys use population lavender over at Young Living on their farms like it changes year to year. And so one of the arguments in the perfume industry is if we want to make a fragrance that smells exactly the same year after year after year, we have no choice but to use synthetic. What do you think about that?

Speaker 2:

I was told the same. But here's the beautiful part like I, I don't think I even shared this with you the same. But here's the beautiful part Like I don't think I even shared this with you. I mean, we are now in the like as we're recording this, we are now in the final stages of going into production, right.

Speaker 2:

So we formulated of initial products when we first went through the process five months ago four months ago, right, that's. I mean probably five months ago when we started. So the ingredients we use in them are not the same lot of ingredients and oils, essential oils and extracts that are actually going into the production. So we are actually running into that same issue where when we use the newer batches, for example, the juniper we sent them to use for the final batch is a very fresh juniper batch, but we realized the juniper we used in the initial formula was a six-month-old batch that has already kind of aged, so they smell different. So the process is we are going to rebalance the fragrance, the formula, every batch to create that consistency and every time they blend the oil, blend the perfume, are going and rebalance and check against the previous lot to make sure that it stays as closely consistent as we possibly can.

Speaker 2:

So, it's an interesting process. It's a very manual, time-consuming process, but that's what you have to go through if you want to use 100% natural ingredients. So I'm learning as we go too.

Speaker 1:

No, I love that because again most companies would be like yo, I don't want to do that, that's too hard, and you were like that is too hard and it's tempting to me.

Speaker 2:

It's costly, right? I mean, even when we talk about alcohol, one of the things that we didn't share is the non-denatured alcohol costs twice as much as denatured alcohol because of the additional alcohol tax that's added on to every batch, every barrel that you get. It costs you twice as much. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So you can either get the denatured alcohol that has petroleum-derived ingredients in it and spray it on your body. Or you can pay twice the cost for that alcohol to get something that does not have a chemical added to it, just to comply with alcohol laws?

Speaker 2:

Yep, because that other half is alcohol tax that we have to pay to the government. So so it is not. It's not easy. It's, it takes a lot of effort to do the right thing. Yes, it's, it takes a lot of effort to do the right thing. Yes, and it costs more. And but at the end of the day we have to ask the question is it worth it? Is it worth giving our consumers a safer product that they can, they can feel good about, that they know doesn't hurt their health and wellness, right especially? I mean, I have a daughter, I have a daughter, you have a daughter. They all are in that same age around where they want to experiment with skincare, makeup fragrances, and you can't stop them from doing it because, that's just, we all have been there right in that age. That's just, we all have been there right in that age. But at least, as a mom, I feel good about being able to give a healthier, safer option for her.

Speaker 1:

We actually had that conversation. I recall we were on the phone and it was in those moments where I was like we're not going to find a manufacturer. I specifically remember asking you the question is this something you're going to compromise on? And I know you well enough to know the answer was going to be hell, no. But the doubt started to creep into my brain and you were quiet for a little bit and you said we will figure this out. Like you just weren't even willing to go there.

Speaker 1:

And then we followed on by talking about we both have girls that are, you know, near the same age and it's important as moms for us. Like these hormone disruptors, these synthetic fragrances, these chemicals like I'm going to be so excited to give a bottle of this to my daughter and I can feel so safe and so comfortable and so happy that it that this is an option for her. Yeah, and I'm just really excited about that Feels like it makes me emotional. I feels really good to know that like and I know you feel this way too You're creating something wonderful to put into the world for everybody.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I mean it's just lack of education is is just, it's mind blowing. I mean I didn't know right. Like I mean I've been in the beauty space, health and wellness space, but I remember, even going into this, I was very open and honest and I said I've never done fragrance. Like you have to know if I'm going to do this. Like very open and honest, and I said I've never done fragrance. You have to know if I'm going to do this like this, it's going to be a learning curve for me because I've never dealt with fragrance and it was a lot of learning. I mean, I did not realize. I mean, and here's the other thing, when you look at some of the perfumes, especially in the cleaner synthetics and stuff, you see the label that says organic, but they're still denatured.

Speaker 1:

Yep, so that's where, like, we see the organic and instantly our brains think, oh, this is safe for me, but it's still denatured and you know what I've been seeing a lot of lately, because I'm I have a whole perfume review that's going to be published with this episode. So everyone listening, there is a proof. If you want to know those some of the brands using phthalates and using all of those awful things. I've got them all published. But what I is what I saw when I started reviewing perfumes is on the front website it says organic sugarcane alcohol. But when you go into the section of the label that's legally required by law, that's where it says alcohol. Do not, and you know what?

Speaker 1:

Let's talk about transparency of ingredients. This is a perfect segue into the transparency, because one of the things that you said from the beginning is every single ingredient will be completely and fully disclosed, which is very different than the way that the industry operates currently right, with that proprietario. We don't want people to know, but that denaturing ingredient is a part of that transparency. So it was really frustrating for me to see these brands that are really good at marketing themselves as clean and to literally put on the front of their website, just like Wild Notes. If you go to the Wild Notes website, which is linked in the show notes, you will see it right up front. It says up at the top that beautiful picture, and then it says organic alcohol. Right, but if you go to the label, the legal label that's going to be on these bottles, it is not going to say alcohol, it's not, but a lot of other companies.

Speaker 2:

That's how deep you have to dig to find it, yeah, and how many consumers know how to do that or do that Like right? Like a lot of people don't do that and they don't have the knowledge or the time or the patience to go do that. So it's really sad that they don't even know what they're putting on their bodies and how it damages their health and wellness and the impact that those ingredients have. Right, that's sad, I mean, as moms who would want to put toxic chemicals on their kids no mom would say that but that lack of knowledge and the resources. They're doing it without even knowing the harm that they're causing their children.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, about the fact that smaller brands like Wild Notes that are trying to do the right thing. You're competing in a space with massive, mega corporations like these, massive corporations that are bajillion dollar juggernauts that are out there. And how do you compete? And one of the ways that I am told all the time is we need an army of affiliates. We need word of mouth advertising, we need people out there spreading the word, educating on ingredients and clean living or just even saying like, hey, use something more natural, right? If you're not somebody who is super into the nitty gritty of, like me, the law and the labeling and all of that, get out there and go share affiliate links online. Go share with your friends and family. Make some extra money by doing it. So Wild Notes is does have an affiliate opportunity and while you do source your oils you know from Young Living and all of that, wild Notes is not a network marketing company, but you are going to have an affiliate program Can you talk about?

Speaker 2:

that? Yeah, absolutely, and you're right. Unless you have a massive marketing budget right In what amount is the way for a lot of new startup companies to really get in front of consumers? Really get in front of consumers? We are going to rely on people just like yourself, that who are passionate about sharing clean alternatives to synthetic products and rely on them to really help us get that brand awareness. So we and then obviously we want to share our wins with those, that who are partnering with us. So our affiliate program it's super simple. It's a 25% commission on every product that you sell and some things. That's slightly different with us is you, as an affiliate, if you introduce a customer, you get that 25% commission on the reoccurring orders of that customer as well. It's not one and done.

Speaker 1:

I love that it's hard to find in the affiliate world that recurring revenue.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, because I know, as someone who has created a brand, that customer acquisition is the hardest part in the business. Right, that first customer acquisition. But when they get the first product in their experience and if the product stands up to the quality commitment that they have, then that reoccurring order is much easier. It's retaining that customer is much easier. But if you are going to do the legwork to bring in that customer and introduce that customer to our brand, why would we not reward you?

Speaker 1:

I always say this you can pay marketing firms, you can pay for a ton of ads. Or you can pay people and I am an advocate for women making money at home all day long. Pay women. Pay the moms that are at home all day long. Pay women. Pay the moms that are at home that want to do the work. You don't need to have a large following, like I do. You could just share casually with your friends, with your family, with the people around you. You could just.

Speaker 1:

I have a girlfriend who was like I want to be a Wild Notes affiliate and I just want to be able to buy the perfume for free and I was like I love that for you Like I just, and the more you talk about the brands that are doing the right thing, the more that that will spread, and I really think that affiliate marketing is ethical marketing. I feel strongly about it.

Speaker 2:

And also if you are partnering with a brand that does the right thing, moving the industry forward, you are being part of a movement. In my mind, if we collectively come together, voice our opinions, share the stories and demand more and demand better from brands, it will collectively move the entire industry forward, and that's how change happens. And to me, that's where I see this as a movement. It's an opportunity for women to make money. I'm 100% with you on that.

Speaker 2:

I'm a big believer in female empowerment and that's my biggest passion in life, in my career. That's what I have done and it's important. I think it's important for my daughter to see that I am a hardworking mom and I can accomplish whatever I want and still be present for her and be a mom, be a wife. That's what the example that we need to set in. Being an affiliate marketer, being able to work from home and make that income gives women that flexibility to care for their kids while still building a business and making an income, and I'm a big, big advocate for that. So I'm excited to partner with so many women, but also men, who are out there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I was going to say like rugged wilderness and apparently sweet decadence, there's going to be men that love that too.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I think there are more and more men that who are advocating for clean health, wellness. I think there are a lot of really good voices.

Speaker 1:

The testosterone, all of these hormonal impacts. We talk about the impacts on women, but it's impacting men too.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, and I think, when it comes to clean products, health, wellness, beauty, personal care, space, I mean men's products are a really growing category because there's demand, there's awareness and people are more mindful today, right, so I think we have a great program. We would love to partner with those who are as passionate as we are about this movement, and we welcome you to partner with us, and obviously we want to record you through our affiliate program.

Speaker 1:

So I would you know. One of the things that I love about what you're doing is, if you go over to the Wild Notes Instagram page, you are actually doing behind the scenes from the farms and telling the regenerative farming story, which is something that I love, because I think people want that connection, they want to understand, they want to see it with their own eyes. And for the people that haven't been on those farms and had that experience, like I have like literally picking ylang-ylang flowers by hand to distill them but the videos that you guys are sharing, the education that you are sharing behind it, the heart of it I think that's amazing. The website has so much information. Get on the mailing list for Wild Notes.

Speaker 1:

I love all the education about clean living and ingredients that's coming out. You, you guys, aren't just creating this really beautiful botanical fragrance, you're also like educating everyone. And I just want to end by saying I really believe like this is going to change and I know that sounds dramatic to say like this is going to change the perfume industry, but what you have done opening the doors to getting manufacturers willing to make non-denatured alcohol, sourcing from regenerative farming so you're protecting the environment. Like you are proving you can make a clean botanical fragrance and you can do it right and you can do it well and it can smell amazing. And I am so excited for people to actually have this perfume in their hands and also thank you for letting me be a part of it. It was just such an honor and such a joy.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for being part of it, because you have, I mean, all this knowledge in education and experience that you brought to the table that I didn't have, and it was such a great partnership too. I was so relieved that I could actually text you middle of the night and ask you questions, and you were so willing to look at things and look at documents and give me feedback. And I mean it's a teamwork, right, and I do have my expertise, but the level of knowledge that you have about ingredients is not my strong suit. So thank you for being part of it, and you added so much value as we went through the formulation process it was my pleasure.

Speaker 1:

Now I'm gonna have you back next year when you've changed the perfume industry forever and we'll talk about that.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for being here, guys. Thank you for having me.