Natural Scent Advocate

The EU is cracking down even harder on naturals. What they have planned -- what they have already done -- has all but wiped natural perfumery off of the map in Europe. I understand their motivations (two-prong, public safety, and money), and it is worrisome for someone in my position. Who or what entity is standing up for our rights? None. Who or what entity is making effective policy that both keeps public safety in mind while protecting small businesses? None. The fingers of their restrictive policies are wrapped around the necks of thousands of small businesses in Europe -- I recently saw something about a long-time small business soap maker in Norway who has shut down her business due to these restrictions. She claimed that every single batch of soap requires testing and that testing can cost, depending upon whether or not the same materials were used in a previous batch, anywhere from $100 to $3000 USD, and that in order to make even a small profit, she would have to sell each bar, roughly 4.5 ounces, for $27 USD. While on the one hand, I can see the pros of their policies in that some people who craft, create things, soaps, perfumes, body butter, et al, with proven dangerous materials, and this is because of companies like the questionable MLMs who spout off unproven, unresearched, and dangerous practices with regard to essential oils, and because people are generally greedy and don't want to fully research the topic or educate themselves on the potential safety issues, they just want to get on with the money-making and safety be damned. This is why education is crucial. And now tariffs -- geez Louise, we get another curveball with these flipping tariff numbers! I haven't shipped anything international except for the occasional gift packet to Canada for a couple of years now because of the cost and the general hassle at the post office. 

But I am a suspicious woman naturally. I find that 9 times out of 10, the motivation for these types of restrictions and policies that ensue is about cash. Big corps yanking it away from small business, which, ironically, is where the big corps get their ideas from. When artisan soap makers began using shea butter in soaps, all of a sudden, the big corps were putting shea butter in everything. That's just one example of how they troll us and corporatize our ideas. Where are they going to get their next best thing from if they cut off all of these artisans from working and inventing and experimenting? Hm? 

I think this is why I work so diligently with incense. It's not been restricted (yet) in the same ways that leave on and wash off fragrance has. We need to be better advocates for ourselves. We need to stand up to this and have a hand in policymaking.