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The Story of Attars

”I began my journey into making my own products with a passion for a scent that I could no longer find. It was a mystical scent made of sandalwood. As I looked into the changing ways the “green conscious consumer” was demanding clean natural products, my passion led me into the world and knowledge of attars.” Teri Donnelly, CEO ATAR GOLD, California

History of Attar

The word Attar is referenced some 5,000 years ago in ancient text from India and Egypt that means nature’s essence from plants, woods and flowers. People in ancient civilizations believed that natural oils had healing and wellbeing properties, and used them for cooking and as fragrances. Both men and women would wear these oils on their wrists, necks, and chests.

True attars are a pure extract derived from nature, known in modern times as essential oils. Today, as in ancient India and Egypt, attars are used in incense, candles, beauty, bath and body products, offering a sense of uplifting, meditation, health and well being.

The process of making Attars

Attar-Makers were mostly Middle Eastern, Egyptian or from India. They were travelers who gathered of different attars, then adding them with water to the still, also called a Deg, to steam the essence from these attars and extract their precious oils, then put them into small glass vials with either a vegetable or more popular sandalwood oil.

These Attar-Makers would trade or sell these oils at local markets, and because of their popularity, attars soon grew further into other cultures, especially with the elite. Today more than ever more synthetic fragrances have flooded the world market as making fine fragrances turned into big business.

There is a culture shift happening called “clean beauty” today and the demand for natural products have increased, and with it a new trend in natural fragrances. Consumers are looking for products that are made with a conscience and sourced sustainably.

Global steps have taken place to protect noble attars like sandalwood that has been over harvested, and sourcing is trending toward the old way to find the purest attars available made with natural and organic ingredients. You can learn more about traditional attar making in our modern world here https://www.venkatramna- perfumers.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Category=Attars&&Title=Islamic%20Bakhur%20Attar

Difference between an Attar Oils and Perfume scents?

I have never really been a perfume fan and yet I loved the scents of nature and have always been curious to how scents affect human behavior. I have learned, “true attars” in oil will hover close to the skin and is more intimate rather than a perfume that is typically in an alcohol base that propels the scent outward.

The word “perfume” means “to be aflame”; many perfumes today use natural and synthetic scents immersed in alcohol as a preservative. Then we spray them onto the body which gives a scent in a room, or around a person that can literally cling to fabric and transfer to another person and it’s not always a pleasant experience!

Perfumes also are known to use phthalates in their formulas, a known allergen that can affect the nervous system unpleasantly giving one a headache or the feeling of nausea. At the end of the day, “your nose knows” and you will know what makes you feel good and what doesn’t.

The purest attars will elevate your mood and even change your body chemistry. This reference is likened to “Olfactory”, and how the brain is strongly affected by the sense of smell. To learn more about the fascinating understanding can be found

here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfactorysystem

My new product inspiration came to me while at an Egyptian exhibit in Berlin. Something rushed throughout my awareness as I walked in, I knew this feeling was important and something drew me to look toward Egypt for the inspiration for my product idea.

I came upon Egyptian blue lotus and was fascinated how Egyptians revered this lovely flower for its euphoric and medicinal properties and learned more that Egypt was the birthplace for modern cosmetics and as a beauty professional for over 40 years I was intrigued. It was my fascinated with the story of attars that created the name of our

brand Atar Gold, and our first product was a real innovation for a natural fragrance. However, it wasn’t easy to make! We hired a skincare chemist and a perfumer to develop our formula, making patches in her bath tub, yes a tub! I was driven based on my new knowledge of the ancient ways of attars and the down falls of fine fragrance companies.

Our idea was different, no alcohol, no greasy oils for the base, sowe created a serum base, something new which to our knowledge hadn’t been done before. Our unique fragrance also has no phthalates or parabens, and is cruelty free. The skin serum base glides on dry while the scent begins to open up, hovering close to the skin unlike a fine fragrance that propels a scent.

Like a true-attar, it’s made for a man and a woman, and changes to your body chemistry, woody, spicy or fresh and powdery, it all depends on you! It features top notes of black pepper and bergamot, mid- notes of jasmine and ylang and base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli and labdanum resin. www.atargold/natural-fragrance-serum

How is an Attar is evaluated?

Quality and Purity – the sourcing of natural, organic and sustainably harvested attars

Depth and Elegance – the combination and complexity of attars to create a scent

Safety and Application – made to be safe on the skin without harmful additives

How are Attars used?

Attars (essential oils) are used in a number ways, so for a quick reference I’ve outlined a list of attars for their attributes as mood enhancers, medicinal attributes or their role in attar cooking.

Mood Enhancers

Blue Lotus – a euphoric feeling, calming, helps sleep

Vanilla – warm, round and sweet scent, considered an aphrodisiac, helps you relax Bergamot – citrus, fresh and zesty, uplifting, positive energy

Sandalwood – a rare creamy wood, calms the nerves, great for meditation

Jasmine – fresh and green, enhances confidence with an alluring quality https://www.vogue.com/article/scents-that-will-boost-your-mood-and-when-to-wear-them Natural Medicine (as with all thing medial, consult a professional)

  • Bergamot: skin healing and anxiety-reducing
  • Chamomile: cold, fevers and nausea
  • Clove: dental and pain-relieving
  • Eucalyptus: topical pain-reliever and decongestant
  • Lavender: calming and sleep-inducing
  • Lemon: a natural household cleaner and disinfectant
  • Oregano: skin-healing, helps to remove skin tags
  • Peppermint: cold and flu prevention and energy-booster
  • Rosemary: skin and hair health and joint pain
  • Cedarwood: helps with skin disorders like eczema, scars and reduces inflammation to relieve joint pain “I believe when we connect with natural’s intelligence, our whole being is elevated and we are all better for it! Our pledge at www.atargold.com is offering vegan beauty products with extraordinary ingredients using attars for amazing results” Teri Donnelly, CEO Atar Gold

The travelers gathered different kinds of attars and added them to a still. They then steamed the attars to extract their oils, which they put into small glass vials.

They were travelers who gathered different attars, then added them to a still with water, to extract the oils from them. They then put the oils into small glass vials with either a vegetable or sandalwood oil.

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