About us
De la Fontaine Naturals is a natural perfumery Atelier based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded by master natural perfumer Deonette van der Westhuizen, every fragrance is crafted by hand using 100% natural botanical ingredients — no synthetics, no parabens, no phthalates.
Inspired by the classical French perfumery and the sensory richness of the natural world, our perfumes are composed to evolve on your skin — opening bright, deepening slowly, leaving a signature that is entirely your own.
All fragrances are IFRA-compliant and formulated in accordance with allergen transparency standards. We are proud to be Leaping Bunny certified: never tested on animals, never will be.
We also offer hands-on natural perfumery workshops from our Fort Lauderdale atelier — from beginner introductions to bespoke bridal and corporate experiences, taught by Deonette personally.
You can also arrange with us to present our courses at a venue of your choice.
Our corporate team building workshops are very popular and regarded as refreshing, educational, fun and aimed at wellness.
Our Head Perfumer
Although I have studied several Master perfumers’ work, I was an admirer and student since 2003 of the work of Master perfumer Jean Kerléo. I shared his passion for natural materials. He was a highly respected French master perfumer who shared his art with love and enthusiasm. He was best known as the in-house “nose” for Jean Patou (where he created the iconic 1000 / Mille in 1972) and as co-founder and longtime president of the Osmôthèque, the world’s leading perfume archive and museum in Versailles.
Kerléo had a well-documented, lifelong passion for natural raw materials. Industry tributes and colleagues repeatedly described natural materials as “his stated passion,” and he openly called himself a supporter of natural perfumery, although the world was flooded with synthetic fragrances.
He was famous for sourcing the finest jasmine absolutes and other high-quality naturals, and he spent decades reconstituting historical fragrances at the Osmôothèque using original formulas that relied heavily on natural essences.
From a now-lost Business Standard interview, preserved on “Now Smell This”, he famously said:
“Perfume has become a mass product… Fragrances are banal and there is too much choice. Almost every day a new perfume appears on the market. Many are sold for a couple of months and then retired because they’ve gone out of fashion.”
His famous one-liner will always remain with me:
“You begin as a composer. You finish as a sculptor.”
It is not surprising that my passion, like my mentor’s, is classical French perfume — made with natural botanical extracts, so each fragrance reminds you of a special memory… a secret in your heart.
I only use the best quality oils and never compromise, as Jean would approve of.
I hope you enjoy our perfumes as much as I enjoy creating them for beautiful people like you.”
(Deonette is also the Chairperson and Founder of the International Foundation for Natural Perfumers.)
I am thrilled to personally invite you to become a member of the International Foundation for Natural Perfumers — a global community created exclusively for those who craft perfume the way nature intended: with pure botanical and sustainable extracts, integrity, and soul.
As Founder and Chairperson, I established this foundation because the future of perfumery is in our hands — the artisans who refuse to compromise on natural, ethical, and sustainable ingredients. Together, we will share and elevate the ancient art of natural perfumery in a world that has drifted too far from its natural roots.
Why Join Us?
Community
A private, supportive international network where members openly share perfume formulations, raw-material discoveries, technical challenges, and creative breakthroughs. No gatekeeping — only genuine peer support from perfumers at every stage of their journey.
Monthly Newsletters
Curated updates delivered straight to your inbox: new botanical sources, regulatory news, member spotlights, formulation tips, and exclusive interviews with leading natural perfumers.
Annual International Conference; Meet-and-Greet
Each year we gather (in-person and virtually) for workshops, scent-sharing sessions, panel discussions, and unforgettable networking evenings. This is your opportunity to meet, learn from, and collaborate with like-minded creators from around the world.
Additional Member Advantages
• Private online forum and resource library (rare ingredient guides, safety data, formulation templates, supplier directories)
• Exclusive webinars and masterclasses with guest lecturers
• Mentorship pairings with experienced perfumers
• Advocacy voice — we actively promote stricter standards for "natural" claims and support sustainable growers and distillers
• Member directory for collaborations, co-creations, and business referrals
• Special discounts on educational materials, events, and selected premium natural ingredients
• Opportunity to be featured in foundation publications and social channels
Membership is intentionally kept intimate and values-driven so that every voice is heard and every member truly benefits.
How to Join
Simply email us (info@dlfnaturals.com) and we will send the short membership form. Annual dues are modest and go directly toward community resources, events, and advocacy. ($100)
Workshop attendees may join for free.
I would be honored to welcome you into this growing family of passionate natural perfumers.
With fragrant anticipation,
Deonette van der Westhuizen
Founder and Chairperson
International Foundation for Natural Perfumers
De la Fontaine Naturals • Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
Let's bring the soul of flowers back into perfume — together.
Why Natural?
We create 100% natural perfumes using only extracts, absolutes, resins, woods, spices, grasses, and natural alcohol derived from sugar cane. We explicitly exclude all synthetic fragrances, preservatives, colorants, phthalates, parabens, and formaldehydes.
Our perfumer emphasizes classical French techniques with hydro-distilled materials and natural fixatives such as plant resins.
Commercial perfumes (the vast majority of mass-market and many designer fragrances) typically rely on synthetic aroma chemicals — often petroleum-derived — sometimes blended with smaller amounts of naturals. The term “parfum” or “fragrance” on labels can encompass hundreds of undisclosed compounds. These formulations frequently include synthetic fixatives (e.g., phthalates), stabilizers, and solvents for consistency, longevity, and cost efficiency.
The comparison below draws primarily from peer-reviewed systematic reviews and scientific literature on fragrance chemistry, health effects, allergens, and environmental fate.
1. Composition and Production
Our perfumes: Complex mixtures of dozens to hundreds of naturally occurring molecules (terpenes, esters, aldehydes, etc.) extracted via distillation, enfleurage, or solvent extraction from plants. Examples include flower absolutes, essential oils, resins, and natural alcohol. The scent profile is inherently variable by harvest, season, and geography. Production is low-volume, labor-intensive, and uses renewable but resource-heavy botanical sourcing from all over the world.
Commercial: Mostly synthetic molecules (nature-identical or novel) created via chemical synthesis or petrochemical feedstocks. These replicate or exceed natural scent profiles with far greater batch-to-batch consistency. Many include phthalates (e.g., diethyl phthalate/DEP as fixatives/solvents) and undisclosed blends of 100+ compounds. Production is highly scalable and much cheaper.
Scientific consensus: Synthetic molecules are chemically identical to many natural ones but are produced in controlled lab conditions, avoiding the variability and high material input of plant extraction.
2. Health and Safety
Phthalates and endocrine disruption — Commercial perfumes frequently contain phthalates (DEP, DBP, etc.) as fixatives and solvents. A 2022 systematic review of pollutants in perfumes and colognes identified phthalates, parabens, aldehydes, and other synthetics as key contaminants linked to:
Reproductive toxicity (reduced sperm quality, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, lower testosterone)
Endocrine disruption (estrogenic activity contributing to breast and prostate cancer risk)
Neurological effects (migraines, dizziness, potential developmental impacts)
Respiratory and skin issues (asthma exacerbations in up to 75% of sensitive individuals, contact dermatitis)
Our natural perfumes avoid these entirely, as they use no synthetic fixatives. However, the FDA has stated that DEP as currently used in fragrances does not pose a safety risk based on available data, though independent reviews highlight cumulative exposure concerns, especially in pregnant women and children.
Allergens and sensitization — Both types contain potential allergens. Many regulated fragrance allergens (e.g., limonene, linalool, eugenol, geraniol) occur naturally in essential oils at higher concentrations than in some synthetics. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) sets maximum usage limits for these compounds regardless of origin; the list of declarable allergens (now 82 in the EU) applies to both natural and synthetic sources.
Patch-test studies and reviews show similar rates of contact allergy to natural and synthetic fragrance materials. Natural perfumes may trigger reactions in people sensitive to specific botanicals (just as some people are allergic to strawberries), while synthetics can contain undisclosed sensitizers. Both emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can form secondary pollutants (e.g., formaldehyde) indoors when reacting with ozone.
Other effects — Synthetic fragrances are more frequently linked in literature to headaches, respiratory irritation, and potential neurotoxicity from undisclosed mixtures and petroleum-derived compounds. Natural scents are sometimes promoted for aromatherapy benefits, but high concentrations of certain essential-oil components can also irritate skin or airways.
Conclusion on safety: Natural perfumes eliminate phthalates and many synthetic additives, reducing certain documented risks. However, they are not automatically hypoallergenic; both categories require caution for sensitive individuals. IFRA standards and proper dilution — as we adhere to — help mitigate risks.
3. Performance (Scent Profile, Longevity, Projection)
Scent character — Natural perfumes offer greater olfactory complexity and nuance because each botanical contains dozens of interdependent molecules. The scent evolves dynamically on skin (top, heart, base notes shift noticeably). Commercial synthetics provide cleaner, more linear, and consistent profiles; they can create notes impossible or prohibitively expensive in nature (e.g., certain marine or gourmand accords).
Longevity and sillage — Scientific and formulation literature consistently shows synthetic fragrances last longer. Natural volatile molecules evaporate more quickly; without synthetic fixatives, even high-quality natural perfumes like ours typically last 4–8 hours, with projection fading sooner. Synthetics use stable large petrochemical-infused molecules and synthetic fixatives to achieve 8–12+ hours and stronger sillage. Natural fixatives (resins, balsams, woods) help but are less efficient.
Evaporation studies confirm that molecular weight, vapor pressure, and skin interactions (sebum, pH, temperature) influence longevity; heavier synthetic molecules generally persist better.
4. Environmental Impact
Biodegradability — Natural fragrance materials are generally more readily biodegradable because microorganisms have evolved to break them down. Synthetic molecules can be more persistent in water and soil, and hormone disruptors can cause significant environmental harm.
Resource use and production — Natural perfume production demands large quantities of plant material (e.g., thousands of roses for a small amount of absolute), raising concerns about land, water, biodiversity, and potential overharvesting. Sustainable sourcing with indigenous and organic farming mitigates this.
Synthetic production uses non-renewable petroleum but requires far less land and water and reduces pressure on rare botanical species. Life-cycle assessments often show synthetics have a lower carbon footprint per kilogram of fragrance material, though petrochemical extraction and synthesis generate pollution.
Our emphasis on sustainable, mostly naturally sourced ingredients and avoidance of petroleum derivatives gives us an edge in renewability and biodegradability, provided the botanicals are truly responsibly farmed.
5. Cost, Accessibility, and Other Factors
Natural artisanal perfumes like ours are significantly more expensive (small-batch, high raw-material costs) and hand-poured. Commercial perfumes are affordable, widely available, and highly consistent. Regulatory transparency is limited in commercial perfumes, as “fragrance” hides ingredients — but we list all our ingredients transparently.
Overall Evidence-Based Summary — Natural perfumes excel in:
Absence of phthalates and undisclosed synthetics, and carcinogen-free formulations
Biodegradability and (when sustainably sourced) reduced reliance on fossil fuels
Olfactory complexity and authenticity
Commercial perfumes excel in:
Longevity and performance
Consistency and affordability
Scalability with lower per-unit land/water use
Consumers seeking the middle ground often choose fragrances that blend high-quality naturals with safe, IFRA-compliant, cruelty-free, synthetic-free, and eco-friendly ingredients — like De la Fontaine Naturals. Your body will thank you.