There are many ways to make fragrance. The fastest is to open a supplier's catalog, order standardized aromatic ingredients, and have them delivered in three days.

We chose the slowest way: the early-morning flower market.

Why insist on choosing ourselves?

The fragrance at THE FOREST comes from the plants themselves — not extracted, not blended, just the natural scent that dried botanicals emit on their own. This commitment has one direct consequence: the quality of the plant is the entirety of the fragrance.

How fresh it is. Whether the oil content is sufficient. Whether it was harvested in the right season. All of this is reflected, without modification, in the final scent. There is no post-processing to correct it, no formula to compensate. So from the very first step, no one else can do it for us — we need to see and touch each batch ourselves.

At the flower market, we look for three things

Take the eucalyptus we've been testing repeatedly lately. Eucalyptus at the flower market looks similar at first glance — but up close, the differences are significant.

First, look at the color and surface of the leaves. Good eucalyptus has a misty, grey-green color, intact leaf surfaces, and a faint natural bloom — like the dusty coating on a grape. Leaves that are yellowing or spotted have often been sitting too long or been compressed during transport, and their fragrance has already begun to fade.

Then rub a leaf between your fingers. Eucalyptus fragrance lives in the oil glands within the leaf. A gentle rub releases a cool, faintly sweet scent like a forest after rain — immediate and clear. If rubbing produces little scent, the plant doesn't qualify, no matter how beautiful it looks. We're buying fragrance, not appearance.

Finally, consider the harvest season. A plant's fragrance intensity rises and falls with the seasons. The same eucalyptus variety sourced in different months can differ noticeably in depth and richness. There is no shortcut to learning which month is fullest — only testing batch by batch and recording what we find. This is why our eucalyptus is still marked "in testing." Until we convince ourselves, it won't appear on the shelf.

After the market comes the art of waiting

Once the plants are back at the studio, the real work begins: drying.

We use the oldest method — bundled and hung upside down, dried naturally in the shade. No convection oven for speed, because high heat drives the aromatic molecules away along with the moisture. Hanging upside down allows the plant's nutrients and oils to flow toward the leaf tips as it dries, keeping the fragrance more complete.

Then we wait. Depending on the plant and the season, the process takes anywhere from one to four weeks. Taiwan is humid, and during drying, we monitor moisture levels constantly and watch for ventilation — especially during the rainy season, where every step is careful. There is no rushing: dried too fast and the fragrance dissipates; not dried thoroughly enough and mold will follow.

From the flower market to a fully dried plant, everything in between is time.

But the waiting is worth it. A naturally shade-dried botanical doesn't carry the kind of scent that hits you immediately. It carries a scent that breathes — stored inside the plant tissue, releasing slowly. Placed beside a pillow, it can accompany you for months, not days.