Perfumer Mandy Aftel’s love of natural essences drives her business. While most commercial perfumes are made using synthetic scents, her Berkeley-based Aftelier Perfumes is focused on making artisan natural perfumes. She’s also written books on the subject, including “Essence & Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume” and “Aroma: Cooking with Essential Oils” (co-authored with Coi chef Daniel Patterson). How did you start your business?

I fell in love with natural material when I was researching a novel and found I had a talent for creating them.

Best part of your job?

I love smelling new natural materials and creating with them. I love all the different ways they smell—it’s amazing. For instance, I love the difference between Moroccan, Indian, and Egyptian roses. So, I would say the best part is creating and using those materials.

What is your favorite local green restaurant? Why?

Coi, which is Daniel Patterson’s restaurant. I did a cookbook with him; he uses essential oils in recipes. How could I not love that?

Where do you shop for organic groceries?

Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market, where all the foodies in Berkeley shop.

What are some of your favorite local green businesses?

I love Michael Recchiuti chocolates. He makes the best chocolate and has a shop inside the Farmer’s Market. I love the chocolate covered pears and peanut butter cups.

Is there a particular environmental non-profit you support?

Alice Water’s Edible School Yard/a>..

What’s your favorite thing about living in the city? Least favorite?

I love that there are no malls in Berkeley. I love the spectacular foods around here. And I love that you can have a creative life around such beauty.

What would you say is the city’s undiscovered or underrated jewel?

I love the clothing store Lilith on 4th Street, which has clothing from France.

Where do you like to take out-of-town visitors?

Chez Panisse/a>. Or the Cheeseboard Collective,, near where I live—it’s wonderful and has the world’s best pizza. That’s my most undiscovered thing.

What’s your favorite vacation destination?

I love to go to cities with great art and where great literature has been written, like London and Paris.

What’s your favorite weekend outdoor activity?

Gardening. I have a wonderful garden. I grow the stuff I don’t have the essences for. I love lilies and I grow a lot of roses.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

I’d be a fir tree because I like the way it smells. It’s kinda jammy, like strawberry jam in the forest.

Describe your path to green. How and when you became eco-conscious.

I would have to say my passion for natural essences is behind it. You cannot help but be in awe of nature when it makes such incredible smells. Barks of trees and flowers—this rainbow of smells is so extraordinary. It’s hard to not be in awe of nature and to want to preserve it.