You may never have heard of Grasse, but there’s a good chance you already know its scents.
Set in the hills of the Côte d’Azur, around 20km north of Cannes, Grasse lies between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Alps. Its unusual position brings together sunshine, sea air, sheltered hills and cooler mountain influences — a combination that has helped shape this small Provençal town into the world’s most celebrated centre of perfume.
When we talk with the French makers Edenwood works with, this relationship between mountains, sea, climate and fragrance comes up repeatedly.
Christophe at La Maison du Savon de Marseille explained the importance of Grasse’s particular climate, while Frédéric at Maître Savonitto described just how unusual it is to have mountains and the Mediterranean coastline living so closely together.
Perhaps that is partly why Grasse resonates with us at Edenwood.
Bournemouth has its own distinctive relationship with landscape and climate — a mild, sunny coastal setting, sandy soils, pine trees and gardens where more exotic plants can thrive, with the New Forest nearby and the Jurassic Coast stretching west.
Grasse may sit between the Mediterranean and the Alps, but there is something familiar in that meeting of sea, landscape and vegetation, and in the way a place can influence its character, craft and creativity.
Grasse is much closer to many of the products on our shelves than you might realise.
Why Grasse is so special
Grasse has earned its reputation for good reason.
Its Mediterranean climate and surrounding countryside have provided ideal conditions for fragrant flowers and botanicals. Jasmine, Centifolia rose, orange blossom, mimosa and lavender are all closely associated with the perfume culture of this part of southern France.
But Grasse is about much more than growing flowers.
Over generations, the town developed extraordinary expertise in extracting, composing and balancing fragrance — the work of the nez, or perfumer, who brings individual aromatic materials together to create a finished scent.
That combination of agriculture, natural materials and perfume composition became so significant that the perfume-making skills of the Pays de Grasse were added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2018.
It is this connection between place, nature and craftsmanship that makes Grasse particularly interesting to us.
And its influence extends far beyond bottles of fine perfume.
From perfume to French soap
Fragrance is an important part of what gives a French soap its personality.
Lavender can be fresh, herbal and woody. Mimosa can be soft, floral and gently powdery. Orange blossom combines delicate flowers with brighter citrus notes, while amber, musk, herbs and woods create something richer and deeper.
When those fragrances are developed by experienced perfumers, even something as everyday as washing your hands can become a small sensory ritual.
That is very much part of what we look for at Edenwood: beautiful, useful things that bring a little more pleasure to everyday life.
Beautiful, useful things that bring a little more pleasure to everyday life.
And Grasse is much closer to many of the products on our shelves than you might realise.
Grasse at Edenwood
Maître Savonitto is perhaps the clearest example.
Its soaps are manufactured by Atelier du Savon in Seillans, in the Haut Var, and the company describes its ranges as natural soaps and cosmetics made with perfumes from Grasse. Maître Savonitto and Atelier du Savon are also part of GRASSE EXPERTISE™, the regional collective bringing together businesses connected with perfumery, cosmetics, natural ingredients and the skills of the Pays de Grasse.
That means fragrances such as Mimosa, Orange Blossom, Lavender, Verbena, Rosemary and Myrrh, Musk & Amber are not simply names printed on a soap — they sit within a much wider Provençal fragrance tradition.
The connection is equally strong with La Maison du Savon de Marseille. The company works with artisan perfumers in Grasse to create its fragrances, and states that its scented soap collection includes more than 85 fragrances developed by a master perfumer based there.
And the Grasse connection continues across Edenwood.
Label Provence Nature principally uses perfumes from Grasse alongside ingredients closely associated with Provence, including lavender, olive oil and honey. Lothantique, a Provençal fragrance house with roots dating back to 1920, works with perfumers in Grasse and Provence to create fragrances for the home and body, while British fragrance house Magma London has its own dedicated Grasse Collection, featuring natural essential oils and fragrances sourced from the region.
Together, they show just how far the influence of Grasse reaches — from traditional French soaps and liquid soaps to home fragrance, body oils and contemporary scent.
→ Explore the world of fragrance at EdenwoodFrom Grasse to Marseille and across Provence, there is always another fragrance — and another story — to discover.
