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Dr. Han Chien Lin, Distinguished Professor and other faculty members from the Department of Wood Based Materials and Design, National Chiayi University, implemented the project, “Assisting Chiayi County Forestry Cooperative in Developing Essential Oil Industry,” commissioned by the Chiayi Branch, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture in 2023. Using essential oils extracted from Taiwanese incense-cedar, as well as herbs, flowers and fruits commonly found in Alishan, they developed three forest perfumes respectively with woody, herbal, and floral/fruity notes. On Feb. 2nd, the “perfume forest ecological bottles” were unveiled at the launch event of the forest perfume products at Chukou Nature Center. The aim was to enhance the atmosphere and quality of life through perfume.
According to Hwa-Ching Lin, Director of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, they have been actively enhancing the sustainable utilization value of Taiwan's forests in recent years. In terms of non-wood forest products, essential oils extracted from forest plants in Taiwan are one of their focuses. They are also the most popular souvenirs among forest tourists. As Taiwan is rich in natural resources, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency is currently dedicated to sustainable forestry by promoting forestry development and communicating with consumers in the market. Chang Tai, Director of the Chiayi Branch, indicated that they commissioned NCYU to offer guidance to the Alishan Forestry Cooperative in Fanlu Township, Chiayi County. After taking stock of local plant resources, they analyzed the utilization value of the entire Taiwanese incense-cedar. Its timber is excellent for furniture and can be used to produce high-quality incense sticks. Moreover, specialty essential oils can be extracted from its wood, branches and leaves. The scent of the essential oil is warm, sweet, thick, and long-lasting, providing a sense of calm and stability. Combined with herbal, floral and fruity scents commonly found in the forest, three perfumes – woody, herbal, and floral/fruity – were developed exclusively for the cooperative's Tufei Mountain series, which are an excellent choice for gifts and personal use.
NCYU President Han Chien Lin said that the utilization of forest resources is closely linked to the income of forest farmers. In addition to managing forest lands, providing relevant guidance to forest farmers in commercializing forest resources is key to further boosting their output value and utilization rate. Besides timber production, tree branches and leaves from thinning and pruning can be used to extract essential oils for producing non-wood forest products. The aroma of the forest essential oils helps ease the strains and stresses of modern life, and forest essential oil products have become increasingly popular in recent years. The NCYU team assisted forest farmers of the cooperative in using forest residues to produce essential oils and develop specialty essential oil perfumes. By creating unique local products, it helps reduce the waste of forest resources, increase income for forest farmers, and bolster the development of the local essential oil industry.
Representatives from the cosmetics industry, including MUJI, Lavender Cottage, and Tse-Xin Foundation, were invited to the launch event. Through the one-of-a-kind, fascinating medium of perfume, they hoped to arouse our interest in essential oil perfumes. The three eye-catching botanical installations showcased at the event will be relocated to the Alishan Botanical Garden for one month, allowing visitors to experience the forest fragrance during the Lunar New Year holidays.