The Moment Aromatica’s Gaze Turned to the Ground
Aromatica has always started with ingredients. Following the scents and benefits carried by essential oils, herbs, and roots, we have trusted in nature’s healing power and thought deeply about how it touches the skin. Until now, we looked at herbs from above—their flowers and leaves, their beauty and their functions. But today, we focus on what lies beneath: the soil where they grow and take root.
Earth’s Skin, the Signals of Soil
The natural ingredients we breathe in and apply to our skin every day ultimately come from the soil. Plant growth begins in the soil, and what makes this possible is the topsoil—the thin layer of earth, just 5–20 cm deep, that forms over centuries as rocks, plants, and insects break down. This topsoil contains the nutrients plants need to grow. It circulates water, stores carbon, helps mitigate climate change, and provides food and shelter to living beings on Earth.
Yet according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, about 33% of the world’s soil is already moderately to highly degraded. If this trend continues, more than 90% of the world’s soil could be degraded by 2050. Each year, 2.5–4 billion tons of topsoil are lost to erosion, which translates into the loss of 76 million tons of grain production annually. The strength of plants we rely on—and the healing power they provide—cannot continue if the soil beneath them collapses.
When Topsoil Collapses, Biodiversity Falls with It
Healthy soil is more than a nutrient source for plants. It is alive with countless organisms—microbes, fungi, insects, and other invisible life—that keep the soil breathing. Soil is, in fact, Earth’s largest biodiversity habitat. But pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and large-scale monoculture farming are rapidly destroying this ecosystem.
Aromatica’s First Step Toward Living Soil
At Aromatica, we are deeply concerned about destructive production methods that harm nature, and we are expanding our use of raw materials cultivated through more sustainable practices. This is also a way to protect topsoil and preserve biodiversity.
As a first step, we are launching a project to remove invasive species such as Humulus japonicus (wild hop vine), which threaten local ecosystems, and replace them with native seeds. This is more than just removal—it is an effort to restore living soil. By freeing the land trapped beneath the vines, sunlight returns, roots find space to grow, and bees and butterflies regain their habitat.
Breathing Soil, Reviving Ecosystems
We are beginning a journey with no clear end date. We will cut back invasive growth, sow seeds, and track changes in the soil and its living organisms. Using drone analysis and soil biology indicators, we will record the scientific process of soil’s revival.
This fall, we will plant seed balls made from native seeds. Through the winter, they will rest in the soil, and by next spring, they will quietly sprout. Aromatica now speaks of rooted sustainability. Because restoring soil is restoring life itself, we will continue on this path.