Brandon Decker creates simple, ultra clean essential oil fragrance mixes inspired by the special energy of Sedona. His line, Agua de Sedona, is a staff and customer staple. We asked him about his creations, his music and Sedona.

1. Is there a story behind how you started making fragrances, what was your first mix like, and how did it evolve into Agua de Sedona?

I like many people, had played with my own blends of oils for years. Two things kind of coalesced that resulted in Agua de Sedona. First I had encountered the famous Agua de Florida at a ceremony and was very attracted to its magic. Secondly, my career being as a touring musician, when covid struck I needed an outlet to put my passion and inspiration into, with the hopes of also finding a new source of income. I had the idea to make a Sedona version of Agua de Florida, but with aromas more in tune with the high desert and oils that I found inspiring.

I had no idea how to make perfume. But I am a quick study and I dove in fully. I ordered thousands of dollars worth of oils and equipment and made an idea for the first formula. The first blend was awful. Straight down the drain. Many more the same. Gradually it started coming together. I obsessed over it for three months, sometimes making 4 or 5 new renditions a day. That summer of 2020, virtually all I did was spend time on the land then come home and try to recreate that scent in my workspace until finally the time came I knew that I needed to energetically part with the creation and set it free to see what would come. I was astounded at the response in the first few months.

2. What is your favorite essential oil to work with?

I love so many essential oils, but it seems that vetiver has always been a favorite. I have not made a blend without it. It smells like earth and dirt. It's grounding and comforting to me.

3. How did you end up in Sedona?

I moved to Arizona in 2004 to finish my college off at NAU. After graduating, I moved to Phoenix for two years, and just was not happy there. My parents had subsequently moved to Sedona, from St. Louis and I came up to see what a summer up here would look like. They say Sedona accepts you or spits you out, so I feel lucky to have been adopted here. It is my home.

4. Sedona inspires both your incredible music and your fragrance, what exactly about Sedona is it that you love, can you pin point the energy?

I love the land. I love the waters. I love the stillness. I get a little put off by people who speak this way sometimes, but truly, the land here is medicine. As I explored it and spent time on it more and more through the years, this reverence gave way to a new humility and peace and great healing. Obviously, Sedona has become a much busier place in the last decade or so, but the magic and power are beyond these notions. There are so many places one can get alone and just experience the awe and wonder here.

5. Anything exciting on the horizon for Agua de Sedona?

Haha, I wish I could say so. I have a handful of endeavors which I am inspired by and enjoy putting my energy into. Agua de Sedona has done better than I would have ever imagined, but, with time being as it is, I am quite occupied by just fulfilling orders. Many people would want to scale up or grow, but I like that my blends are touched by my hands and my heart and have no ambition to make it into anything more than that. I presently have 4 blends, and hopefully one day, I will be able to make a few more but, as of now, there just isn't the time. I am grateful that so many people enjoy it and use it in there daily practices and routines. That is enough for me.

Deep Dive | Brandon Decker Agua De Sedona

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