Zenology: Minimalist Skincare and Fragrances from Amsterdam

A Dutch brand founded by Jeroen Oude Sogtoen in Amsterdam in 2004, Zenology grew out of the luxury hospitality sector with a clear ambition: to bring the sensory quality of great hotels into the home. Its defining signature is the combination of home fragrances at eau de parfum concentration with clean skincare, all produced within a sustainable supply chain.

History and philosophy

Jeroen Oude Sogtoen — fashion designer and interior design enthusiast — developed Zenology in Amsterdam in 2004 while working on the creation of a boutique hotel in the Dutch capital. During that project he identified a precise gap in the market: the absence of high-quality beauty products that were also genuinely sustainable. From that observation grew a brand dedicated to translating the sensory experience of luxury hospitality into domestic spaces.

The company's philosophy is distilled in the principle of care and consider: attentiveness to the customer and a constant regard for environmental impact. The home fragrances are formulated at Accords et Parfums in the south of France, at concentrations comparable to an eau de parfum. The bottles use 100% PCR plastic with the biodegradable additive EcoPure®, and the brand has adopted a reforestation programme tied to online orders.

The style

Zenology works with botanical raw materials — sustainably sourced Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), black tea, guaiacwood, Virginian cedar, oud, and oriental resins — alongside active cosmetic ingredients. In-house perfumer Fredrik Dalman collaborates with the founder on every fragrance, each of which adheres to IFRA guidelines. The home fragrance collections are available in three spray formats (75 ml, 300 ml, and 1000 ml), designed to suit different diffusion needs across a variety of spaces. The skincare range — body care, hand care, and hair care — shares the same signature fragrances, creating an olfactory continuity between living spaces and everyday rituals.

• Home fragrances in liquid spray form, at eau de parfum concentration, produced in the south of France.
• Body and hand skincare with clean formulas: free from artificial colourants, microplastics, sulphates, silicones, and parabens.
• Packaging in 100% PCR plastic with the biodegradable additive EcoPure®.
• The Herbal Spa Collection, designed to recreate the experience of a five-star hotel spa.
• The Camellia Sinensis Collection, centred on tea and expressed across both home fragrances and body skincare.

Best-known products

Zenology's home fragrances are identified by botanical or evocative names that refer directly to their principal raw material. Each room fragrance is conceived to define a space with olfactory precision, without competing with personal fragrance.

• Gossypium — inspired by five-star hotel cotton: notes of cotton flower, white musks, and white florals in a soft, enveloping composition.
• Santalum — a tribute to certified-supply Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum); a woody, creamy, and warm accord.
• Ambra — an oriental composition uniting saffron, coffee, oud, and Cordovan leather over a base of Damascene rose, cashmere, and patchouli.
• Citrus Nobilis — a fresh citrus family with mandarin peel and citrus oils, bright and airy.
• Bakhoor Liquidus — a liquid reimagining of traditional Arabic bakhoor: geranium, white florals, and oriental spices (cardamom, cumin, saffron) on a woody amber base.