G Baldwin & Co

G Baldwin & Co bills itself as London's oldest and most established herbalist, trading since 1844 from 171-173 Walworth Road in Southwark - and unlike almost every other name on this list, it has a physical counter you can walk up to. That heritage shapes what it is good for. Baldwins is a naturals and wellness house first: essential oils (standard, organic and pre-diluted), carrier and base oils, herbal tinctures, hydrosols, cosmetic bases, and a deep range of empty glass bottles, jars, droppers and atomisers for bottling your own work.

For the beginner perfumer or aromatherapy-adjacent maker, that combination is genuinely useful. You can buy a clean essential oil, a carrier to dilute it in, and the amber bottle to put it in, all in one order or one visit. The bottling and packaging range alone makes Baldwins worth bookmarking even if you source your aromatics elsewhere.

Where honesty matters: Baldwins is not a full aromachemical house. It is built around natural materials and aromatherapy rather than the synthetic palette - the musks, aldehydes and speciality bases - that fine-fragrance compounding leans on. If your formula calls for Iso E Super or Hedione, this is not your supplier; for that you want a dedicated aroma-materials house. Read Baldwins as the naturals-and-supplies backbone: reliable oils, the glassware and bases to work with them, and the reassurance of a 180-year-old business that operates a real shop and ships across the UK.