Oud: A Luxurious Fragrance Ingredient
Oud comes from the Aquilaria malaccensis tree and is one of the most expensive and desirable perfume ingredients in the world. There are many reasons that people love the scent of Oud in their perfumes and, specifically, the oil itself. With its woody and spicy notes, it has a luxurious musky scent that is quite appealing to those who love those scents. Used for centuries in India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, many of the top perfumers in the West are using it as a base to create some amazing fragrances for men and women.
…perfumers can use much less oud than synthetic fragrance oils for a characteristic scent that lasts all day.
At Oxford Ouds, we love Oud oil because it is so long-lasting on the skin. It has an addictively woodsy smell that lasts for hours, and it doesn't fade away or mix with your body's natural odour. Because of these properties, perfumers can use much less oud than synthetic fragrance oils to produce a characteristic scent that lasts all day. Oud oil is also expensive, which makes it an highly desired ingredient for luxury fragrances.
A living tree can take up to 100 years to grow to maturity, which makes it extremely valuable and therefore expensive, especially as the best quality Oud is found in the heartwood of the tree where the greatest concentration of oils are located. The oil from this part of the tree is often called "heartwood oil" and is regarded as the most precious.
It is important to note that oud oil is probably more expensive than any other ingredient derived from plants. This is because it takes years for an Agarwood tree to produce a sufficient amount of resin necessary for distillation. Oud oil can be distilled from agar wood using steam; the total yield of oil for 70 kg of wood will not exceed 20 ml.
Oud does come from a sustainable source so you can feel good about using it for such a luxurious purpose.
The oil must be extracted from a live tree, from cuts that are made into the trunk in an extraction process that takes up to 8 years to complete! This valuable resin inside the wood makes up just a small part of the tree, which means many trees must be sacrificed before enough oil can be extracted from them to make a few ounces of oud oil.
Oud is one of the key ingredients in many of the most expensive perfumes in the world including the Houses of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. While alcohol-free, it is revered throughout the world in much the same way as vintage fine wines and aged whiskey or cognac have. Often described as being characteristically deep, rich and leathery with smoky, powdery undertones, the fragrance is said to become even more intense over time.
While its popularity may be increasing, especially after Rihanna’s Anti promotional campaign at Sephora, this is not a trend that will disappear.
In conclusion, there are many reasons to use Oud in perfumes: the price, the scent, and the scarce supply. That said, Oud does come from a sustainable source so you can feel good about using it for such a luxurious purpose. While its popularity may be increasing, especially after Rihanna’s Anti promotional campaign at Sephora, this is not a trend that will disappear.
If you are a collector of perfume for men or women, you will find a unique and distinguished scent here at Oxford Ouds to suit any occasion.
Oud is one of the most expensive and desirable perfume ingredients in the world.
