Oud is a wood resin that comes from the Aquilaria Tree, native to Southeast Asia and North India.

Depending on the country, it can be called Oud, Oudh, Oodh, Aoud, Aguru, Aloes, Agar, Agarwood, Gaharu, Jinko, and most likely many other names.

When the Aquilaria Tree becomes infected by a certain fungus, usually due to injury from harsh weather conditions or outside elements such as insects, it develops a resin, or sap, to protect itself. The reaction of the fungus and the resin, changes the wood of the tree. After a certain amount of time of infection(sometimes decades), this ‘new’ wood is known as Oud.

Though Oud is often called Agarwood, Agarwood usually refers to the uninfected wood of the Aquilaria Tree.

Mostly unfragrant prior to this fungus, the wood becomes saturated with the resin, and slowly develops an aroma that is dark and fragrant. The Oud can only be harvested once the tree is cut down, after which it can then take many more years, or decades, to develop the desired aroma to create the essential oil. 

The Oud can be turned into wood chips, commonly used as Incense, or turned into a powder. The chips and the powder can be steam distilled to create Oud Essential Oil.

Oud has been used for thousands of years across Muslim, Christian, and Hindu cultures in religious and spiritual ceremonies, medicinally, as an aphrodisiac, and as an aromatic. 

Its use in spiritual and religious practices has earned Oud the nickname, “Wood of the Gods”, and is known as “Black Gold” in the Middle East. 

It has been described as a fragrant product as early as 1400 BCE in India, was described in the Hebrew Bible(Trees of Lign Aloes), was described as being used to create writing materials in the 7th Century, and is still used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine today.

It is said that Oud is one of the reasons why the Arab region developed trade routes in ancient times.

There are around 20 species of Aquilaria Tree, with only about 10% of wild Aquilaria producing Oud. Healthy Aquilaria Trees do not produce Oud.

It is often thought that the launch of Yves Saint Laurent M7 in 2002 was the introduction of Oud to the Western world, and modern perfumery. 

With most fragrances not listing their ingredients during this time, like they do today, it seems the release of Tom Ford’s Oud Wood in 2004 put Oud in the spotlight, largely due to using the ingredient in the name.

Over the next decade, many other brands added Oud fragrances to their collections, and the Oud train officially took off in 2012. Since then, hundreds of Oud fragrances have been created.

Oud on its own can be incredibly complex, polarizing, and unpleasant. When blended into a rounded composition, it can range from herbal to woody to ‘barnyard’ in style.

Depending on the fragrance, and other ingredients, Oud fragrances can be earthy, damp, and/or foresty; resinous and smoky; smooth and sweet; or sharp and intense. Overall, Oud fragrances are described as warm, Musky, Ambery, animalic, or slightly sweet.

Oud can be hard to describe sometimes, but generally once you become familiar with Oud in fragrance, it becomes recognizable. Like a word that you know what it means, but can be difficult to describe its exact meaning to someone else. 

A few amazing Oud fragrances you can find at Parfumerie Nasreen are:

Oud for Greatness from Initio Parfums Prives is a rich, but smooth, Oud fragrance with both Oud and Agarwood blended with Lavender, spices, and Musk.

Oud Abramad from BDK Parfums is an Oud fragrances that is ‘light’ enough that it can be worn daily, but still has a gentle woody punch. It blends Oud with Guaiac Wood(another resinous wood) with spices, Incense, Patchouli, and Rose.

Oud Jasmin from Royal Crown is a potent blend of Oud and indolic Jasmine. Oud plays a minor role in this scent, adding its resinous qualities to the animalistic side of Jasmine Sambac Absolute. 

Amber Aquilaria from Electimuss London is a punch to the senses, blending Oud, Cognac, and Amber. Vanilla adds a mellow quality to the mix, but it has an untamed quality to it that is not for the faint of heart.

Opus XIII Silver Oud from Amouage is another intense Oud scent with a medicinal, animalistic, dirty, earthy quality. It is rich and intense with Oud, Patchouli, Guaiac Wood, and Amber.

Jardin Nocturne from Shalini Parfums is gentle, sensual, floral, and inviting. Oud, Jasmine Blossoms, Saffron, and Musk reimagine an unforgettable evening in Dubai.

Nawab of Oudh Intensivo from Ormonde Jayne is refreshing and light, and perfect for those just beginning to experiment with Oud. Oud is blended into citruses, flowers, and a few subtle green tones that help to maintain a lightness.

Arabesque from Ormonde Jayne is a fantastic Rose and Oud fragrance that is given a creamy quality from Blackcurrant, Jasmine, Patchouli, and Moss. It is sweet, creamy, rich, and elegant.

Mentor from Mind Games takes a twist into the Gourmand. Oud and Amber bring a beautiful depth that develops a creamy, warm quality from Salted Caramel, Plum, and Coffee. It is warm, rich, creamy, enveloping and inviting.

Oud is often used as a base note, and is often unmatched in longevity, depth, and complexity.

It is a versatile ingredient, often paired with other woods and with spices, but plays very well with Vanilla, flowers, and citrus notes. Rose and Oud is a very common scent profile.

Oud fragrances are often more expensive. This can be for many reasons. 

The amount of Oud produced can vary from tree to tree, with some being infected and producing very little, or a tree showing outward signs of infection but producing no Oud at all. This, alongside the surge in popularity of Oud, has led to the decimation of the Aquilaria species by about 80% in the last century.

Due to its rarity, and its demand, its cost is high. Oud is one of the most expensive woods in the world, and is THE most expensive raw ingredient. As of 2013, the global market for Oud is estimated in the Billions, with one Kilogram costing as much as $100,000. 

Efforts have been made to protect the Aquilaria Tree. In 1995, it was added to the list of ‘potentially threatened species’ by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and has been protected by international trade since 2004.

Many Agarwood plantations have been established in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Australia, where the Aquilaria Tree is manually infected. This increases the infection rate, reducing the number of uninfected trees cut down.

With all this in mind, and for preservation reasons, most Oud used in the Western world is synthetically created. 

Synthetic Oud won’t exactly capture the true essence of real Oud, but there are some beautiful fully synthetic, and some that are part natural, part synthetic blends that create a less harsh aroma, helping those not used to the depth and complexity of Oud to ease into this style of fragrance. 

Synthetic Oud also helps with overharvesting of the Aquilaria Trees.

As you can tell from the plethora of information about Oud in this blog, which couldn’t possibly cover everything, there is so much about Oud to be learned and so many twists and turns it can take in a fragrance.

A great resource for more information is this article from Allure.com, which The Fragrance Foundation recently shared: https://www.allure.com/story/what-is-oud-fragrance.

We would love to hear what you think about Oud, your experiences with it, and what some of your favorite Oud fragrances are.