Oud is an intensely fragrant oil extracted from tree resin. In perfumery, it is often used as a base note – its signature depth and rich animalic aroma provide a sensual, woody dry down. With its earthy notes and intriguing character, oud perfumes are synonymous with seduction.
Part of oud’s allure is also found in its rich history: it is an ingredient that has been used in herbal medicine, perfumery and spiritual rituals for centuries, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Dating back to 1400 BC, it appears in the Sanskrit Vedas as a substance connoting wealth and luxury.
Oud oil also features in many other religious texts and traditions: agarwood – from which oud oil is extracted – is mentioned several times in the Bible’s Old Testament, while Muslim prophets were said to cleanse their clothes with its smoke.
Today, agarwood chips are often burnt as incense at religious ceremonies across China, Japan and India – and oud oil is used as a token of hospitality in mosques, temples and family homes across the globe. As well as its widespread religious uses, oud is also prized for healing purposes: known for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, it is frequently used in herbal teas and meditation rituals (co to jest oud, perfumy arabskie sklep).
With its global cultural significance, oud perfumes pay homage to the rich history of this precious substance, conjuring ancient tradition and an exquisite olfactory experience.
Co to jest oud i jak pachnie w rzeczywistości? How is Oud Made?
In Arabic, ‘oud’ literally translates to ‘wood’ – and its etymology is a nod to the way the substance is made. In its purest form, oud is a natural resin extracted from the heartwood of the aquilaria tree native to Southeast Asia – found particularly in the rainforests of Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand. The aquilaria tree has fifteen different species, but the resin used in perfumery is typically extracted from the wood of Aquilaria malaccensis.
So – how is oud made? When the tree becomes infected, it produces a dark, fragrant resin which seeps into the wood. The tree’s heartwood is typically a light, pale colour that, once in contact with the resin, turns a dark ochre or amber hue. Artisan perfumers then use different methods to extract the resin from the heartwood, such as distillation using steam or melting the substance. Much like other natural resins – such as labdanum from the cistus ladanifer plant or benzoin from the styrax tree – oud resin is dense, sticky and viscous, and dark in colour. Once extracted, this oil is then used to craft exquisite oud fragrances.
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