Has oud wood become a must-have perfume ingredient? As black gold of perfumers, oud has found its place among noses initiated to its distinctive woody, smoky scent. Although its origins date back to the dawn of time, the popularity of using oud in fragrances is more recent. But what facets lie behind this rare and mysterious ingredient?
Oud: the story of a mystical wood
The origins of oud wood
Oud wood is actually a rare, fragrant resin derived from certain varieties of aquilaria trees, which thrive in the heart of Asia’s tropical forests. Known by various names such as Agarwood, Aloe Wood or Clay Wood, this precious substance, called “oud” in Arabic, emanates from the tree when it succumbs to the onslaught of the Phialophora parasitica fungus. When not infested, the tree remains devoid of any olfactory emanation. So it is from the reaction of the diseased wood that the much sought-after resin is born. A singular origin for a scented ingredient, just like ambergris, whose origin may intrigue you if you are not already familiar with it…
Oud wood, the sacred fragrance
This precious resin has been used for thousands of years for therapeutic, aesthetic and spiritual purposes. Oud appears in the Indian Vedas, some of mankind’s most ancient texts, as well as in the Bible.
Buddhists burn its shavings to enter into meditation, while traditional Asian medicine recommends it to treat stomach aches and other respiratory ailments. In Muslim culture, oud is one of the fundamental ingredients of perfumery.
Even today, its scent is diffused throughout the Middle East. Its essence perfumes bathwater, while its shavings are burned in bakhour (a natural incense composed of several fragrant elements) to impregnate clothes and hair. Its essential oil is also used in mukhallat, the alcohol-free fragrances worn by men and women on a daily basis.
A rare essence
Once recovered and processed, the resin is used in perfumes. While the Aquilaria species includes some twenty trees, only two or three varieties of these can produce oud. Once infected, the tree secretes its fragrant remedy after around 6 months. Only one tree in a hundred will produce oud, but as it is impossible to know which one, many have to be felled before the much sought-after resin is found.
Until a few years ago, these trees grew in great numbers in the forests of Southeast Asia, but they were rapidly decimated. Today, many countries protect these trees, making oud an even rarer product. However, to meet growing demand, these species are being cultivated. And it is from the hand of man that oud will be born, by inoculating the fungus directly to the trunk.
Oud & perfume
But what does the oud smell like?
Once distilled, the oud wood delivers an essence with a bewitching smell. The success of this material is due to its mysterious fragrance and its complex facets. It has woody, resinous and amber notes reminiscent of sandalwood, with an extra “something” that is difficult to define. This essence also reveals a darker, more animal, almost sexual, raw side. It brings a lot of oriental warmth to a composition and reveals a tawny scented wake with notes of incense, very sensual. With oud, a fragrance will be adorned with beautiful amber reflections, as an invitation to travel…
Real oud versus olfactory mirage
Because of its rarity, oud wood essence has become an almost impossible ingredient to obtain. To buy real essence, you must work directly with Laotian or Burmese farmers and above all have the financial means to acquire this black gold. Sometimes more expensive than gold, its price oscillates depending on the variety between 15000€ and 60000€… the liter! The cost of the material is so high that its essence is mostly reproduced in the laboratory. So, if you buy a perfume made of oud, there is a good chance that it does not contain a single drop!
To recreate its smell, perfumers combine several synthetic molecules with woody and amber scents with other natural essential oils. Nose can use patchouli, vetiver, incense and cypriol, a plant whose essence delivers a woody and smoky smell very aromatic. Without synthesis, the price of a perfume composed of oud wood essence would be unaffordable!
The use of oud in perfumery
This ingredient is difficult to handle as its nuances are complex and powerful. Its scent is so persistent that it has the particularity to cross the fragrance. Present from the top note to the bottom note, it ends up delivering a sensual wake. To bring subtlety to it, perfumers can add fresh and citrusy notes with mandarin or bergamot, but also floral nuances to bring more femininity. To reinforce its raw aspect, the nose can combine oud with leathery or animal notes, in the spirit of a full-bodied juice.
At Carrément Belle, love at first sight for oud struck in 2017. After a few exciting tests and exchanges with our perfumer Claire Chambert, we learned to appreciate this fascinating ingredient. From this teamwork was born a fragrance that wasn’t unveiled until a few years later, in 2023. The time had come to put our eau de parfum goud in your hands, to bring it to life on your skin. A soft, carnal oud, luminous and deep, an oriental with a western twist. Its success was immediate and unprecedented for a launch. We were able to measure the extent to which this ingredient aroused curiosity and unleashed passions.
In order to adapt to the Western market, some say that oud has lost its power in order to soften, like musk which would have become “cleaner” over the years. But this increasingly popular facet could well join the pantheon of emblematic notes in modern perfumery within the next few decades. Author Denyse Beaulieu even speaks of the emergence of a new genre, the “French oriental”, in which oud would play the role of star ingredient. To be continued…
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Fascinating at the moment I’m really into Eastern perfumes. I did know about oud through research. I have a few Eastern perfumes, they are so are amazing & at the moment I won’t use anything else. Simply beautiful x
I have never use any perfume better than oud perfume; their captivating scent is simply unmatched, and I particularly appreciate their robust aroma.