Raw Materials In Perfumary
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The Art of Perfumery and use of Raw Materials
What is Oud?
For centuries, humans have endeavored to find quality fragrances and scents. Once reserved for only the wealthiest of aristocrats, today’s perfumery world relies upon nature, science and synthetics to blend into some of the most exquisite fragrances today. The quality of the final product will depend not only on the skills of the artisan, but also on the quality of the raw materials utilized. In the hands of a skilled artisan, these can be manipulated and teased to achieve glorias fragrances. It is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients in the world and it has gained great popularity in modern perfumery. Oud is known to be rare and precious and here we are going to understand the different names given to this oil extracted from the infected resinous heartwood of a particular tree genus.
Oud can also be spelled Aoud or Oudh since it comes from an Arabic word “عود” which means wood. So, what is Oud? Oud, also known as agarwood, agar, but also commonly called aloeswood or Gaharu, is a dark resin that forms in some trees when they become infected by a parasite or a fungus. As the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack.
These trees belong to a genus of 15 species named Aquilaria. We find them in Southeast Asia, in countries such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Cambodia. Wild oud becomes very rare and most of the agarwood on the market comes from sustainable plantations. The defense mechanism of the tree is to produce resin which protects against pests infestation, disease and rot. Within these sustainable plantations, trees are inoculated by a human process, injections, bark scraping, or a nail hammered to give a few examples. The trees will begin to secrete this resin into the heart wood of the trees which can later be extracted.
Due to its scarcity and labor-intensive extraction process, oud has become one of the most expensive and sought-after ingredients in the world of perfumery.
Oud has a rich cultural heritage, deeply rooted in Middle Eastern traditions. It has been used for traditional attars and perfumes. The scent of oud is often associated with luxury, making it a prized ingredient in the Middle East and beyond.
What is Agarwood?
Agarwood chips are used for incense and the price vary with the origin and the quantity of resin on it. By a distillation process is produced oud oil to make perfume.
What is Dehn Al Oud?
Dehn Al Oud,also spelled Dehn Al Oudh, is an Arabic word “دهن العود” and literally means “The fat of the Wood”. It is the exact name to designate oud oils.
Nowadays people use the word oud to designate agarwood chips and Dehn al oud as well.
What is the Extraction process of Oud?
The extraction of oud is a time-consuming process. The infected heartwood is carefully harvested and left to dry for several months or even years, allowing the resin to mature and develop its distinct aroma. Once the resin is ready, it is either steam-distilled or subjected to hydro-distillation to extract the precious oud oil. The resulting oil is highly concentrated and possesses a complex, woody, and smoky fragrance that is both captivating and long-lasting.
The Olfactory Experience of Oud
Oud possesses a unique olfactory profile that sets it apart from other fragrance notes. Its aroma is often described as deep, smoky, and resinous, with hints of sweetness and earthiness. The scent evolves over time, revealing different facets and complexities, making it a true sensory journey. Oud can be both intense and subtle, depending on the concentration and the other ingredients it is blended with. Its ability to add depth, warmth, and a touch of exoticism to perfumes makes it a favorite among perfumers and fragrance enthusiasts alike.
Versatility of Oud in Perfumery
Oud can be blended with other ingredients to create unique fragrance compositions. Its versatility allows it to be paired with various accords, such as floral, citrus, or spicy notes, resulting in a wide range of olfactory experiences. Oud can be found in both masculine and feminine fragrances, transcending gender boundaries and appealing to a diverse audience. Its ability to evoke a sense of luxury and sophistication has made it a staple in high-end niche perfumery.
What is an Attar?
The word attar or ittar is derived from the Persian or Arabic word for perfume, itr. “From the generic word defining scent, it has evolved into a stand-alone category of fragrances, referring to a format which comprises solely of perfume oil. Fragrances in the Western world predominantly comprise between 5 and 20% of fragrance oils, synthetic or natural raw materials, diluted with alcohol and deployed in a spray format. “Attar is a pure, undiluted form of perfume. Attars are sold in dainty glass flagons (a drop goes a long way) and are not sprayed but dotted onto pulse points with a slim glass rod attached to the top. Rollerball dispensers are also now a thing within Attars. However, traditional Indian attars are also about the process by which the fragrances are achieved.
What is Ambergris?
Ambergris was first thought to be produced as vomit by the whale. However, modern research has confirmed that ambergris is not regurgitated by the whale as vomit. Instead, it forms in the lower regions of the animal in the intestines and/or bowel.
How is it produced?
The precise function and mechanism to produce ambergris, is still disputed, but it may play some role in protecting the whale from the sharp beaks of the squid. Squid is a staple part of the sperm whale diet. The squid has hard, sharp “parrot like” beaks which are unable to be digested by the whale. In response, the whale may produce the ambergris as a means of binding together and eliminating these indigestible beaks. Squid beaks are often found inside pieces of ambergris.
Ambergris, ambergrease, or grey amber is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish color, produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. It acquires a sweet, earthy scent as it ages, commonly likened to the fragrance of isopropyl alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency. Wikipedia
Ambergris has been highly valued by perfume makers as a fixative that allows the scent to last much longer, although it has been mostly replaced by synthetic version such as ambroxide, ambroxan, ambrox super etc.
The Sweet Smell of Ambergris
When a whale initially expels ambergris, it is soft and has a terrible smell. Some marine biologists compare it to dried cow dung. But after floating on the salty ocean for about a decade, the substance hardens and becomes smooth, waxy and usually rounded. The dung smell is gone, replaced by a scent that has been famous for hundreds of years, probably more. The longer it floats, the better the scent.
The smell is so fine that ambergris is a coveted ingredient for fine perfumes. In fact, it's described as being smooth, musky, earthy, sweet or simply "indescribable." Aside from its unique odor, ambergris' vital function is helping perfume scent to bind to the surface of the skin and stick around, instead of quickly evaporating.
It is also said to be an aphrodisiac, a homeopathic remedy and a high-end flavoring for food. Indeed, the first-known recipe for ice cream, circa the 1660s, used ambergris as a flavoring! Adventurous eaters better scarf it down fast, though, as such ice cream starts off smelling lovely, like vanilla, but as it melts the scent becomes far more fecal in nature.
Ambergris is something of a collector's item, as it is in short supply. No other whales besides sperm whales produce it, and even then, it's typically somewhere in the middle of the ocean, so it's a rare find. Ambergris only washes up on a beach somewhere every few years. It is found in less than 5 percent of the sperm whale carcasses that do make it to shore. That makes the product extremely valuable, but not in the way it once was. Chemists have replicated some of the traits of ambergris synthetically, making it a less-necessary component in perfumes. But it's still prized for its rarity, and certain perfume makers certainly prefer it to lab-created ingredients. Experts quote the current rate for ambergris at about $35 per gram, depending on its quality, but legal issues can make it difficult to find a buyer. To give perspective, a gram of gold runs about $61 per gram, as of October 2020.