Perfumes with a distinctive smell are very popular. More and more often, the perfume industry reaches for unusual compositions and additives that enrich products with new fragrance notes. In recent years, agarwood, called gold in the perfume world, has become popular. Get to know its properties!
The perfume industry has been outdoing itself for years, creating newer and newer combinations of fragrances. In recent years, agarwood has become very popular. This component is extremely expensive, but very original
Agarwood, otherwise known as oud, used to be popular mainly in the Middle East and Japan, where there are 6 types of this wood. These plants are mainly found in India, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. Agar can be extracted from trees of the Aquilaria species . They reach up to 20 meters in height and their leaves resemble the popular bay leaves. So what sets agarwood apart from the others? When the outer part of the plant is damaged, specific fungi can infect the tree. Aquilaria are long-lived, so it takes decades to fight the parasite, resulting in the deposition of resin-du. It is through this resin that the trunk takes on a dark, characteristic shade. Only from trees infected for several years can the precious oil be obtained, later added to luxury perfumes. The substance is created through a complicated distillation process. It seems simple in theory, but the process of its extraction and processing may take even several years. The oil must be of the right quality and have the desired fragrance. The highest quality agar comes from 2 varieties of Aquilaria, namely Aquilaria malaccensis and Aquilaria sinensis. The most valuable of these, called kyara by the Japanese, costs more than 2000 PLN for one gram. Perfumes with this ingredient are extremely rare and very expensive
Agar has a slightly smoky smell with a sweet and woody aroma. Some consider oud to be a combination of sandalwood, leather and patchouli. This type of perfume is perfect for autumn and winter evenings and elegant dinners. In the culture of the East, this scent has been used for several hundred years. It played a large role in wedding and funeral ceremonies. It was added to incense, and even used as a product for perfuming clothes. Already then its wonderful properties were discovered. Great importance had in medicine – oud is a sedative. In Europe, agar for perfume production was used quite late, in 2002. The first fragrance was M7 by Yves Saint-Laurent, but the product itself did not take well to the market. Then came its re-release in the form of M7 Oud Absolu, which was much better and enjoyed success. Currently, the number of Aquilaria infected trees is decreasing and the demand for the oil is growing all the time, which makes its price rise as well. Already today it is treated as real gold in the world of perfume industry. The price for 1 kg of the best quality wood can reach several hundred thousand dollars, and this is only the input material, which must be further processed properly
Many cultures believe that oud is the most valuable substance in the world. It has a calming effect, and its consumption is said to guarantee longevity. According to experts, this aroma has the ability to lighten thoughts, open the mind, reduce stress, and can sometimes be a powerful aphrodisiac. Agar is a fragrance in itself, it can also be the head note and sometimes the base of a perfume. It binds all the fragrance ingredients present in a perfume, adding harmony, warmth, and a distinctive color. Currently, the most popular products containing oud are Oud Wood from Tom Ford’s Private Blend line, Honey Aoud by Montale and Oud Royal from Armani Prive line. An exception among perfumes is Kyara, a product created by the Japanese company Di Ser, which uses the highest quality agar oil. Customers have to pay even 4 thousand zlotys for a 33 ml flacon. However, their cheapest products start from as little as 370 PLN
