Oud is by far the most expensive and rare aromatic ingredient available in the world. The oil is used in very expensive perfumes and the wood is used in incense.
The incense and oil produced from oud otherwise known as agarwood, has been used for thousands of years and in many cultures for spiritual and perfumery purposes. It is highly revered in Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.
The cost of the agarwood can be as high as $10,000 per kg and the value of agarwood essential oil can be as high as US$30,000 or more per kg.
The oil is in high demand due to its use as an incense for religious ceremonies, in perfumes, and traditional medicine preparations. In the Middle East, it is considered a symbol of wealth and commonly used during wedding ceremonies.
The exploitation of the millennia, of the Aquilaria trees from which agarwood comes from, has had a devastating effect on the wild population of all Aquilaria species. As a consequence, all of the Aquilaria species are now on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered species.
All agarwood produced nowadays comes from plantation grown trees.
We at Perfect Potion, are very proud to work with a family-owned business in Vietnam that has a plantation of agarwood trees and produces some of the most divine oud essential oil, and an amazing agarwood, that they have used to make our very rare, divine (and what I refer to as the purest) incense in the world.
I say the purest, as most commercially produced incenses have lots of fillers and synthetic ingredients, many which are known not to be good for our health when we inhale them.
For example, when I was working with our Japanese incense manufacturer in 2009, to make our four seasons incense range, the incense formulator was so surprised that I wanted to make an incense with just essential oils – initially she said this would not be possible; however, I always have a way of making things possible.
When I was told by our producer in Vietnam that the oud incense only has two ingredients – the finest grade oud along with the gum from the Litsea glutinosa tree, to act as a binder, I was so excited.
The aroma of oud is one of the most complex olfactory accords known in perfumery today. It is often described as an ‘oriental-woody’ with a ‘soft fruity-floral’ note. The smoke from the incense is described as having a sweet-balsamic note with a hint of vanilla, musk, and ambergris.
The scent of our Perfect Potion Oud incense is spiritually comforting, and at the same time, elevating. It is not surprising that it is often recommended in subtle aromatherapy practices to create a space that is soothing, comforting, and nourishes the spirit.
I hope you enjoy this very special, limited edition, rare incense.
Salvatore BattagliaAromatherapist • Educator • Author • Perfect Potion Founder & Director |
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Salvatore Battaglia is a globally renowned aromatherapist and educator, frequently called upon as an expert to speak at international conferences. He is the author of numerous best-selling evidence-based aromatherapy texts, including The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy I & III, which are used as study material for numerous aromatherapy schools, as well as creating masterclasses and webinars for the Perfect Potion education platform.Salvatore is also the master blender at Perfect Potion, creating aromatic synergies of nuance and complexity that are entirely matchless in scent and sophistication. |
