Agarwood Oil - Safi

Chemotypes :

Oud mainly comes from trees of two botanical gender: Aquilaria Lam. and Gyrinops Gaertn, both belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. Those trees are mainly distributed in South-East Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indo) (Gyrinops is almost exclusively found in Indo and Sri Lanka).
It should be noted that the genus Aetoxylon (Airy Shaw) Airy Shaw is also part of the same botanical family and is also used for the production of oud, although productions are much lower in volume and reputation.

The genus Aquilaria Lam is the one that represents the vast majority of the oud market and there are around fifteen species within this gender, of which the most common are:
- Aquilaria crassna Pierre (The most famous and prized in perfumery)
- Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. (The most marketed in volume)
- Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng (The historical species)
- Aquilaria subintegra Ding Hou (only in Thailand)
- Aquilaria cumingiana (Decne.) Ridl.
- Aquilaria beccariana Tiegh.

The genus Gyrinops Gaertn is much less used but represents a non-negligible share of the market. There are around 7 important species in this genus, of which the most common are:
- Gyrinops walla Gaertn. (mainly in Sri Lanka)
- Gyrinops versteegii (Gilg) Domke
- Gyrinops caudata (Gilg) Domke
- Gyrinops ledermannii Domke
- Gyrinops moluccana (Miq.) Baill.

Extraction process :

The resin of the tree as it is used in perfumery does not constitute the main business of oud producers. Indeed, the sale of wood chips is first prioritized and the parts of the tree not suitable for this market are then extracted to form the resin. This represents approximately 20 to 30% of the tree in volume.

The extraction of the resin is carried out on aged & powdered wood and can be done according to the different classic extraction methods in perfumery:

• Supercritical CO₂ extraction: Although yields are high (between 1 and 1.5%), quality is lower because there are always wood residues in the extract. It’s the least common technique.


• Steam distillation: Interesting yield (0.4 – 0.5%) but the resulting olfactory quality is often more smoky, woody and less intense. This quality is not for perfumers looking for depth and animality.


• Co-distillation: Sometimes encountered, generally a blend of two Aquilaria species, Aquilaria crassna Pierre and Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. → Indian Kalaksi Oud oil


• Hydrodistillation: The most widely used extraction technique, it preserves all olfactory facets. It is also the lowest yield (0.15 – 0.25%) but the olfactory quality is unmatched. There are 4 types of essential oil resulting from hydrodistillation, based on fractionation (as for Ylang-Ylang):




• “One day Oud oil”: First 24 hours of distillation. Very light oil, only the most volatile molecules. Very low yield. Visually very clear. This extract is made upon request and is not a standard for oud producers..


• “First Jal Oud oil”: First 3 days. Most balanced fraction and most widely marketed. If a batch is hydrodistillated for « One day » oil, it is not possible to do « First Jal ».


• “Second Jal Oud oil”: The heavy fraction. Distillation continues after First Jal for 8 to 10 days. More woody, intense and deep, but less refined.


• “Boya Oud oil”: Hydrodistillation from fresh wood. Lighter, less enveloping but still retains key olfactory and fixative properties. More waxes, more stable, fewer volatiles. Excellent fixative to combine with other ouds.

There is no extraction using volatile solvents.

Once extracted, the essential oil is then rested for months or even years, allowing the extract to express itself. This is the “aging” process : first exposed to air for a few weeks (evaporation of the most volatile molecules), then stored hermetically for long maturation, revealing deeper and more intense notes.

Uses in perfumery :

Data not available.

Stability :

Very stable in all commun applications

Other comments :

Agarwood has circulated since the first centuries of our era between Southeast Asia, India, China and the Middle East, via major land and maritime routes, contributing to the emergence of trade networks comparable to those of spices or silk. Over the centuries, its use became more refined and codified, notably in China and Japan where it became central in incense ceremonies, while in the Arab and Indian world, it was integrated into sophisticated perfume compositions reserved for elites. Gradually, its reputation combined with its rarity made it an exceptional and highly sought-after product. With the professionalization of the craft, it gradually became, over the centuries, a noble raw material and appeared on perfumers’ organs from the 20th century onward.
Today, oud essential oil is considered a by-product of the sale of oud wood chips, massively used for fumigation in the Middle East and Asia.

Species of the genus Aquilaria Lam. are now under CITES, meaning their harvesting, processing and export are strictly controlled to protect the species.
The imbalance between biological rarity, almost systematic destruction of trees and the explosion of international demand has rapidly led to a collapse of wild populations in many regions. This excessive harvesting has led the IUCN to consider the entire genus as critically endangered. Since 1995, and extended since 2005, Aquilaria Lam. species have been listed under CITES.
The objective of CITES is not to prohibit trade, but to control it. Concretely, each export of agarwood must now be accompanied by a permit, based on a central principle : the “non-detriment finding” (NDF), meaning the demonstration that exploitation does not endanger the survival of the species in its natural environment.
Unfortunately, as finished product quality is reputed to be superior from wild trees, we remain in a paradox where, on one side, there is a system strongly encouraging sustainable practices, notably through plantations, and on the other, a market that continues to prioritize wild material, perceived as more noble, more complex, or more authentic.

There is a particularly rare and precious quality of oud. It develops in a very uncontrolled way, under very specific and unpredictable cultivation conditions. The resulting resin is called “Kynam Oud” and is particularly prized.
Good luck finding it, this quality is reserved for religious ceremonies within high circles in Asia. It almost never reaches the market due to its extreme desirability.

Agarwood resin is in fact the resin formed by the tree to defend itself from external aggressions. Indeed, during the life of the tree, it may be attacked, most often by fungi that infect the wound of the tree (most common fungi: Fusarium Link, 1809 / Aspergillus P. Micheli, 1729 / Penicillium Link, 1809). Infections can also come from animals feeding on the bark, wind, lightning, etc.
The defensive response of the tree leads to the secretion of a resin combining sesquiterpenes and chromones which accumulates over the course of infections. The composition of the resin is therefore linked to the number of infections, their regularity, ambient humidity as well as the type of infection, making it very random and difficult to control in the wild. Also, it is important to point out that if the tree is not infected, it will not produce resin. Not 100% of trees that produce resin, and its formation can take dozens of years.
It is common to believe that wild trees are of better quality, but this is not always true, it depends of the meaning of « better quality ». In reality, wild trees, by definition, develop a resin that is the result of years of response to uncontrolable environmental stress, creating a very complex oil, poorly standardized, and few are of superior quality. It therefore ends up with resin qualities that are very different from one tree to another and whose reproducibility is almost non-existent.
This is the reason why controlled cultivation has been implemented in order to guarantee resins of reproducible quality over the long term, controlled and less impactful on the environment.
When the tree is cultivated by humans, infections are controlled (fungal injections, bacterial injections, or both at once) and therefore allow a significant impact on the final quality of the resin. This is why the same species, present in the same plantation in the same country, can produce trees with resins having very different olfactory profiles.
In all cases, it is a long-term process: it takes at least 5 years for the tree to be able to be infected, and approximately 5 additional years for the development of the resin. That is 10 years before a tree can be exploited.

Allergens :

This ingredient does not contain any allergen.

IFRA 51^th :

This ingredient is not restricted for the 51th amendment