About Agarwood Oil

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Agarwood, also known as Oud, Aloeswood, and many other names depending on location, is an extremely rare and precious natural oil obtained from several species of Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) and the closely related Gyrinops spp. Their origins span North Eastern India, Bhutan and parts of South East Asia (especially Vietnam and Cambodia), the Philippines, and Indonesia, including Papua New Guinea. Agarwood has a very long history of use as a valuable component of incense, and for its sensual and animalic presence in perfumes. Of the various species of Agarwood, the most important are: Aquilaria agallocha, A. malaccensis and A. crassna – all endangered and protected worldwide under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Our Agarwood, Aquillaria crassna, comes from a forest in Vietnam where the trees are sustainably harvested and periodically replanted. Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries are part of a vast area known to have had an abundance of naturally occurring Agarwood trees. While these wild trees are still to be found in inaccessible forest regions, they are extremely rare and very difficult to obtain. By purchasing Agarwood oil obtained from trees that are selectively harvested, CITES-certified for legal import, and cleared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we help reduce destruction of the last remaining wild Agarwood trees and the forests in which these precious trees grow.

When an Agarwood tree is wounded – whether from insects or wind damage – the exposed interior tissue is susceptible to infection by microbes. The tree responds by producing a fragrant oleoresin that saturates the wood; this oleoresin is the origin of the Oud aroma. Modern methods include inoculating trees with a fungus to stimulate the resin production, but in either case, it is impossible to know if the trees hold the treasure unless they are slashed or felled entirely to reveal the interior. This has led to indiscriminate, wasteful cutting of Agarwood forests and the increasing scarcity of this resource. The trees from which we source our Agarwood essential oil are from a managed forest in Vietnam where they are sustainably harvested and periodically replanted. They are inoculated by hand when they reach 10 years of age; after the infection has been allowed to propagate for 2 years, the trees are harvested for distillation.

The complex, warm, deep and woody fragrance is held in high esteem in Japan where it is used to make incense. In the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, Agarwood holds a particularly revered place. It is a personal as well as communal fragrance offered for individual meditation or group prayer. Dubbed ‘the scent of heaven’ and ‘the invisible communicator of love’, it is said that each piece of Agarwood has its own story to tell. Some experienced sellers can distinguish quality, without looking, by merely listening to the sound of the wood chips. By inhaling the smoking wood, some use it to inspire joy, rouse pleasant memories and, through meditation, contemplate the divine. Considering it is so costly, when the wood is burned and wafted, it is a desirable advantage that the fragrance remains on layers of absorbent fabrics such as natural cotton or wool clothing for days.

There are many grades of Agarwood, the highest grade being among the most expensive natural products in the world. With prices that exceed thousands of dollars per pound, the essential oil from wild Agarwood trees is understandably very costly. One 200-year-old tree near a Buddhist temple on the Cambodian border was valued at $23 million dollars. Obviously, with high prices comes a dangerous black market and the influx of reconstructed and adulterated oils – products that cannot be distinguished by untrained noses. Perfumers say that the Agarwood oils currently available are ‘tame’ in comparison to the oils that came from virgin (wild) Agarwood forests. But small-scale operations involved with cultivation and new methods of harvesting the infected wood are underway in Vietnam where the venture is showing great promise.

The particular type of Agarwood we offer is a viscous, golden amber to dark brown steam distilled essential oil; it is non-sticky and can be applied directly to the skin (in minute amounts) or thinned in a carrier oil or perfumer’s alcohol. A bit tricky to work with, it may take repeated experimentation to gain an appreciation of the intense power of this material’s aroma – its virgin forest origins belie its tendency to overwhelm and dominate in perfume creations if not highly diluted.

Because of its unusual origins, Agarwood has not been well known in the West, but we feel it is a jewel that should be experienced by every connoisseur of essential oils, particularly those who are serious about aromatherapy and natural perfumery. We are able to supply a very fine oil at a price that is relatively more affordable than you may see elsewhere, thanks primarily to the fact that we source our Agarwood from sustainably harvested trees. Because our Agarwood is 100% pure and unadulterated, only a tiny amount is needed to experience its complex, extraordinary fragrance. We also offer Agarwood prediluted to 5% in organic Fractionated Coconut Oil; as is, it can be applied as a personal perfume or anointment.