The Authenticity Dilemma Surrounding Oud Oil

Agarwood oil is one of the most used natural oils in the perfume industry in the Middle East.
Agarwood trees are commonly found in Southeast Asian forests, and these trees go by various botanical names like Aquilaria crasna, Aquilaria Filaria, Aquilaria AgallochaAquilaria Malaccensis However, agarwood oil are often identified by their place of origin, such as Tarat, Kalimanthan, Merauki, etc.

There are thousands of distillers around the globe applying various methods to sustain the production and supply of agarwood oil to the perfume industry in the Middle East and Europe.

While contributing to the world of perfumery, there are also unnoticed practices that compromise the true essence of agarwood oil. Distillers and suppliers frequently modify the original scent through blending, a tactic often employed to protect the recipe’s secrecy and boost sales and profitability.

In B2C sales, this approach is acceptable, as each company caters to a specific customer base and is allowed to create blends as per customer requirements to maintain the secrecy and uniqueness of their products.

However, in B2B transactions, blending agarwood oils presents challenges in preserving their authenticity, which results in limited knowledge about their true origins and fragrances.

For instance, if a perfumer seeks Cambodian agarwood oil for a creation, he may encounter numerous versions with varying scents and names due to blending.

Consider a scenario where a perfumer is seeking natural lemon oil to create a scent but receives a blend of orange and lemon oil, labeled as “Old Lemon Oil,” or if he/she receives a mixture of bergamot and mandarin labeled as “Old Pure Bergamot” instead of single line bergamot.
Obviously, such practice will not be acceptable and ultimately diminish the originality of lemon and bergamot.
It may be acceptable when the perfumer specifically requests a unique blend.

It is understandable that every distillation unit will have a slightly different scent, which can be noticeable, but completely altering the character and soul of agarwood oil by blending is somehow not an ethical practice by distillers in B2B transactions.

This practice has persisted for decades, and today, assuring clients of the authentic scent and identity of specific agarwood oil has become a challenging task.

After working in the industry for a decade, these are my observations based on my experience. While some may disagree, but as a true enthusiast of agarwood oil, it’s my heartfelt wish to preserve the uniqueness of each agarwood oil, along with its distinct scent specifications and originality