Oud-ebk-9780692920107-spread

THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ESSENTIAL OIL
MICHAEL LEVIN
What is Oud? i

About the Book
Oud. It is the stuff of myth and legend, a substance more precious
than gold, elusive and luxurious, intoxicating and irresistible. Its
scent carries you beyond the physical realm and into the spiritual,
evoking the interconnectedness of the universe. It smells, some
say, like history itself.
Oud is an elegant strand extending back to the dawn of human
civilisation, and yet it is as modern as this book you hold in
your hands – a scent that speaks both to the earthly and to the
divine. It binds past and present, East and West, commerce and
environmentalism, body and spirit.
But this ‘wood of the gods,’ the world’s most desirable fragrance,
is in grave danger. On the verge of extinction, its survival rests in
your hands and mine.
Regardless of whether you are an Oud aficionado or you have
never encountered this substance before, this book will take you
on a journey of transcendent beauty and intrigue, from ancient
texts to modern medicine, from the black market to the opulent
boutiques of New York and London. This is the story of Oud.
THE BOOK OF
OUD
THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ESSENTIAL OIL
MICHAEL LEVIN
LONDON
ii The Book of Oud

Copyright © 2018 Michael Levin
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form, except for the purpose of reviews, without
written permission of the publisher.
ROUDIMENTS PUBLISHING
London
Ebook: ISBN 9780692920107
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017958153
Book design by Dotti Albertine/Jonnie Swarbrick
CONTENTS
Why a Book about Oud? 11
Chapter 1 – What is Oud? 21
Chapter 2 – The Origin of Oud 43
Chapter 3 – Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 63
Chapter 4 – The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 85
Chapter 5 – Danger, Desire, and Destruction: The World of the Agarwood Trade 111
Chapter 6 – Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 161
Chapter 7 – From Soil, to Oil, to You 189
Chapter 8 – The Science of Skin 213
An Invocation: For the Love of Oud 239
Acknowledgments 242
Appendix 243
About the Author 246

Helena Christensen
vi The Book of Oud
The Book of Oud vii

Who is Helena Christensen?
Known through much of the world as an international supermodel and photographer,
Christensen is the co-founder of strangelove nyc, a boutique fragrance house specialising in
Oud-based perfumes with such seductive names as deadofnight and meltmyheart. Christensen
regards Oud as a magical substance and readily admits that she’s fallen under its spell.
What does Oud remind you of?
“It’s like smelling the earth being squeezed. It’s like drops of the ocean. When the first little
sample of our Oud perfume came to us from the lab, I thought, ‘This is the most intoxicating,
magical scent I’ve ever smelled.’”
On working to create strangelove nyc’s next perfume:
“I compare it to writing a song: I’m in a very lucky position in that I have a lot of musician
friends who allow me to listen to the first versions of their demos, and I always think, ‘Oh
my God, this is it.’ And then of course it goes into studio and it gets worked on for months –
produced and processed. But then at the end, I want to ask them, ‘Can we go back to the first
version again? It sounds lovely now, but the first version had something so raw and pure.’ So
I’m always trying to hold onto that purity, and we try to keep this in mind when crafting a new
perfume: sometimes we’ve got to stay with our first impulses.“
“It’s like smelling the earth
being squeezed. It’s like
drops of the ocean. When
the first little sample of
our Oud perfume came
to us from the lab, I
thought, ‘This is the most
intoxicating, magical scent
I’ve ever smelled.’”
Photos by: Helena Christensen
viii The Book of Oud
The Book of Oud ix

Why a Book about Oud?

Why a Book about Oud?
Why would a guy who hasn’t even owned
cologne since his college days be writing
an entire book about a scent he’d never
heard of until just a few months ago?
My fascination with Oud was sparked
by a chance visit to the high-end perfume
boutiques at Harrods in early 2017. I was
visiting London with my daughter, and
we were touring Harrods with a member
of their marketing team for a piece I was
writing for Huffington Post. Our guide
took us to the sixth floor, where small
shops catering to the extremely affluent
offered fragrances that cost as much as
£11,500, or $15,000. This was a long way
from the American brand names I’d seen
when accompanying my wife on shopping
trips to Sephora!
At one of the boutiques, I had a
conversation with the salesperson, who
asked me if I would like to sample some
very rare Oud. She must have noticed my
confusion – I thought an ‘Oud’ was a kind
of musical instrument from the Middle
East. Yes, she said, there is an Oud that
resembles a small, chubby guitar, with the
neck bent at a forty-five-degree angle. But,
she continued, there was also a magical
fragrance by the same name with a most
remarkable history. It had been known in
the Middle East and Asia for more than a
thousand years, and it was just becoming
popular in the West. Would I like to dab
some on my wrist? Why not?
I was immediately captivated by a scent
unlike any I had ever experienced. A dark,
woody, musky scent, impossible to capture
The Egyptian Room, Harrods, London. The famous store was originally established in 1849 by
Charles Henry Harrod, with one room, two assistants and a messenger boy.
Why a Book about Oud? 13

in words, but one that fired my inexpert
imagination. In its rich notes I could hear the
music of the casbah, and the bargaining of the
traders who most likely sought to strike a deal
with Marco Polo as he made his way east. I
heard the call of a fragrance that had insinuated
itself into the homes of the wealthy and
powerful across a broad swathe of the globe
for millennia.
Oud, the salesperson informed me, had
mystical properties and medicinal benefits.
The homes of the wealthiest Arab families
were scented with Oud, a form of both
aromatherapy and a signal of great abundance
and hospitality.
Oud, I was told, was also responsible for
illegal logging and deforestation in Hong
Kong and Indonesia, among other places,
because if you could get your hands on
the rare Aquilaria trees from which Oud is
derived, you were sitting on a gold mine.
“Even some of you Yanks have taken
up Oud,” she told me. “There are men
who call themselves the ‘GoodSmellas’.
They bond through scent – and they
adore Oud.” “Do they shop here?” I asked.
She shook her head. “There are less expensive
options, less concentrated, in which a drop
of Oud might be mixed with various other
fragrances. That’s what they buy. But it’s
not ultrapure, like the oil you’re wearing.”
I liked it. My daughter liked it. I wanted
to be a step ahead of the crowd. “How
much?” I enquired innocently, thinking I
might buy a small bottle for my daughter
as a souvenir. And maybe I’d sneak a drop
or two when she wasn’t looking. It might be
pricey, but what the heck? And maybe my
accountant would even let me write it off. I
reached for my wallet.
“The Oud you’re wearing,” the salesperson
told me with a knowing smile, “costs 30,000
British pounds per kilo. We can decant four
ounces into a splash bottle for approximately
8,000 US dollars.”
I gasped. I had never heard of anything so
expensive or rare. And at the same time, I was
hooked. How could something as seemingly
simple as perfume be so valuable?
No, I didn’t buy a newly decanted $8,000
splash bottle full of ultrapure Oud. But I did
come away with something nearly as magical
– a burning curiosity. From that moment, I
understood that I had undertaken a quest to
understand why so much of the world was
so besotted with Oud. Why the world’s elite
would so cherish a scent that they would be
willing to pay huge sums for the smallest
amounts of it. Where did it come from? How
was it produced? What medicinal properties
did it really have? How had Oud made its
way from the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia,
and Thailand to the homes of Arab royalty?
And what inroads was it making in the West?
I was determined to get answers.
Perhaps I couldn’t afford to indulge in
pure Oud, but I could certainly follow
its trail across the planet and across the
centuries. So pick up the scent with me
and discover Oud for yourself. As one who
has experienced Oud in its purest form, I
can assure that there is nothing else like it
on Earth.
A giant agarwood tree in its natural habitat, Borneo.
14 The Book of Oud

François Hénin, Founder – Jovoy
16 The Book of Oud Why a Book about Oud? 17

Who is François Hénin?
The Founder of Jovoy Paris, a niche Parisian fragrance boutique, François Hénin is charismatic in the
way only the French can be. Charming and gregarious, he describes Jovoy as having a je ne sais
quoi that makes it “exotic and luxurious” for overseas buyers. 1 In an interview with Extrait.it, he notes
that the perfume brand gained its first footing in the 1920s by outfitting the mistresses of wealthy
men. “And maybe it still does today,” he adds with a laugh. François Hénin’s presence tempers the
traditional gentility of the brand with a witty cheekiness.
What’s so special about Oud?
“To wear exotic things enables you to escape your daily life – but also to be noticed. I always say
that perfume is a weapon in the hands of people who know how to use it, and for me these Oriental
scents comprise a highly seductive family. I like to wear them because they represent such a
departure from what my parents and grandparents wore. It’s more a signature of my time. There are
a million ways to explain the success of Oud, and of Oriental scents in general. Maybe one of them is
that this is the signature of a generation.”
“To wear exotic things enables you to
escape your daily life – but also to be
noticed. I always say that perfume is a
weapon in the hands of people who know
how to use it, and for me these Oriental
scents comprise a highly seductive family.
I like to wear them because they represent
such a departure from what my parents
and grandparents wore. It’s more a
signature of my time. There are a million
ways to explain the success of Oud, and of
Oriental scents in general. Maybe one of
them is that this is the signature of
a generation.”
18 The Book of Oud Why a Book about Oud? 19

CHAPTER 1
What Is Oud?
20 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 21

Open the bottle. Carefully allow the
scent to waft towards you; Oud can be
overwhelming to those unused to its
potency. Breathe it in. What do you smell?
For many, the scent of Oud represents
the power of nature. The substance is
produced by an infection that attacks the
Aquilaria tree – an infection that might
kill any other plant. Instead, like magic,
this infection transforms the tree into
agarwood – also known as aloeswood –
one of the most elusive and sought-after
substances in the world, from which Oud
oil is derived.
Pure Oud oil and agarwood chips from which the oil is distilled.
What is Oud? 23

The Scent of History
The smell of Oud goes beyond the
physical and into the spiritual, evoking
the interconnectedness of the universe. It
smells, some say, like history itself – and in
a way, that is exactly what Oud is. Legend
has it that when Adam and Eve left the
Garden of Eden, they were permitted to
take one branch with them, which would
become the only plant passed down to
mankind from Paradise. That branch was
a cutting from the agarwood tree.
But the ancient history of agarwood
– of Oud – goes beyond just myth and
legend. Few substances have such a long
and storied past, and even fewer hold such
significance in the history and cultural
traditions of so many people. Valued
more highly than gold in ancient times,
this rare and miraculous material has
been a source of fascination and delight
since the beginning of recorded time –
prized and praised, used for its captivating
scent, incredible healing properties, and
transcendent spiritual powers.
Records of trade in agarwood can be
traced back over 2,000 years. Although
no species of agarwood-producing tree is
known to grow west of India, it has been
traded throughout the Middle East for
millennia. It may have reached the Middle
East as far back as the tenth century BC,
when King Solomon began to trade with
the Arabian Sabaean kingdom. 2
Oud was so deeply ingrained in ancient
cultures that references to it appear
frequently in some of the world’s most
ancient and important writings. There
Intricate agarwood sculpture, painstakingly fashioned by hand in China.
What is Oud? 25

are mentions of agarwood throughout
the Sanskrit Vedas, which are some of the
oldest written texts in the world, dating
as far back as 1700 BC. Agarwood is also
mentioned in the Old Testament, where it
is referred to as ‘aloe’ or ‘ahaloth’. It appears
in Solomon’s Song of Songs, included in
a list of perfumes that a bride uses, and
is referred to in the Psalms. In the New
Testament, agarwood is the substance
Nicodemus buys to embalm the body of
Christ.
In the Arabic stories of A Thousand
and One Nights, Oud is referenced
specifically in descriptions of the scents
used to perfume the palace and houses on
special occasions. The Lord Buddha is said
to have referred to the smell of burning
agarwood as the scent of Nirvana. The
Islamic Hadith contains descriptions of
the Prophet Mohammed’s use of perfumes,
and specifically his use of Oud to incense
his clothes. Mohammed also spoke of
agarwood specifically in a description of
Paradise:
‘The first group of people who will
enter Paradise, will be glittering like the
full moon, and those who will follow
them will glitter like the most brilliant
star in the sky.… Their combs will be of
gold, and their perspiration will smell like
musk. The aloeswood will be used in their
centres.’
In the Quran, Mohammed tells a
mother to give her child Indian Oud
because it cures seven diseases. Indeed, the
healing powers of Oud have been recorded
for millennia, with references appearing
in a 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablet
recording various remedies for illnesses. 3
Agarwood is also a remedy in Ayurvedic
medicine, which originated in India
more than 3,000 years ago. Its medicinal
uses are discussed in the Ayurvedic text
Sushruta Samhita, which was composed
around 1000 BC.
Agarwood has been used to heal
maladies in nearly all ancient medicinal
traditions. Ancient texts from Korea,
Tibet, China, and Egypt all cite agarwood
as a treatment for a wide array of ailments,
from inflammations to digestive trouble
to heart conditions to headaches to pains
during pregnancy; some even recommend
it as an aphrodisiac. Oud is one of the
top ten ingredients in traditional Chinese
medicine, believed to realign a person’s qi
– their life force or energy flow. Oud has
long been valued not just for its effects on
the body but for its spiritual properties as
well. It is used in ceremonies and rituals
across a wide range of religious traditions
– Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian,
Shinto, and more. The Taiwanese have
used Oud in prayers during festivals and
ceremonies to bring good luck and safety.
Some Malay tribes use agarwood smoke
to fumigate paddy fields to appease local
spirits, and some carve agarwood into
talismans. Oud perfume has long been
used to lace Muslim prayer clothes, and
in some regions agarwood incense is
used during Ramadan prayers. In India,
agarwood bark has been used since ancient
times for the writing of religious texts.
The great Buddhist masters have
traditionally used agarwood beads for
their rosaries because they assist in the
26 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 27
Agarwood sculpture depicting the Hindu god Ganesha, by Mikhail Balan.

Before going into battle, Samurai warriors fumigated their armour with the scented smoke from burning agarwood.
They believed that it made them invincible when going into battle.
What is Oud? 29

pursuit of inner peace and self-purification
– and because in an emergency, the beads
can be ground up and used as medicine.
In Japan, burning agarwood, or jin-koh,
for Buddhist rituals is considered the
highest offering, jin-koh being known as
the ‘supreme fragrance’. 4
Oud has been used in burial rites since
ancient times. The ancient Egyptians
used agarwood to embalm the bodies of
their dead. Agarwood was also used for
embalming in Japan. In ancient China,
the wealthy preferred their coffins to be
made of aloeswood, believing its benefits
in life would carry on after death. In
Malaysia, agarwood is an ingredient in
the libations poured at gravesides, and
the Siamese sometimes put it into their
funeral pyres. 5 Oud is also used in Islamic
burial rituals: it is included in essences
mixed with the water used to wash the
bodies before burial; it is used to scent the
shroud; and it is used to write the shahada,
the Muslim creed, on the forehead of the
deceased in order to assist their passage
into the afterlife.
Perhaps best known for its intoxicating
scent, Oud has been used as incense since
ancient times as well, and for perfume since
the beginning of civilisation. India may be
the first place where agarwood was used as
incense; 6 it was called agaru in Sanskrit – a
word that echoes etymologically through
many of the names for this resinous
wood. By the ninth and tenth centuries
AD, agarwood was considered one of the
most important materials for perfumery
in Islam. In Arabic tradition, agarwood
chips are burnt in an open brazier to show
respect and to honour guests. The aroma
of the burning chips is also used as a polite
and pleasant signal that a gathering is
coming to an end.
Agarwood arrived in both China and
Japan along with Buddhism, about 1,500
years ago, and possession of jin-koh
became a symbol of power and wealth in
feudal Japan. By the eighth century it had
been incorporated into state and Imperial
functions, and by the twelfth century
an entire ceremony had evolved around
appreciation of the agarwood fragrance.
This highly ritualised observance – called
koh-doh, and also referred to as ‘listening
to incense’ – was similar to the Japanese
tea ceremony, and available only to
Imperial and high-caste or noble families.
As it grew in popularity, however, the
ceremony slowly became available to more
of Japanese society.
By the Edo period (1603–1867),
different ‘schools’ of koh-doh developed
under different incense masters. The
teachings of these schools were never
written down, but passed down orally
from masters to students, a tradition that
continues to this day. During the rise of
koh-doh, high-quality jin-koh was so
esteemed that the word for it, kyara,
came to refer to anything high quality or
beautiful – including women. 7
Only a truly remarkable substance
could be so revered throughout so many
religions and cultures since the dawn of
human civilisation. So what makes Oud
so intensely special?
30 The Book of Oud A bodhisattva carved in agarwood. ‘Bodhisattva’ is the Sanskrit term for those who
What is Oud? 31
embody the compassion of Buddha on their spiritual path towards enlightenment.

A Tapestry of Scent
It starts with the smell. The smell of
Oud can begin with an earthy ‘barnyard’
quality, something primal and animalistic,
but like many fine perfumes, it changes as
it interacts with human body chemistry.
As the wearer’s skin and sweat transform
the perfume, it evolves, becoming even
more complex and personal, an effect
that lasts between ten and twenty-four
hours.
“It’s like a personal extension of
you,” says Helena Christensen, former
supermodel and current Creative Director
of strangelove nyc, which makes Oudbased
perfumes. “It transforms and
develops on you. It feels like it’s coming
from you, from the earth. It’s like a natural
extension of your own scent.”
Some describe the smell of Oud (which
means ‘wood’ in Arabic) as smoky, musky,
and woody, or herbal, sensual, and thick,
like walking through a deep forest and
crushing moss and branches underfoot. It
is pungent and complex, both sweet and
sharp, containing a multitude of scents
that unfold into a rich tapestry that seems
to transcend any one aroma. It is elemental
and intoxicating.
The Many Forms of Oud
The strong, unique scent of pure Oud
comes in wood chips (which are burned
for incense), essential oil, and fragrance.
There are three main kinds of Oud solid
incense: Bakhoor, Muattar, and Mabsoos/
Mabthooth. All have a base of agarwood,
but are processed in different ways in
order to create room-permeating scents
for personal or religious use.
Bakhoor are infused tablets of powdered
agarwood. The tablets already have a slight
woody scent from the agarwood, and this
scent is intensified by soaking them in
Oud and other oils such as jasmine or
sandalwood.
Muattar are solid agarwood chips that
have gone through an extraction process
to remove the oil. Although they still
contain some small hint of fragrance, they
too are soaked in various essential oils and
burned as incense.
Mabsoos or Mabthooth are shavings of
agarwood chips, which also are soaked in
essential oils. Their base is similarly the
remnants of the agarwood smell after the
extraction of oil. When lit in an incense
burner, all of these varied forms of incense
fill the air with long-lasting odours.
In order to speak about Oud oil
specifically, we first must talk about
essential oils, which are concentrated,
water-resistant liquids that contain
aromatic plant extracts. These oils can
be used in their pure form as a base for
perfumes, cosmetics, or incense, or they
can be ingested in cooking or used in
cleaning products.
Essential oils are so called because
they encapsulate the very essence of the
plants from which they are derived; in
this way, Oud contains the very essence
of agarwood. Perfume or fragrance differs
from essential oil in that it is artificially
created; essential oil, although it requires
extraction from the plant, does not need
to be intentionally assembled or diluted
in order to achieve its specific scent.
Oud oil is highly sought-after but
difficult to find in its purest form. The
best oil comes from naturally occurring
or ‘wild’ agarwood in unspoiled soil that
has exhibited a defence response to the
catalysing infection, producing darkcoloured
and complex-smelling resin in
its bark. After it is harvested, this wood
is graded based on country of origin,
strength of fragrance, density of wood,
purity, and percentage of resin, and its
value is determined by that grading. Once
extracted, the oil can be used as a perfume
base or worn directly on the skin. Oud’s
value as a naturally occurring perfume can
be ranked with that of other expensive
natural fragrances such as ambergris
or musk, but it is unmatched in its
complexity.
Although synthetic Oud products are
available, the evocative nature of true
Oud cannot be fabricated. Attempts
to synthesise Oud always result in flat,
one-dimensional fragrances that lack the
roundness and complexity of true Oud.
In an orchestra, many instruments
simultaneously play different notes,
layering these notes on top of one another
to create chords, complex melodies, and
countermelodies. The same is true of
fine perfume, and especially Oud oil.
Top, middle, and base scent notes join
together to create an olfactory symphony
for the wearer and everyone standing
nearby. These changes and movements
are designed to emerge as a perfume
evaporates, making for a scent journey
that lasts for many hours after one
perfume application. In the case of Oud,
Pure Oud oil ensconced in a facetted flacon.
32 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 33

Louis XIV, King of France from 1643 to
1715, by Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743).
Also known as the ‘Sun King’ and ‘Louis
the Great’, his clothes were often washed
in water scented with Oud oil, and he is
renowned as one of Europe’s first Oud
aficionados and devotees.
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as depicted by Jan
Brueghel the Elder in 1615. Legend has it that when Adam and
Eve were banished from Paradise, they were allowed to take
with them only one item: the branch of an agarwood tree.
What is Oud? 35

A vial of pure Oud oil.
these notes are naturally occurring and
depend on the variety of agarwood used
and the environment in which the tree was
cultivated.
Top notes are also referred to as ‘head
notes’. If these notes were an instrument,
they would be the piccolo – high and
sharp. Head notes are strong and fresh, and
are perceived instantly upon application of
the perfume. Top notes are responsible for
the wearer’s first impression of a perfume
– and for others’ first impressions of the
wearer. These notes can include citrus
(lemon, orange zest, or bergamot), light
fruits (grapefruit or berries), and herbs
(clary sage, or lavender). 8 However, because
of their volatile molecular structure, these
notes are fleeting, and fade more quickly
than the deeper notes in a perfume.
With Oud, the top notes can initially be
overwhelming to the first-time wearer, but
they quickly settle into a sublime warmth
that carries through to the middle notes.
The best top notes are the first steps on a
journey to the heart of the perfume.
Middle notes are often referred to as
the heart notes of a perfume, which reveal
themselves as the top notes begin to fade.
They can be described as pleasant, wellrounded,
or mellow; within our orchestra,
they are the viola. If the top notes of a
perfume are the wild child, then the middle
notes are its responsible sibling – steady
and consistent, emerging after the initial
burst to temper the sharp impression of
the top notes and round their edges into
a calmer blend of fragrances. Often these
scents are floral or fruity (such as rose,
lavender, or lemongrass), and combine
with a hint of spice (like cinnamon or
cardamom) as the scent deepens. The
heart of the fragrance is long-lasting and
settled with an enduring warmth that
carries through to the base notes.
There exist many varieties of Oud, due
to the diverse genetics of the trees and
the different regions in which they are
grown and harvested. However, the base
notes are the common thread that ties all
these varieties together – a musky, woody
depth that lasts for hours. These notes are
the timpani drum. The deep note of the
best quality Oud is slow to emerge, and
can only be perceived an hour or more
into its journey on a wearer’s skin. The
molecules of these notes are heavy and
slow to evaporate, grounding the middle
notes and the remainder of the top notes,
and forming the main ‘theme’ of the
perfume. Sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli,
and amber are all common base notes.
This is another characteristic of Oud
that causes it to stand out from all other
fragrances. The base note of an Oud is
complex and deep, and mingles with
the heart of the perfume in an exciting
and energetic way. It can be described as
an ‘animal’ or ‘exotic’ quality that often
develops over the course of hours into a
sublime musk, which lingers and anchors
the journey of the perfume. It is a rich scent
not necessarily familiar to those who have
not spent time in Islamic cultures, where
the incense and oil have long been a part
of daily life. This is the lasting impression
of an Oud, which remains in the air long
after the wearer has left a room.
There is a French word, sillage
(pronounced see-YAZH), which translates
directly as the nautical term ‘wake’ – the
trail left in the water when a boat glides
by. More than the initial scent, it is the
most romantic aspect of a perfume,
referred to in English as ‘projection’. One
might think that the richness of a perfume
determines the success of its sillage, but
some fresh floral notes or musks have
substantial diffusive ability, and remain
fresh while lingering. This magical
scented trail is intrinsic to Oud and to
perfumes made from it. As the wearer
walks by or enters a room, they bring with
them an Oud ‘wake’ that lingers as they
pass by, reminding those around them of
their presence.
Oud for the Mind, Body,
and Spirit
The effects of Oud go beyond the sense
of smell. As you can guess from its rich
history of medicinal and religious use,
Oud has an effect not just on the nose but
also on the body, mind, and spirit. The
smell of Oud, particularly when burned
as an incense, instils a sense of peace and
calm while simultaneously increasing
focus and awareness. It induces an overall
sense of physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Indeed, Oud seems to reach from the
depths of the earth, where the notes of its
scent are located, up to the heavens, where
its incense smoke rises and connects us with
the divine. Its power reaches both without
– the wearer leaves an entrancing scent in
their wake – and within, connecting us
across borders and across cultures.
But where does this intoxicating scent
come from? How did humans first harness
this manna for the senses? The origin of
Oud lies not in the heavens, but deep in
the heart of the Aquilaria tree.
What is Oud? 37

Christophe Laudamiel
38 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 39

Who is Christophe Laudamiel?
French-born Christophe Laudamiel is trained in both chemistry and perfumery. Although he
currently resides in New York, he is President and Master Perfumer of DreamAir, an innovationdriven
perfumery start-up he co-founded in 2010. He is known for creating high-end, avant-garde
fragrances, and many of his signature scents incorporate Oud oil.
Where do you see yourself when you smell Oud?
“That is a difficult question. Each time I smell it I see wood, but I don’t see myself in the forest, nor do I
see myself in a field… the scent is not green enough; it is not turfy enough. No, it doesn’t bring me to
nature; the smell can only be described as enigmatic. I don’t see it as wild, but as enigmatic.”
“That is a difficult question.
Each time I smell it I see wood,
but I don’t see myself in the
forest, nor do I see myself in a
field… the scent is not green
enough; it is not turfy enough.
No, it doesn’t bring me to
nature; the smell can only be
described as enigmatic. I don’t
see it as wild, but as enigmatic.”
40 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 41

CHAPTER 2
The Origin of Oud
42 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 43

Long ago, wild agarwood (also known as
‘the wood of the gods’) grew in tropical
forests, untouched by humankind. The
only threat to this ancient tree was nature
itself. A wound in the bark of the Aquilaria
tree – whether caused by insect, animal, or
mother nature – set off a dark magic, a
resinous strain of mould that grew within
the body of the tree.
The tree would eventually succumb to
this mortal wound and fall to the forest
floor. The uninfected wood was naturally
eaten by termites and microbes, leaving
behind only the dark, aromatic resin. It
was this rich scent that drew humans to
the agarwood tree. Once they discovered
agarwood’s miraculous properties, they
began to sell its resin for use in perfumes,
religious rituals, medicine, and more. And
so, the Oud trade was born.
As Oud grew in popularity, this became
not just a local trade but a worldwide
market, encompassing parts of the Middle
East and China. Collectors began to pay
more and more attention to the wild trees;
cultivation methods were developed, and
agarwood farming became a lucrative
business.
The leaves of the Aquilaria tree –
used for generations to make tea,
and in homeopathic remedies.
The Origin of Oud 45

How Aquilaria becomes
Agarwood becomes Oud
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the
dying Aquilaria tree renders a substance
worth its weight in gold. But how?
Oud comes from the infected wood of
the ancient Aquilaria and some Gyrinops
species of trees that are native to Southeast
Asia. With more than ten countries and
regions growing species of Aquilaria tree,
its names are as varied as the communities
that grow it: agarwood, aloeswood,
eaglewood, oodh, gaharu, Chen Xiang,
kalamabak, jin-koh, and on and on.
The trees are evergreen, displaying
leaves year-round, and can live in a variety
of soils, including poor and sandy soils
that would not support other species. 9
The intrepid Aquilaria soaks up sun and
can produce fruit at around three years
old, a process which begins with the
blossoming of small white flowers, similar
in appearance to miniature lotus blossoms.
When the fruit splits, its orchid-like seed
pods hang each by a single delicate thread
until they are swept away by wind or
knocked down by animals to grow anew. 10
Oud grows out of crisis – that is, when
the Aquilaria tree is harmed. The injury
could be caused by an insect attack, or
by an animal clawing the bark. It could
happen in the midst of a storm, when the
tree is struck by lightning, wounding the
trunk and exposing the dense white wood
of its interior. This attack causes what is
called tylosis, a disruption of the cells of
the heartwood, which darkens the wood of
the Aquilaria and turns it into agarwood.
Inspection time. Third generation agarwood
farmer Mr Chan Koon Wing, who owns the
last remaining Aquilaria Sinensis plantation in
Hong Kong, at work.
46 The Book of of Oud
The Origin of Oud 47

Then, and most dramatically, the tree
trunk is invaded by a parasitic mould called
melanotus flavolives. This is the beginning of
the biochemical magic that turns agarwood
to Oud, and it can take years and years for the
mould to fully develop. 11 It begins with the
formation of a dark, aromatic resin, followed
by the darkening of the heartwood, like a scar
running through the core of the tree’s body.
But not all infected trees create Oud.
In fact, roughly only 7 per cent of infected
Aquilaria trees produce the substance – a
fact which, coupled with the years required
for cultivation, explains the high price of
agarwood and Oud products.
Farmers and scientists alike have worked
tirelessly to replicate this process, but there
is still a halo of mystery around what exactly
happens within the heart of the Aquilaria tree,
which, like a true magician, will never reveal
its secrets. We can simulate the process, but
we can never truly reproduce the quality of
Oud discovered by chance on the forest floor.
Most methods of stimulating Oud
production in Aquilaria trees are somewhat
barbaric. The process involves drilling into
the tree and inserting sections of pipe into the
hole to open the wound to fungal infection.
Sometimes (but not always) this drilling is
followed by a chemical injection.
Years pass until the trees are felled and
split open, and the hunt for Oud begins.
Only a fraction of the injured trees develop
the resinous fragrant heartwood necessary
to make incense or oil, so Aquilaria farmers
are perennially engaged in what amounts
to a high-stakes gambling operation. Will
these trees produce exotic, valuable Oud?
Or will the entire years-long process all be
for nothing?
Preparing an agarwood nursery in Sri Lanka.
The inoculation process for a mature Aquilaria tree.
48 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 49
Agarwood saplings.

Different Ouds from
Different Places
Much like the complex notes of fine wine,
environmental factors such as soil, water,
and sunshine influence the scent profile of
Oud. Some Ouds are said to have a smoky
aroma; others have a hint of grass or earth.
Some are described as ‘narcotic’, and others as
‘energetic’. Indian Ouds may have a slightly
earthy smell, while Indonesian species are
often described as sweeter. From Myanmar to
Malaysia, China to Vietnam, each Oud has
its own personality.
Canadian entrepreneur and Oud collector
Taha Syed says of the aroma of Oud, “There is
an element of something people may translate
as psychoactive, or something that affects
their minds, their spirits, their emotions.” 12
But what is this mysterious element?
The mystery of the scent of Oud is the
mystery of the world – and the key to this
mystery is terpenes – the organic compounds
found in the essential oils and resins of plants.
These terpenes are hydrocarbons that react to
oxygen in the air to become more complex
and fragrant. If the hydrocarbons are exposed
to oxygen for a longer period of time, their
scent profile changes.
Terpenes are as diverse as the plants in
which they are found, and can deeply alter
the aroma of a plant’s essential oil. This is why
Ouds have distinct aroma profiles depending
on where in the world they are grown, and
on what substances the variety of Aquilaria
trees take from their environment. Other
important factors include the age of the oil
(i.e., how long ago it was extracted), the age
and size of the tree, and even the age of the
fungal infection living inside the agarwood.
Oud oil.
50 The Book of Oud

Oud distillation. The process by which agarwood chips are turned into pure Oud oil.
Distillation: Types of Methods
If you happen to wander into the Perfume
Souk in Dubai, and if you peruse the many
small, gilded bottles adorning its golden walls,
you will find Oud in one of its finest forms.
Glass perfume vials filled with Oud oil glow
many shades of amber – some dark like burnt
caramel, others more golden, like pure, virgin
olive oil. Because the public’s desire for the
fragrant, narcotic scent of Oud is insatiable,
agarwood farms have had to devise advanced
methods of production to meet the demand.
The process of distilling Oud oil is
complicated and alchemical. The type of
distillation used to separate the oil from the
wood is yet another of the complex factors
that combine to produce the scent of Oud.
Italian mothers the world over know that the
quality of pasta sauce has as much to do with
the pot in which it is cooked – and with how
long it is cooked, and at what temperature –
as it has to do with the tomatoes.
There are three methods of Oud distillation:
steam, CO2, and hydro extraction. As with
the pasta pot, each method of distilling the
Oud has benefits and drawbacks.
Steam distillation is controversial, described
by some as the best method of producing Oud
oil, and considered by others to be too harsh
on the product due to the high temperatures
used (in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit). 13
In the steam distillation process, the
infected wood is first chipped from agarwood
logs (normal, uninfected wood is of no use
in Oud production) and laid out in the
sun. Once the chips have dried in the heat
for a few days, workers gather them up and
put them into a mechanical chipper, which
grinds them down nearly to dust. This chip
52 The Book of Oud The Origin of Oud 53

dust is submerged in barrels of water and
allowed to marinate for ten to fifteen days.
As the chips marinate they change colour,
becoming darker and more pungent,
congealing into a kind of mash.
More water is added, and the chip dust
is transferred to distilling pots made of
copper or other metals. These pots are
covered and boiled over a wood fire until
the cells of the wood burst open, releasing
the scent of the agarwood. Oil and steam
float to the top of the distilling container
and escape their pressurised environment
through a tube leading to a condenser,
where they mingle and combine to form
vapour. This marriage of oil and steam is
cooled by more water as it passes through
the condenser, where it settles back into its
liquid form.
There, as in every kitchen in the world,
the oil and water cannot mix; the marriage
dissolves, and like Venus out of the waves
emerges Oud.
CO2 distillation is a method by which
carbon dioxide is put under high pressure
and turned from a gas to a liquid. This
liquid, when combined with raw plant
material, extracts the aromatic molecules
in a similar way to steam, but no residue
remains; the CO2 reverts to a gas when
the pressure returns to normal, and all that
is left is the Oud oil. However, because of
the high pressure used, many believe this
method is also too harsh and describe the
quality of the Oud left behind as less pure.
Hydro distillation is the most common
and time-honoured method of producing
Oud oil from agarwood. This technique is
used all over Asia, and with good reason:
Sustainably harvested agarwood, ready for processing.
It’s widely considered the gentlest and
simplest form of distillation, consistently
producing high-quality Oud. There is
also something magical about the way
Oud oil mingles with water for a period
ranging from days to months. The length
of time the oil sits in the water, the origin
of the water used for distillation (it can
be gathered from the ground, collected
as rainwater, or taken from a spring), and
even the salt and mineral content of the
water can affect how the processed Oud
eventually smells. Dark, light, bright,
sharp, smoky, or fruity – all the elements
involved in distillation work together to
impart to the Oud a unique, captivating
smell.
Pests and Disease
Part of the difficulty of Oud production
in Aquilaria trees is that while infection
by one type of parasitic mould produces
the incredible-smelling resin, attacks by
many other pests can kill or cripple the
tree. The range of Aquilaria predators is
dazzling, but there are three main culprits
which can damage or kill an Aquilaria tree
without leaving behind the gift of Oud.
The armyworm, a leaf-eating caterpillar,
is considered to be the most destructive
pest; if given the opportunity, it can eat
its way through the foliage of an entire
agarwood plantation. Even fully-grown
trees can die from an armyworm attack.
Phytophthora, a group of microbial
infections whose name means ‘plantdestroyer’,
is yet another enemy of the
Aquilaria tree. Phytophthora can infect
all parts of the plant, from the roots to the
flowers, causing lesions, wilting, blight on
54 The Book of Oud The Origin of Oud 55
Cross section of an agarwood tree, with the dark areas denoting the
Oud oil distillation in progress.
areas of ‘infection’ and the development of resin.

the shoots of the tree, and eventual death,
especially in younger more vulnerable
trees. Often spores of the plants can lie
in wait in damp soil until a suitable host
comes along. 14
Sooty moulds are yet another type of
fungal infection that kills rather than
energises the Aquilaria tree. The moulds
grow over the leaves of the tree, coating
them with a sticky black substance (hence
the name ‘sooty mould’), and preventing
the plant from photosynthesising. Usually
the presence of these moulds is connected
to insect pests such as aphids, which suck
sap from plants but don’t completely
digest it. When the insects suck sap, they
leave sugary deposits behind on the leaves;
mould spores stick to these deposits like
glue and use them as a food source to
grow and eventually cover the plant.
Without the ability to create food, the tree
eventually starves.
How incredible, then, that in only three
types of trees, infected with one specific
type of mould, and despite attack by
insects, bacteria, and over-logging, the
miraculous growth of fragrant agarwood
could occur at all. More incredible still
is that humans ever discovered the fallen
tree and the rich, earthy deposits within,
thereby changing the faces of luxury,
worship, and medicine.
Fantastic claims are often made about
the medicinal value of Oud. Is it really
a panacea? Or is that notion merely the
product of millennia of superstition
capped by a century or two of marketing
hype?
56 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 57
An armyworm (Atteva sciodoxa). A leaf-eating caterpillar, it is one of several pests that can cause defoliation and damage to agarwood trees.

Abdul Aziz Al Jasser
58 The Book of Oud
The Origin of Oud 59

Who is Abdul Aziz Al Jasser?
Abdul Aziz Al Jasser is the president of Arabian Oud, one of the largest retail empires in the Middle
East. It all began in 1982, when he opened a small kiosk in a traditional souk (an Arab marketplace
or bazaar), from which he sold perfume blends. His mission at that time was to source and expertly
blend the best oils and scents in the world, and the business he built has now expanded beyond the
Middle East to cover Europe, North Africa, Far East Asia, and North America. 15
On the proliferation of Oud in the West:
“We are offering our beloved Oud perfume to the world. It’s part of ancient Arabian heritage, and
now there is a growing fondness and appreciation for it among non-Gulf Arabs and the West.…
Pleasing scents have always been a part of our religious and social culture, and today people are
going back to essential oils, which have no alcohol and are purer than Western perfumes.”
“We are offering our beloved Oud
perfume to the world. It’s part
of ancient Arabian heritage, and
now there is a growing fondness
and appreciation for it among
non-Gulf Arabs and the West.…
Pleasing scents have always been
a part of our religious and social
culture, and today people are
going back to essential oils, which
have no alcohol and are purer than
Western perfumes.”
60 The Book of Oud The Origin of Oud 61

CHAPTER 3
Oud for the Body,
Oud for the Soul
62 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 63

Oud is as ancient as humanity itself, its
irresistible scent and otherworldly mystery
threading through the aeons. But the story
of Oud doesn’t end in the distant past.
So versatile is this rare and exceptional
substance that many of its traditional
applications are still in use to this day.
An agarwood sculpture from China. Date unknown.
Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 65

Throughout the regions in which Oud
is found, indigenous cultures have made
Oud an integral part of their modern
lives. Nowhere is the importance of Oud
clearer than in its use as a vital ingredient
in traditional medicine. From Bangladesh
to Indonesia; from Japan to Korea; in
Malaysia, the Philippines, Tibet, and
Thailand; from ancient Indian Ayurvedic
medicine to Traditional Chinese medicine,
Oud is used in a variety of forms to
ameliorate an astounding array of ailments,
a veritable encyclopaedia of common
(and not so common) complaints. It is
a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, a
painkiller, a fever reducer, a digestive aid,
and an appetite stimulant. It alleviates
joint pains and rheumatism, coughs and
asthma, diarrhoea and dysentery, stomach
pains, nausea, and vomiting. It is used to
treat paralysis, jaundice, smallpox, malaria,
leprosy, skin problems, and kidney disease.
It is given as a tonic during pregnancy and
after childbirth, and to treat menstrual
disorders. It helps stop bleeding, and
it is taken for heart palpitations and
other cardiovascular problems. It relieves
insomnia, and is used to treat nervous
and emotional disorders. It can treat gout,
bronchitis, and fever chills, both internally
and externally – a massage with Oud oil
can relieve the rigours of fever. It eases
exhaustion, freshens breath, and can even
be used as a repellent against mosquitoes,
fleas, and lice.
Agarwood, in powdered form.
The human nervous system.
66 The Book of Oud

Indispensable to Ancient and
Modern Medicine
In essence, according to these traditional
practices, Oud is an elixir, a cure for any
affliction. It’s hard to believe.
But the traditional uses of Oud are not
a myth, not an old wives’ tale, and not an
archaic folk tradition that should be cast
aside and forgotten. Oud is still actively
used in medicine for one simple reason: it
works.
In developing countries, many people
rely on these traditional medical practices
as their sole source of healthcare. In
India, the majority of the population
uses Ayurvedic medicine (sometimes in
combination with Western medicine),
and agarwood has been used in Ayurvedic
medicine since ancient times. 16
Agarwood is also highly favoured
by practitioners of traditional Chinese
medicine (aka TCM), which is still a very
popular form of medical care today. Oud
ranks among the ten most beneficial herbs
in TCM because of its alleged potency in
promoting the circulation of qi, the lifeforce
or vital energy. Used in the form of
ground up powder, it is sold by the gram
in TCM stores, both in crude form and in
prepared formulas. 17
Over two hundred agarwood products
are registered with the Malaysian Ministry
of Health, including eighty-four forms
of cough medicine, sixteen brands of
medicated liquor, and thirteen brands of
stomach ache medicine. 18
Traditional Chinese 68 Medicine The Book emporium. of Oud Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 69

But it is no longer just traditional
practitioners and their patients who rely
upon the health benefits Oud provides.
There has been great growth in the
development of herbal treatments in
Western medicine, because of the natural
source of the remedies and the fact that
herbal remedies tend to have fewer side
effects. 19 As apparently magical as Oud
is, its healing properties are anything but
fantasy. In recent years, scientific studies
have demonstrated the medicinal efficacy
of agarwood for a wide array of ailments.
There’s no placebo effect at play here: Oud
is a medical marvel.
Nearly every part of the agarwood plant
has ameliorative properties. When broken
down, Oud contains compounds – such
as alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and
tannins – that are scientifically recognised
as antidotes to a laundry list of medical
issues that underlie the many ailments that
agarwood traditionally treats.
Germs and Viruses
Oud is a strong antimicrobial agent. As
synthetic antibacterial drugs have begun
to be associated with the emergence of
drug-resistant bacteria, interest in natural
antibacterial agents is on the rise. 20
Multiple species of the Aquilaria tree are
able to fight some of the world’s most
terrifying bacterial infections, including E.
coli and typhoid.
Antioxidants: Agarwood
vs. Diabetes and Cancer
Antioxidants are advertised everywhere
these days, with fruits and teas and
flavoured waters all proclaiming their
70 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 71
Agarwood seeds being examined prior to planting.

anti-oxidative properties. Oxidative stress
is an underlying factor in diseases such as
cancer and diabetes. Oxidants cause stress
in the tissue of the lungs, heart, kidneys,
liver, gastrointestinal tract, blood, eyes,
skin, muscle, and brain … and this stress
can cause degenerative diseases such as
cancer or Alzheimer’s. 21
The extract of agarwood leaves has
incredibly strong antioxidants, which help
to fight that oxidative stress. In fact, the
antioxidant activity of Aquilaria leaves is
higher than that of most teas.
Beyond being an antioxidant and antiageing,
agarwood has been shown to help
with another serious health condition:
diabetes. One in eleven adults in the world
suffers from diabetes, and the International
Diabetes Foundation estimates that by
2040, that number will be one in ten. 22
But the miracle drug that is Oud is here
to help. The extract of agarwood leaves,
it turns out, is an anti-hyperglycaemic.
Reportedly, a diabetic patient who drank
agarwood leaf-infused water instead of
regular water for six months experienced a
significant drop in his blood glucose level –
in fact, not only did his glucose level drop;
it returned to normal levels. Astonishingly,
agarwood leaf extract actually lowers blood
glucose levels with an efficacy comparable
to that of insulin. 23 Oud could in fact be a
natural therapeutic agent for this insidious
disease.
Perhaps most remarkably, agarwood
may have properties that could help cure
cancer. The essential oil of agarwood – i.e.,
Oud – has been shown to fight colorectal,
lung, pancreatic and breast cancer cells.
Agarwood saplings 72 in The the nursery, Book of waiting Oud patiently to be
A mature agarwood tree being inoculated.
Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 73
planted and start their adventure.

Oud for Relaxation and
General Wellbeing
The list of ailments against which Oud
is proven to be effective goes on and on.
Agarwood is also incredibly effective as
a laxative, treating constipation without
the unfortunate side effect that most
laxatives have – bad diarrhoea. It is a
proven pain reliever and fever reducer,
as well as a powerful anti-inflammatory,
making it a credible natural alternative
to acetaminophen. 24 It can dissolve blood
clots and increase blood flow, 25 and has
even been shown to promote the growth
of new neurons and synapses, and to
protect existing neurons. 26
Given all these scientifically verified
benefits, it is no wonder that Oud is
starting to appear in all sorts of modern
health-related products. For example,
Aquilaria leaves and agarwood chips can
be brewed to make a tea, which in addition
to being quite delicious, acts as a detoxifier
and blood pressure stabiliser, contributing
to overall health and wellbeing. Moreover,
agarwood tea has no caffeine, making it a
perfect alternative to that other popular
detoxifying beverage, green tea.
Oud is also gaining traction as an
ingredient in skin care products because
of its natural anti-ageing properties. The
compounds in Oud, which have so many
miraculous healing properties, can directly
affect the health of the skin. The Fountain
of Youth may be just a legend, but Oud is
the next best thing.
Oud is also used in aromatherapy. Its
entrancing yet soothing scent also has a
medically efficacious sedative effect, which
Infusions using the leaves from agarwood trees are popular and in increasingly high
74 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 75
demand for their health-giving properties and pure, clean flavour.

can help treat psychosomatic diseases
caused by stress. In the United States, Oud
aromatherapy is allowed for clinical use in
treating Attention Deficit Disorder and
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
– as a natural alternative to the synthetic
tablets often prescribed. 27
The sedative effect of Oud can also
be used to alleviate general stress and
anxiety. 28 Oud incense has a calming
effect, soothing the nervous system and
relieving stress-related symptoms. It helps
with digestive issues and relieves anxietyinduced
breathing conditions.
The use of Oud for aromatherapy flows
naturally out of the traditional use of Oud
as incense to aid in meditation – because
Oud does not simply heal the body; it
also heals the spirit. Oud is still used in
Buddhist practices today, and adherents
believe that it helps to awaken the crown
and third-eye chakras. 29 By promoting
the flow of qi, agarwood incense brings
calmness and peace, raises alertness,
alleviates anxiety, and opens a connection
to the spiritual world.
A depiction of Buddha, in agarwood. Date unknown.
Cultural and Spiritual Practices
Buddhism is not the only religion in
which Oud’s spiritual powers still hold
a revered place. Some Muslim cultures
traditionally use a water-based perfume
called Minyak attar, which contains
Oud, to lace prayer clothes. 30 In some
regions, agarwood incense is used during
Ramadan prayers. In China, incense sticks
made from the combined powders of
various herbs – including agarwood – are
used for religious ceremonies, the smoke
Left: Detail of an arabesque on the ceiling of a mosque. Arabesques have been a
characteristic of Islamic art since the ninth century.
76 The Book of Oud Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 77

epresenting a link between the mortal
and the divine, a sweet-scented messenger
carrying prayers to the gods. 31
Even outside of medicinal or religious
uses, the scent of Oud incense wends its
way through many cultural traditions. In
Japan, the Oud-centric ancient ceremony
of koh-doh, ‘listening to incense’, is still
practised. In fact, so prized is the jin-koh
used in koh-doh, that some of the pieces
are deemed extra special; these are called
mei-koh, and they are actually given
their own names by the incense masters.
After they are christened, the mei-koh
are stored in small envelopes and passed
down through the family, generation to
generation, as beloved heirlooms. In each
generation, the owner of the mei-koh is
responsible for using it sparingly in the
koh-doh ceremony so that the coming
generations can experience its exquisite
scent.
Throughout the Middle East, agarwood
chips are burned in specially designed
incense burners, which are carried from
room to room to circulate smoke and fill
the whole house with the aroma of Oud.
Both men and women in the Middle East
also waft the scented smoke onto their hair
and clothes so they can carry the scent of
Oud with them everywhere they go.
Oud oil is also traditionally used as
a personal fragrance for both men and
women, applied to the clothes, hair, and
skin. This tradition is rooted in the Middle
East, but in the past decade, Oud has
burst onto the international scene in an
exotic storm of scent, becoming one of the
most popular and sought-after perfume
ingredients in the world.
78 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 79
Pure Oud oil, in a variety of vessels.

Tom Ford
80 The Book of Oud Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 81

Who is Tom Ford?
A man who perhaps needs no introduction, Tom Ford is an American fashion designer, film director,
screenwriter, and film producer, and was once creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. In
2002, Ford collaborated with perfumers Alberto Morillas and Jacques Cavallier to introduced western
audiences to Oud in the scent, Yves St. Laurent M7. 32 He has called Oud “one of the most endlessly
fascinating ingredients in a perfumer’s palette.” 33
How would you describe the unisex perfume Oud Wood?
“Exotic rosewood and cardamom, blended with exuberant Chinese pepper, envelop the wearer in
warmth. Eventually, the centre exposes a smoky blend of rare Oud wood, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Finally, the creamy scents of tonka bean, vanilla, and amber are revealed.”
“Exotic rosewood and
cardamom, blended with
exuberant Chinese pepper,
envelop the wearer in warmth.
Eventually, the centre exposes
a smoky blend of rare Oud
wood, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Finally, the creamy scents of
tonka bean, vanilla, and amber
are revealed.” 34
82 The Book of Oud
Oud for the Body, Oud for the Soul 83

CHAPTER 4
The World’s Most
Desirable Fragrance
What is Oud? 85

Oud is as ancient as humanity itself, and
its scent a mainstay in many parts of
the Eastern world … but how did Oud
become such a sudden sensation in the
West?
The popularity of Oud started with
the astounding – and rapidly growing
– popularity of perfumes worldwide.
In 2017, the global fragrance industry
is expected to reach an estimated $38.8
billion and it is expected to grow to an
astonishing $51 billion by 2022. 35 The
number of new perfumes released every
year is also growing exponentially: in
1993, 132 new perfumes were released. In
2013, the number of new perfume releases
had been multiplied by eleven, to 1,492. 36
Perfume has always been important to
the cultures of the Middle East, and it
is deeply ingrained into the Arabic way
of life. Fragrances are worn as part of
everyday attire, rather than as an accessory
for special celebrations, and used for any
and all occasions and outings. In the rest
of the world, people apply perfume twice
a day, on average; in Arabic countries,
people apply fragrances an average of five
times a day. 37
One of the world’s fastest growing perfume brands, Fragrance Du Bois, with its Pure Oud expression, and its innovative creation, the stylish Serum Pen.
The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 87

Even children are accustomed to
fragrances, with parents using essential oils
to add scents to their laundry and their
baths.
Due to this embedded culture of scent,
the Middle East has one of the highest per
capita consumptions of perfumes in the
world, averaging close to $400 per person,
with high earners spending an average of
$700 on oriental fragrances and essential
oils. 38 Overall, fragrance use in the Middle
East is about five times higher than in
the rest of the world. 39 The beauty and
personal care market in the Middle East
and Africa is expected to hit $30 billion in
2018, outpacing that market in the rest of
the world, and fragrances account for 20
per cent of that staggering figure – a full
$6 billion. 40
This market is on the rise because
economic growth has increased standards
of living and given birth to a new
generation of affluent consumers. As the
number of high-net-worth individuals
rises in the Middle East, so does the
market for luxury goods 41 – and in this
fragrance-soaked culture, nothing says
luxury like the most prestigious perfumes
money can buy. 42
Central to this market is one particular
scent: Oud. Oud is everywhere in the
Middle East, used as a signature scent
from mosques to malls to hotel lobbies
– and of course, as a personal fragrance.
Oud perfume alone is a multi-billiondollar
industry. The most popular perfume
brands in the Middle East are those that
specialise in Oud, such as Ajmal, Arabian
Oud, Al Qurashi and Al Haramain.
88 The Book of Oud
A customer at Jovoy’s luxurious Parisian boutique enjoying a sensuous, olfactory experience.

Given such a substantial market, it is not
surprising that in the past decade, Western
perfume houses have become eager to
appeal to Middle Eastern tastes. The story
goes that sometime in the early 2000s,
fashion designer Tom Ford was riding in
the elevator of the Carlisle Hotel with the
famous and fashionable heiress Daphne
Guinness. He smelled an incredible scent,
unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and
asked Daphne what she was wearing. The
answer, of course, was Oud.
In 2002, Yves Saint Laurent released
Tom Ford’s M7, built around Oud. And
in 2007, Ford released his now legendary
Oud Wood scent. Tom Ford’s Oud Wood
was quickly followed by other Oud
fragrances from major labels, including
Estée Lauder’s Wood Mystique in 2011
and Lancôme’s Lautrec duo in 2012.
These were heavily advertised in the
Middle East with billboards, posters, and
television spots; the goal was to compete
with popular regional brands such as Al
Qurashi and Arabian Oud.
But as these fragrances were released,
something incredible happened: Western
consumers began to fall in love with this
exotic, otherworldly aroma. The West
finally caught up to the East, recognising
what Oud lovers have known since the
dawn of human civilisation, and what
I discovered that fateful day in Harrods:
that there is nothing in the world like the
scent of Oud.
Within just a few years of the release
of Tom Ford’s Oud Wood, nearly all the
major branded perfume houses – big
names and boutiques – had Oud-based
or Oud-inspired fragrances. From Gucci
The iconic and world-famous Harrods in London.
90 The Book of Oud

to Chanel to Cartier, everybody wanted
in on Oud. Estée Lauder’s Jo Malone
London brand released Oud & Bergamot
cologne in 2010, and it quickly became a
bestseller. In 2012 alone, Armani, Dior,
Ferrari, and even Body Shop all started
using the Oud scents. 43 Western perfume
houses were actually competing to see
who could make the best Oud fragrances.
Between 2007 and 2013, Oud sales rose
68 per cent, to an incredible industry
total of $3 billion. 44 Today, one out of
every eight new scents released annually
contains Oud or imitation Oud. 45
Western brands aren’t alone in the
Western market, either. Some of the big
Middle Eastern Oud companies have been
branching out. Al Qurashi has outlets in
London and Paris, where it attracts a
mostly Western clientele. Arabian Oud
has stores in London and Paris as well,
in the most prestigious locations – the
Champs-Élysées in Paris and Oxford
Street in London – and is soon opening
its first American store in Times Square
in New York. On Oxford Street, Arabian
Oud is the only storefront that is allowed
to put up signage in non-Latin characters,
proudly displaying signs in English and
Arabic. 46
The skyrocketing popularity of Oud
is reflected in Arabian Oud’s incredible
growth. In 2012, the company had 550
stores in seventeen countries; by 2016,
there were 750 stores in more than thirty
countries. 47 And as with Al Qurashi, the
majority of the sales in Arabian Oud’s
Western outlets – 80 per cent, in fact –
were not to Arabs, but to Westerners. 48
Some of the many brands and expressions now
using Oud – described by one Master Perfumer
as “the ingredient of the twenty-first century” – in
their creations.
92 The Book of Oud

As Oud raced through the Western
world of perfumery like a fragrant wildfire,
it sparked a shift in trends throughout the
entire industry. Westerners traditionally
favour softer scents, leaning towards floral
and citrusy aromas. The scent of Oud is
not one that naturally appeals to Western
noses – it is unlike anything in the Western
world – and Arabic-style scents were once
considered too heady, heavy, and cloying
for the Western palate.
Oud’s rise in popularity reflects a
growth in the influence of Arab culture
on perfume worldwide. In 2014, the
International Fragrance Association UK
reported that the trend in the industry
was moving towards exotic locales and
the scents associated with them, including
musks, sandalwoods, ambers – and of
course, Oud. 49 Floral fragrances have
fallen out of fashion, and brands around
the world are gravitating towards the rich,
dark, woody smell of Oud. 50
Fragrance profile is not the only perfume
trend that has shifted in favour of Oud.
There is also in the perfume market an
increasing interest in natural ingredients,
as opposed to synthetically created
compounds. More and more, people are
interested in putting only natural, organic
perfumes on their bodies. There is also a
growing awareness of the mood-changing
and physiological effects of scents – hence
the growing popularity of aromatherapy
in the West. Demand is also increasing
for perfumes with a long-lasting scent
that evolves over time. 51 All of these are
distinguishing features of Oud.
But above all, it is the entrancing,
complex aroma of Oud that is captivating
A customer engaging in the Fragrance Du Bois ‘cloche experience’.
The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 95

Western consumers looking for something
daring and out of the ordinary. The ethos
of our present moment is individuality.
Everyone wants to express themselves as an
individual, to be unique and exceptional,
including in how they smell. As the New
York Times reported in 2015, “The new
power perfumes are not about arriving
at the party in a haze of an unavoidable
bouquet, but rather showing up smelling
like no one else, and then leaving people
clamouring to know what mysterious and
enigmatic fragrance you are wearing.” 52
As the global perfume market
balloons, discerning users around the
world want scents that are exclusive, not
mass produced. This has driven a huge
growth in the prestige and niche perfume
industries. The niche category alone more
than tripled in the course of a decade, from
128 new perfume launches in 2003 to an
astounding 395 in 2013. The backlash
against mass-produced, mainstream
fragrances even extends into premium
fragrances, with more people seeking
out completely individualised bespoke
perfumes designed specifically for them.
The desire for distinctiveness has led
consumers to seek out bolder scents that
have rich, intriguing stories behind them
– and Oud fits just that bill. Moreover,
almost nothing in the world has more
prestige than Oud. It is, quite literally, the
scent of royalty. Louis XIV is said to have
washed his clothes in Oud-infused water,
and today, royalty throughout Asia and
the Middle East are presented on special
occasions with bespoke fragrances that are
invariably built around an Oud base. Even
Prince William and Kate Middleton were
gifted an Oud fragrance at their wedding.
96 The Book of Oud
The world-famous Selfridges on Oxford Street, London – the second largest
‘shop’ in the UK. Its flagship store was opened in 1909 – by its founder,
Harry Gordon Selfridge.

Grille of the spectacular ‘Oud Edition’ Range Rover. Bespoke and luxurious,
the automobile features an internal, custom-made scenting system, with aromas
provided by Fragrance Du Bois. Other luxury cars, such as the Mercedes-Maybach,
also feature Oud-scented interiors.
A superbly crafted, hand-made timepiece, by Swiss horologist Time Spirit.
Note the agarwood inlay in the face; a world’s first.
Airlines are getting in on the Oud game
too, commissioning unique Oud scents
from distinctive houses such as Ajmal.
And in 2016, Mercedes released its luxury
Maybach S-Class S600 – which includes,
among other deluxe features, an ‘Air-
Balance’ package that scents the interior of
the car with Oud. 53 Range Rover has also
released an Oud Edition: controlled by
an iPad app, the car contains six different
Oud-based fragrances that can be layered
by its owner to create a bespoke melange
of scents, resulting in a luxury experience
unmatched by even the most leatherbound
sport machines on the market. 54
If the watchword of the modern luxury
markets is personalisation, Oud is at the
forefront of the game.
Prestige also means price, and one of
the reasons Oud is so exclusive is that it is,
as I learned the hard way at Harrods, no
cheap thing. One hundred per cent pure,
unadulterated Oud oil can cost as much
as $30,000 per kilogram wholesale, and
a breath taking $150,000 per kilogram –
or more – in a retail shop. And the more
exclusive the Oud, the higher the price.
In 2012, half a teaspoon of Oud oil that
had been distilled in 1982 from hundredyear-old
trees sold to a private collector
for $7,000. 55 Oud-based perfumes are
also pricey; Tom Ford’s Oud Wood goes
for $225 for a 50ml bottle, and that’s not
nearly the most expensive Oud perfume
out there. And the truth is, if you find
Oud for less than this, in all likelihood it is
not actually Oud.
Exclusivity and popularity naturally
lead to imitation. As Oud and other
Middle-Eastern fragrances have soared in
The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 99

popularity, the ‘Oriental woody’ trend has
trickled down to mass-market fragrances
at all levels. Because real Oud is so
expensive, however, many so-called Oud
perfumes use synthetic, imitation Oud.
While modern science can come close to
recreating the chemical composition of
Oud, organic Oud’s compound structure
is so complex that it is impossible to
replicate perfectly.
Nothing synthetic can even begin
to compare to the inimitable scent of
true Oud. So for those who seek the
exclusivity and luxury of Oud, who want
to stand out from the sea of Middle
Eastern-inspired scents now available,
authentic Oud still holds its place above
the rest. That’s why people are turning to
Middle Eastern companies such as Ajmal
and Arabian Oud.
And there are also Western fragrance
houses that guarantee the authentic, elite
Oud experience, such as strangelove nyc
and Fragrance Du Bois (purveyor of scents
for the previously mentioned Maybach).
The American-based strangelove nyc,
founded in 2013, started with just one
scent: an Oud-based perfume oil called
deadofnight. I spoke with the founder
of the company, Elizabeth Gaynes,
who described how the power of Oud
jumpstarted the entire brand. Elizabeth
brought a sample of that one scent,
deadofnight, into a meeting with a
Harrods fragrance buyer. Upon smelling
the intoxicating aroma, the buyer said,
“We’re opening the Salon De Parfum
in Harrods in October, and we’re only
exhibiting twenty-five perfume companies
from around the world. We want yours to
be one of them.”
One of Fragrance Du Bois’ elegant, glamorous flagship boutiques, designed to
resemble a nineteenth–century Parisian salon.
100 The Book of Oud The World’s Most Desirable What Fragrance is Oud? 101

Agarwood beads with different levels of Oud concentration,
crafted into desirable items of jewellery.
The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 103

So in October of 2014, strangelove
nyc launched deadofnight perfume and
followed it up with a deadofnight eau
de parfum, which became the number
one niche seller in the Salon De Parfum
at Harrods. Strangelove nyc now sells a
number of perfumes that use exclusively
100 per cent pure Oud.
Fragrance Du Bois likewise only uses
100 per cent pure, organic Oud in their
signature products. A visit to a Fragrance
Du Bois store is an event like none
other. The company offers the ultimate
luxury experience, including personal
consultations in opulent settings. There
are only ever 100 to 1,000 bottles of
Fragrance Du Bois in circulation at any
given time, making it exquisitely exclusive.
And if that isn’t elite enough, Fragrance
Du Bois also specialises in customised
aromatic products, offering personalised
service by arrangement in their London,
Paris, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and
Geneva boutiques for clients who desire
bespoke fragrances made just for them.
What makes Fragrance Du Bois truly
unique is the company’s commitment to
using only sustainably-sourced Oud –
something few companies do. Why is this
important? Because the thing that makes
real Oud so exclusive – and so expensive
– is its rarity. And a dangerous, destructive
black market is making it even scarcer.
104 The Book of Oud
When east meets west. The House of Oud started as a
collaboration between an Italian Master Perfumer and an
Indonesian Oud producer. Each original fragrance comes in its
own distinct and unique bottle, hand-painted in Italy by a
master craftsman.

Barry Rawlinson
106 The Book of Oud The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 107

Who is Barry Rawlinson?
Barry Rawlinson is the CEO of the Asia Plantation Capital Group (APC). He has over thirty years
of expertise in senior management and has spent ten years in the agroforestry industry developing
and managing sustainable plantations that grow agarwood, distil it in factories and turn it into luxury
perfumes.
How would you characterise the scent of Oud or Agarwood?
“I think it makes you think of farms and animals … and oil. The first time I encountered Oud I was
immediately taken back to being on a farm, and to everything that’s associated with that.”
How do others react when they first smell Oud?
“I always watch people’s faces when they first smell it because it’s never what they expect.
I’ll give the scent to a layman and say, ‘Smell this.’ Their facial reactions are always striking; it
always catches them off guard.”
“I think it makes you think
of farms and animals …
and oil. The first time I
encountered Oud I was
immediately taken back
to being on a farm, and to
everything that’s associated
with that.”
108 The Book of Oud The World’s Most Desirable Fragrance 109

CHAPTER 5
Danger, Desire, and Destruction:
The World of the Agarwood Trade
110 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 111

Aquilaria trees once flourished
throughout the lands to which they are
native. Oud was rare even then, occurring
only in a slim percentage of those trees,
but the Aquilaria genus itself was plentiful,
with a record from the seventeenth century
describing ‘dense groves’ of trees. 56
Today, however, the tree that produces
Oud is on the verge of extinction. Listed
as endangered by both the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the
International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), the Aquilaria tree is in
danger of disappearing entirely – and with
it, the intoxicating, irreplaceable Oud.
A close up of the distinctive bark of the Aquilaria tree.
112 The Book of of Oud
Danger, Desire, and Destruction 113

The Waldseemüller map, originally published in
1507. The Silk Road, although operational two
hundred years BC, would soon reach its heyday with
the advent of the East India Company which received
its charter in 1600. Agarwood products and Oud,
even then, were cherished and highly-valued
commodities in an increasingly lucrative market.
Note: German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller
created the first map of the world that mentions
‘America’ – a name given in honour of the Italian
explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
How could this most cherished of
species have become so endangered? The
cause, as with so many things, is supply
and demand. But agarwood has always
been in demand; what has changed so
dramatically in recent years that the tree
has almost been wiped from the face of the
Earth? To answer this question, we must
dive into a huge, unruly, lucrative, and
dangerous industry: the agarwood trade.
Agarwood has been traded for as long
as Oud has been treasured – and that, as
we know, is quite a long time. Records of
international trade in agarwood stretch
back to the first century AD, when India
was the primary source for imported
agarwood. By the third century, agarwood
was regularly imported into China from
the Malay Peninsula and elsewhere, and
traded throughout China, Vietnam,
Ceylon, and the Middle East. By the ninth
century, the Malay Peninsula was a major
exporter of agarwood to the Middle East.
The agarwood trade continued to grow,
with Oud reported by the Spanish in the
1530s as a primary commodity trafficked
by merchants.
Apart from the fluctuations that occur
in any market, trade in Oud continued
unabated through the centuries. Demand
for Oud and agarwood products grew
consistently after 1880, when more
substantial reporting was implemented,
by about 4 per cent per year 57 … until the
twentieth century, when demand suddenly
began to skyrocket.
In the past thirty years, demand for
Oud has increased not just steadily, but
114 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 115

exponentially. Since 1999, demand has
grown by a full 15 per cent, 58 driven by
population growth and rising affluence in
the key markets for Oud, including China,
Japan, Taiwan, and the Middle East. In
the United Arab Emirates, imports of
agarwood and Oud increased by 300 per
cent from 2004 to 2007. 59 And between
2004 and 2012, global trade in Oud oil
specifically has increased by an astonishing
1,515 per cent. 60
The Oud industry as a whole is
estimated to be worth between $11
billion and $17 billion a year, with Oud
and agarwood products mostly supplied
by Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and
Thailand. The value of agarwood exported
just from Singapore – a major hub for
importing and re-exporting – is estimated
to exceed $1.2 billion a year. Most of the
agarwood exported from these countries
goes to two main markets: the Middle East
and the Far East, including China, Japan,
and Taiwan. 61
The Inscrutability of Oud
The complexity of the agarwood trade
makes it difficult to get accurate reports
– especially because so many transactions
are not officially reported at all. China is
currently the largest and fastest growing
single market for agarwood, importing
more than 460 tonnes of the product
every year – and that’s just what is officially
recorded. The real figures are much, much
higher. By a conservative estimate, there
are about 5,000 shops selling agarwood
products in China, with more than 400 in
Beijing alone. 62
Agarwood chips burning.
Pure Oud oil.
116 The Book of Oud

To make things even more difficult to
measure accurately, there is no industrywide
standard for assessing the quality
of Oud or agarwood products. There
are certain factors that are always taken
into account: the resin saturation of the
wood, the discolouration of the wood (the
darker the better), fragrance intensity and
duration, the quality of the aroma itself.
Then there is country of origin, which in
the agarwood trade is like a brand name.
Agarwood from certain regions is valued
much more highly than others. Oud
from Cambodia, Vietnam, and India is
generally considered the most desirable,
but even this is subject to variation. The
king of agarwood, the highly coveted
kynam, found in Vietnam, is considered
the crown jewel across the industry.
The traditional way to assess Oud is
with the five senses – which, naturally,
are always subjective. Experienced graders
examine the Oud or agarwood piece,
looking at the factors mentioned above.
Often, they will burn a small piece of
agarwood to determine the grade. Another
common test is to put agarwood in water:
if the resin content in a piece of agarwood
is high, it will sink to the bottom with
the weight of its treasured Oud. In fact,
both the Japanese and Chinese words for
agarwood mean exactly that: ‘incense that
sinks in water’ or ‘sinking fragrance’.
Once the quality is assessed, the Oud
is assigned a grade – but not even that
is standardised across the industry.
Agarwood grading will often use a letter
system (A to D), a descriptive term (like
super or deluxe), and a number (1 to 5)
– but the combination varies in every
Pure Oud oil – the real thing. Below: agarwood chips burnt on charcoal for their lustrous, ethereal aroma.
118 The Book of Oud A delightfully ornate flacon with an inner cargo of pure Oud.
What is Oud? 119

The Holy Quran. There are several mentions of Oud in the text, with quotations from the Prophet
Mohammed, and an invocation to use Oud for its curative properties.
Mecca during the annual Hajj, where Oud plays a role in the path towards spiritual enlightenment.
What is Oud? 121

egion. In different countries, high-quality
Oud could be graded as Super Deluxe,
Super Double, Supreme, A1, A+, AAA,
and so on.
All of this makes it incredibly difficult
to create a standard grading system for
agarwood. However, new technology
allows us to identify the chemical
composition of Oud, and to identify the
major compounds that determine quality
– and therefore to objectively grade it.
This technique is not widely used, but if
it were adopted it would be possible to
standardise the agarwood industry and
regulate the agarwood trade.
In the meantime, agarwood continues
to be a prized commodity regardless of
what combination of letters and numbers
the highest quality specimens are assigned,
or what factors influence that process.
Oud aficionados know quality when they
see (or smell) it.
Agarwood in Danger
The rare and serendipitous nature of Oud
means that although demand is increasing,
there is still a limited supply. Oud is so rare
that demand has always exceeded what
the natural world can supply, but in the
twentieth century, that imbalance became
unsustainable, pushing Aquilaria trees to
the brink of extinction.
Across the regions in which agarwood
once thrived, the trees have become
shockingly scarce. India, once the biggest
exporter of agarwood in the world, now
doesn’t even rank in the top five, so severely
diminished are its supplies. The species
Deforestation in Sri Lanka.
122 The Book of Oud Deforestation in Sri Lanka. Satellite imagery shows
distinct signs of denudation in the north-eastern part
Danger, Desire, and Destruction 123
of the country.

has been almost entirely wiped out in Sri
Lanka. By the early 1990s, it had been
harvested to near extinction throughout
Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, seven of the
eighteen agarwood-producing tree species
found in the region are at risk of global
extinction.
The name Hong Kong means ‘fragrant
harbour’ in Cantonese – the city was
named for the agarwood scent that once
filled its port. Today that fragrance is
nearly gone: hardly any Aquilaria trees
remain, and Oud oil hasn’t been produced
in Hong Kong for a century. The highest
quality Oud used to come from trees
that were over a hundred years old;
now, nearly all those trees have been cut
down. Ho Pui-Han, a conservationist and
executive director of the Association for
the Ecological and Cultural Conservation
of Aquilaria sinensis, describes the
decimation in Hong Kong: “I took a walk
through a once-lush countryside forest
and only one tree was standing. I cannot
explain to you how serious the damage
is.” 63
The danger to the Aquilaria tree
eventually came to the attention of CITES
– the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora. This name refers both to the
multilateral treaty that is the convention
itself and to the secretariat that monitors
compliance with it. The purpose of CITES
is to ensure that international trade in wild
plants and animals does not threaten the
survival of those species in the wild.
124 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 125
The old and the new. A classic ‘junk’ juxtaposed with modernity in Hong Kong harbour.

Jackie Chan. Martial artist, actor, director, producer,
icon. In Chinese society today, the collection of Oud is
a signifier of wealth and good taste, and Jackie Chan
is reputed to be a prominent Oud aficionado
and collector.

CITES protects approximately 5,000
species of animals and 29,000 species of
plants, each of which is included on one
of three lists called appendices. The degree
of danger to a species determines the
appendix under which it is ranked.
In order to combat the over-logging
of Aquilaria trees, CITES began adding
certain species of Aquilaria to its
endangered list in 2000. By 2004, all
Aquilaria species had been included in
CITES’ Appendix II category, which
tightly restricts trade, although it does not
ban it entirely. These restrictions make it
illegal to harvest or trade agarwood without
a valid permit, and places strict quotas on
the amount of agarwood exported per
country. A CITES certificate is needed
both to export and to import agarwood
products, and all agarwood products that
are shipped internationally are tracked to
ensure that they are legally sourced.
Specifically, when an export is listed
in Appendix II, CITES requires that
it be “not detrimental to the survival
of that species in the wild”. In order
to determine whether the export is
detrimental, CITES authorities in each
country must investigate in order to
ensure that the species is maintained
“throughout its range at a level consistent
with its role in the ecosystems in which it
occurs, and well above the level at which
the species might become eligible for
inclusion in Appendix I.” 64
Obviously, determining which
Appendix a species belongs under is
a complicated procedure, and since
agarwood has been added to the CITES
A sustainable agarwood plantation in north-eastern Thailand.
128 The Book of Oud
Danger, Desire, and Destruction 129

list, the affected countries have held
numerous CITES workshops to figure
out how exactly this regulation should be
implemented. The status of agarwood in
each country must be assessed, in addition
to other considerations: supply chain
management, the role of the species in
the local ecosystem, harvest management,
national and global distribution,
population, conservation status – the list
goes on and on. John Scanlon, Secretary-
General of CITES, remarked to me that
shifts in type and methods of agarwood
production directly affect the market.
“For the last ten years,” he says,
“Southeast Asia range States have invested
serious resources (human and financial) in
agarwood plantations. Those plantations
today meet the demand for lower quality
agarwood and, while some have a better
export quality, they don’t match the high
quality of the wild agarwood. Some
exporter countries claim their plantations
have the same good quality as the wild
agarwood but such claims are contested.
At the end the plantation products tend to
reach different markets to those where the
wild agarwood market dominates.”
Moreover, the types of agarwood
products available, and the forms in which
it is traded, are so numerous that great
consideration had to be given to what,
exactly, was to be controlled by CITES.
Ultimately, the list of agarwood products
overseen by CITES was expanded to
include agarwood logs, chips, branches
and roots, as well as agarwood carvings
(including beads, bracelets and necklaces),
and of course, Oud oil – both pure oil and
130 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 131

any mixed oil containing more than 15
per cent Oud.
These restrictions are a great step forward
in protecting the vulnerable Aquilaria tree,
and securing the future of Oud. But while
they have restricted supply, they have not
restricted demand – and as a result, the
price of Oud has skyrocketed, increasing
by as much as 500 per cent over the last
twenty to thirty years.
The average price of high-quality
agarwood chips shot up from $790 per
kilogram in 1996 to $37,536 per kilogram
in 2010. 65 In China, the price of Oud oil
has increased 109 per cent since 2005. 66
At its purest, a kilogram of Oud can go
for as much as $250,000. Sculptures and
bracelets made of high-quality agarwood
have been valued at up to $1 million. The
most prized variety of Oud, kynam, can
go for as much as $9 million per kilo.
These awe-inspiring prices have done
nothing to diminish demand for Oud.
In fact, this value inflation has only made
Oud and agarwood products that much
more desirable to those who can afford
them. Despite prices for agarwood in
China rising 20 per cent each year since
2000, for example, wealthy Chinese still
purchase agarwood chips to burn for
incense. They have also begun collecting
agarwood pieces as decorative objects –
elegant carved sculptures, or even just
agarwood in beautiful natural forms. In
2014, a Chinese auction raised $9.73
million from the sale of just twelve such
pieces. 67
132 The Book of Oud
Asia Plantation Capital staff cataloguing and monitoring the growth of agarwood saplings
Danger, Desire, and Destruction 133

Ersatz Agarwood
The extraordinarily high demand for Oud
has given rise to unscrupulous behaviour in
the agarwood trade. First among these is the
robust practice of forging agarwood. Fake
Oud and agarwood products are abundant
in the marketplace. Many places that sell
‘agarwood’ sculptures for religious or
artistic purposes do not use real agarwood.
Instead, other tropical hardwoods are
treated to look like agarwood, usually
by injecting tree trunks with oil or tar to
blacken them, and sometimes infusing
the wood with agarwood perfume. Most
‘agarwood’ beads and rosaries are fake as
well – although some are made of other
dark woods soaked in Oud. 68
The methods by which unscrupulous
sellers disguise false products as true
agarwood are myriad. Agarwood powder
is mixed with the powder of uninfected
wood. Agarwood chips are mixed with
chips from other trees. Low-quality
agarwood is painted with a layer of higher
quality shavings mixed with wax and other
materials. Agarwood is steamed in order to
darken the colour to a more desirable hue
that indicates a higher quality product.
One of the most common fake agarwood
products is known as Black Magic Wood,
which consists of low-quality agarwood
– or sometimes another wood altogether
– impregnated with a mix of liquid
agarwood oil and alcohol.
Since one of the prime indicators of
high-quality agarwood is whether it sinks
in water, substances such as wax, glue, iron
shavings, and even carbon powder from
used batteries are added to low-quality
134 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 135
Plantation workers in Thailand grading and fashioning wood chips for distillation.

agarwood to make it heavier. Agarwood
can also be steamed or wrapped in plastic
to draw the latent oil to the surface, and
then weighted with a heavy object inserted
into it to make it sink.
There are several common cheating
techniques for Oud oil as well. Oud
oil from popular regions is mixed with
Oud of less desirable provenance and
sold under the ‘brand name’ of the more
appealing oil. High-quality Oud oil is also
mixed with low quality and sold as top
tier. Low-grade Oud oil is spiked with
other essential oils such as vetiver or fennel
oil, or stretched out with such substances
as almond oil, glycerin, or even kerosene.
Non-Oud oils are infused with agarwood
powder to give them the aroma of Oud,
and powder is added to low-grade Oud
oil to make it more viscous, lending it the
appearance of higher quality. Black Magic
Oil is also distilled from mostly uninfected
agarwood and then used to extend real
Oud, or as a base to make fake Oud.
The Black Market
Fooling unwary buyers into purchasing
fake Oud is bad enough. But far worse
than forgery is true agarwood that has been
illegally harvested and illegally sold. Since
even before Aquilaria became a protected
species, the black market for Oud has
always been a massive and hazardous part
of the agarwood trade. Even today, blackmarket
trade in agarwood exceeds legal
trade. Enough illegal trade in Agarwood
exists that the site, illegalagarwood.com,
has sprung up to track instances of seized
High-grade, high-quality agarwood chips.
136 The Book of Oud

illegal agarwood and raids on poaching
rings. As of 2013, an estimated 80 per cent
of the agarwood market is illegal. 69
But it isn’t just that these traders are
breaking the law. This criminal activity is
in fact directly responsible for the rapid
disappearance of the Aquilaria tree. The
indigenous methods of harvesting wild
agarwood, which have been used since the
dawn of human civilisation, are carefully
designed to keep the tree from which the
agarwood is extracted alive for as long as
possible. Only bits of the tree are chipped
away at a time, leaving it intact for the
next harvest. Eventually the tree dies, but
not before the maximum possible amount
of Oud has been extracted from it.
Poachers do not use these methods.
Instead, they come in, axes blazing, and
take down the entire tree. But this isn’t
the worst of it. Poachers are not patient
people; they don’t have the training or
skill to determine which trees are actually
infected – that is, which ones contain
the Oud resin. So, instead of seeking out
and targeting the roughly seven out of
every hundred trees that contain Oud,
the poachers simply cut down everything
in their path, leaving a trail of horrific
devastation in their wake. In other words,
ninety-three of every hundred trees felled
by poachers are killed for no reason and
discarded – collateral damage in the illegal
Oud trade.
Poachers are both brazen and stealthy
in their destructive hunt for agarwood.
They will pose as hikers, trekking into
the depths of protected forest preserves,
Severe deforestation in Vietnam as a consequence of illegal logging.
138 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 139

Sultan Pasha
140 The Book of Oud
Danger, Desire, and Destruction 141

Who is Sultan Pasha?
Without the benefit of any formal training in perfumery, Sultan Pasha has created some of the most
admired scents in the world.
“I have never attended perfumery school, but from a very young age, I have been a fan of mixing oils
and perfumes.
One of my earliest memories is from when I was three years old, and I was standing in front of my
grandfather’s cabinet. Inside the cabinet there were all these oils that he had brought back from
Mecca. I remember opening the bottles and I was just fascinated by the contents. Even to this day, I
can recall the bittersweet smell of the Oud that he loved to wear; although at the time I did not know
the significance of it all.”
“Indian Hindi Oud is peppery and aromatic, with a core that’s reminiscent of musky sweet tobacco
with plum. The Oud found in Thailand is fruity, with an almost bubble gum aspect. Oud from
Malaysia is a bit sweeter and muskier. There are beautiful Ouds from all over Indonesia that are so
green, it is as though you are smelling an emerald.
Each Oud is significantly unique, not only to the species but they are incredibly subjective to
variations of other external and internal factors. As a perfumer, I view Oud as a jewel, and just like
in a crown that is adorned by diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, for example, Oud is a
wonderful gem in a fragrance.
To me, the Ouds from different regions have their own unique olfactive colours and textures like
these jewels, and as a perfumer I take into consideration each of their unique facets and hidden
inclusions.”
“Each Oud is significantly unique,
not only to the species but they are
incredibly subjective to variations
of other external and internal
factors. As a perfumer, I view Oud
as a jewel, and just like in a crown
that is adorned by diamonds,
rubies, emeralds and sapphires, for
example, Oud is a wonderful gem
in a fragrance.”
142 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 143

slashing trees indiscriminately to try to
instigate infection, then returning months
later in the middle of the night to chop
them down, regardless of whether an
infection has formed.
The poachers are well organised,
working in squadrons to fell trees quickly,
and sometimes camping out in the forest
for weeks in order to collect whatever
Oud they might find in their decimated
trees. They leave trails for their cohorts;
subtle signs at the edges of the woods –
perhaps an arrow chalked on a stone the
size of your palm – and then more blatant
markers in the heart of the forest, such
as hanging toilet paper or even coloured
ribbons in the trees that blaze a trail to the
poaching site. 70
Poaching is rampant throughout the
regions in which wild agarwood still
grows. In Malaysia, there have been
almost 800 recorded forestry offences
over the past five years, with authorities
holding approximately 500 people on
various offences and charging almost
200 of them. 71 Along the 640-kilometre
border between Peninsular Malaysia
and Thailand, an anti-smuggling unit
apprehended at least twelve agarwood
poachers and seized more than four tonnes
of agarwood between 2011 and 2015. 72
Between 2005 and 2014, thirteen metric
tonnes of illegal agarwood were seized
in Indonesia, mostly bound for Saudi
Arabia. 73
From 2012 to 2015, an estimated 1,000
Aquilaria trees were cut down in Hong
Kong – almost 500 of those just in the first
half of 2015. 74 The reported cases of illegal
Soldiers in Thailand patrolling areas known to be popular with illegal loggers and their syndicates.
Hong Kong is working hard to reintroduce the Aquilaria species to its natural habitat.
Hong Kong, or ‘Fragrant Harbour’, derived its name from the trade in agarwood.
144 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 145

felling of Aquilaria trees jumped from 72 in
2009 to 134 in 2014. 75 In 2013 alone, the
Hong Kong government recorded 96 cases
of theft, reported the damage of 168 trees,
and seized 133 kilograms of agarwood –
but that is just what was reported. The real
number of trees felled was probably five
times that. 76 Poachers are cutting down
up to twenty trees per night, leaving most
of them – the uninfected ones – dead and
rotting on the forest floor. The destruction
is wholesale and indiscriminate; even
trees that are too young to have produced
agarwood fall beneath their axes. Today
it is nearly impossible to find a tree even
thirty years old in Hong Kong. 77
Authorities are fighting an uphill battle
to stop poaching – and a dangerous
one. According to Datuk Sam Mannan,
Director of the Sabah Forestry Department
in Malaysia, poachers are becoming bolder
and more aggressive, even attacking
officers. 78
In January of 2016, five Chinese
mainlanders were arrested in Hong
Kong for stealing forty logs of agarwood,
estimated to be worth HK$1.5 million.
Caught in the act of using saws to cut up
agarwood in the forest, the poachers tried
to flee, but the police chased them down.
With this arrest, police believed they
had finally cracked a gang of agarwood
poachers, and they eventually apprehended
the man they believed was the core figure
of the syndicate behind the gang. 79
In August of 2016, the Elite Special Force
of the Forestry Department in Malaysia
encountered an aggressive gang of six
poachers camped out inside the forestry
146 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 147
Illegal logging has depleted natural agarwood resources to the point at which every
species of the Aquilaria tree has been placed on the CITES list of endangered species.

Military personnel involved in measuring and tagging wild agarwood trees.
reserve with both their contraband and a
cache of weapons, including shotguns and
axes. Officers were unable to confront the
dangerous bandits without backup, and
by the time support arrived, the poachers
had vanished. But it wouldn’t be long
before they returned to their destructive
plundering. The Special Force, aided by a
K-9 Dog Unit trained to detect agarwood,
managed to apprehend one of the gang,
discovering that they worked for someone
they just called ‘Moskin’.
The aggressiveness of this gang was
typical of the new boldness among
agarwood poachers. They come armed,
and are no longer afraid of confronting
officials. In one incident, an officer in
Malaysia was attacked by a poacher
wielding a machete. In another, twenty
men armed with knives, samurai swords,
and other weapons broke into a Malaysian
Forestry Department complex, damaging
property and seriously injuring an officer.
After that, officers were approved to carry
firearms. 80
As the supply of Aquilaria trees dwindles,
poachers are moving on from simply
infiltrating protected forest reserves; now
they are breaking into public and private
property in towns and villages as well. In
2015, poachers trying to make off with a
tree in Hong Kong ended up knocking
it over into a house. They fled – but not
before cutting off some of the branches
and absconding with them. Villagers were
distraught, and not just at the wanton
destruction: this tree (worth an estimated
HK$800,000) had been one of four
Aquilaria trees planted in the village by
148 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 149
Mr Chan Koon Wing inspecting one of the few wild agarwood trees still remaining in Hong Kong.

the inhabitants’ ancestors a hundred years
ago. They had discussed fencing off the
tree to protect it but failed to act quickly
enough. 81
Poachers have begun ransacking the
gardens of people in Hong Kong, laying
waste to people’s backyards in their quest
for Oud. One Londoner who has lived in
Hong Kong for twenty years woke up at
2:30 am to find a team of six men cutting
down the Aquilaria tree that grew in her
yard. She called the police and then sat
back to watch them through the window;
she could see the leader standing outside,
brazenly shining a light right at her as she
looked on. By the time the police arrived
the robbers had fled. This, police said, was
far from the first incident of its kind. 82
Robbers are also breaking into local
shops that sell agarwood. In 2014, a gang
of burglars smashed a hole through the
wall of a shop in Hong Kong and made
off with $3 million worth of agarwood
products. 83 Thieves are even breaking
into private homes and making off
with precious goods. A hundred-yearold
decorative piece of agarwood worth
$542,000 was stolen from a home in
Hong Kong in 2014. 84
The poachers aren’t acting alone.
Complex and well-organised syndicates
rivalling anything seen in gangster movies
have been formed to coordinate the whole
process, from planning to transportation
to equipment to smuggling and selling
the contraband wood in high-demand
markets. In Hong Kong, these syndicates
often operate out of Mainland China;
in Malaysia, the gangs tend to hail from
Infected agarwood logs, Thailand. Note the
difference in colour between the infected
150 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 151
heartwood and other parts of the tree.

Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and other
countries. 85 However, despite the foreign
provenance of the syndicates, their ability
to navigate the areas in which they work
indicates that they have help from locals
looking to make a quick buck.
Once the agarwood is removed from
the trees, the syndicates must get it out of
the country from which it was poached
and into the markets where they can sell
it. Smugglers are sometimes apprehended
at the airports, or on roads near border
crossings, attempting to sneak their illegal
wares out of the country.
But not all illegal agarwood is being
smuggled out of the countries in which it
is harvested. There is in many countries a
robust trade in illegal domestic agarwood
– such as in the Klang Valley in Malaysia,
where Oud and agarwood products are a
hot commodity with tourists, regardless of
whether they have been ethically obtained.
Selling mostly to Middle Eastern tourists,
the shops that deal in contraband
agarwood are often run by foreigners who
have legitimate business licences, but no
trading permits or harvesting licences for
agarwood.
While international trade in agarwood
is closely monitored, this domestic trade
tends to fly under the radar. Moreover,
local governments tend to be lenient
with this localised illegal trade because it
can actually help economic growth in the
region. 86 Sometimes the very authorities
charged with stopping this criminal
activity are themselves overcome by
greed. In Mumbai, an airport worker was
caught helping three smugglers sneak 135
kilograms out of the country to be sold in
Agarwood chips for sale in Dubai.
Agarwood chip burners are on display in gift shops throughout the Middle East – a
sign of how important Oud is to the culture and fabric of society in the region.
152 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 153

Various grades of agarwood are available at markets across the Middle East, but buyers are encouraged to beware – some are real, while
others are fakes and pale imitations of the genuine article.
Bangkok. 87 In Vietnam, a district police chief was sentenced to
nine years in prison for selling tens of thousands of dollars’ worth
of agarwood that the department had seized from poachers. He
wasn’t alone, either – his accomplices included a district traffic
police chief, a district environmental police chief, another senior
officer, and a local resident. 88
In one of the most high-profile cases so far, agarwood has
taken a central role in the trial of Ho Chio Meng, former
Public Prosecutor General in China. Among many counts of
corruption, fraud, money laundering, and other offences, Ho
was also charged with possession of several pieces of agarwood –
and not just any pieces. The agarwood Ho used to decorate his
home and office came from a seizure of over 1,800 kilograms
of agarwood by the Macau Customs Service. This contraband
had been entrusted to Ho’s care – but his desire for the valuable
wood drove him to take it for his own personal use. 89
When poachers and smugglers are caught, their sentences
are harsh. In Hong Kong, poachers caught cutting down
Aquilaria trees can face fines of up to $100,000 and ten years
in jail, and if they have broken into private property to do so,
the sentence can be up to fourteen years. 90 Shipping agarwood
without a proper CITES permit can result in a fine of $500,000
plus a year of jail time. 91 In Malaysia, an Indonesian national
who stole agarwood from a forest preserve was sentenced to
five years in jail for illegally felling an Aquilaria tree, taking
wood from a forest reserve, and possessing agarwood without
valid documentation. 92
Unfortunately, however, many cases are not prosecuted, and it
can be easy for smugglers to sneak through customs if the amounts
they are carrying are below the maximum export weight. The US
Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab has developed a high-tech device
to identify contraband wood, but it is not yet a widely used tool.
Despite the threat of fines and jail time, the poaching and
illegal trading continues unabated. The black market Oud trade
is so lucrative that for poachers, smugglers, and syndicates, the
reward outweighs the risk. And so the Aquilaria population, the
world’s supply of Oud, continues to be decimated. What can be
done? How can we save this ancient, essential substance?
154 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 155
Former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, visiting an incense and agarwood store at a
market in Islamabad, Pakistan.

François Merle-Baudoin
156 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 157

Who is François Merle-Baudoin?
Perfumer born in Grasse, France and renowned for his over 25 years as a professional
Nose of the highest grade.
“The most difficult aspect of working with Oud oil is undoubtedly the strength and power of the
ingredient. You really have to be so careful in how you use it – not simply in terms of finding the
right proportions, but also in making sure that it brings the best out of all the other ingredients and
doesn’t completely overpower the entire creation. It’s a challenge, but it’s one that all
Master Perfumers relish.”
“The most difficult aspect of working
with Oud oil is undoubtedly the
strength and power of the ingredient.
You really have to be so careful in
how you use it – not simply in terms
of finding the right proportions, but
also in making sure that it brings the
best out of all the other ingredients
and doesn’t completely overpower the
entire creation. It’s a challenge, but it’s
one that all Master Perfumers relish.”
158 The Book of Oud Danger, Desire, and Destruction 159

CHAPTER 6
Saving the World,
One Tree at a Time
160 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 161

Thankfully, numerous organisations
and individuals are deeply concerned
about the disappearance of the Aquilaria
tree and its precious resin. Around the
world, the best scientific minds are
working on a plan to rescue this singular
species from extinction and bring the
world a sustainable supply of Oud – and
in the process, aid local communities
and save the environment as well.
The key is sustainable planting.
Agarwood plantations are not especially
new; throughout the countries that grow
the Aquilaria tree, farmers have been
purposefully cultivating agarwood for
many years. But an Aquilaria tree does not
necessarily bring forth Oud, and therein
lies the challenge: how to not only grow
Aquilaria trees, but get them to produce
that rare substance in a reliable, repeatable,
and sustainable way?
Care and nurturing. The growth of a young agarwood tree being monitored on one of Asia Plantation Capital’s sustainable plantations.
162 The Book of Oud Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 163

Given the value of this commodity,
many have tried over the centuries to
crack the mystery of how to produce Oud
artificially – but few have succeeded. There
are crude methods that date back hundreds
of years, such as hammering nails into the
trees and depositing resin into the injured
area, waiting two to four years, and then
removing the nails. But this technique is
not always successful, and can damage
or even kill the trees without actually
producing any Oud. Moreover, when it
does work, the Oud produced tends to
be of very low quality. Other primitive
methods – such as injuring the tree with
blades, screws, or chisels, or removing the
bark with hatchets – yield similar results.
Modern scientists have been
investigating agarwood inoculation since
the 1980s, but only in the past ten to
fifteen years has any progress been made on
developing more sophisticated methods
for inducing the infection that produces
Oud. These generally involve drilling a
hole in the tree, putting a small piece of
pipe into the hole, and then injecting the
tree with an inoculant – either chemical
or fungal – which stimulates a defence
mechanism in the tree that sparks the
alchemy that eventually produces Oud.
These methods have proven to be much
more effective, but often the resulting
Oud simply does not compare to the Oud
found in wild trees, made by the whims
of Mother Nature. Renowned scientists
have spent millions of dollars and toiled
for thousands of hours trying to discover
how to manufacture this elusive substance.
164 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 165
An agarwood nursery with saplings almost ready for planting.

The question, then, is how to create a
sustainable source of Oud that reliably
matches the quality of Oud found in
the wild – and a company called Asia
Plantation Capital [APC] appears to have
solved this problem. Originally based in
Singapore and now headed by an office
in Geneva, APC has been cultivating
agarwood since 2009, and has become the
leading repository of scientific knowledge
and techniques for producing Oud from
the ground up. With plantations and
production facilities in China, Thailand,
Malaysia, India, and Dubai, APC works
with an in-house scientific advisory board
to develop the most sophisticated methods
for making high-quality Oud.
Human greed has almost destroyed
Oud, but human ingenuity is bringing
it back. APC has put over a decade of
innovative research and development
into Oud production, and it has been
astoundingly successful. The organisation
believes in sustainability at every link in
the chain. At APC’s plantations, tissue
cultures are grown from samples of
wild Aquilaria trees, and then planted
and nurtured in a nursery. After twelve
months, the young plants are transferred
to an outdoor environment. At five years
of age, the trees are injected with APC’s
highly secret inoculation compound.
APC’s revolutionary method, which is
constantly being improved and refined by
their team of scientists, produces a deep
infection throughout the entire tree over
an extended period of time. Ordinarily,
the resinous infection will only fill up 15
to 30 per cent of an inoculated tree; but
with APC’s formula, every branch and
A member of the Asia Plantation Capital staff delivering the care and attention required
to enable agarwood saplings to achieve their full potential.
166 The Book of Oud
A state-of-the-art distillery in Johor, Malaysia.
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 167

oot develops the infection, dramatically
increasing the amount of Oud and
agarwood that can be harvested from
each tree.
In nature, it takes infected trees twenty
years or more to produce Oud, but with
this inoculation technique, Oud is formed
in as little as seven years. Moreover, the
method is 100 per cent successful – every
tree inoculated produces Oud, and when
the Oud is harvested, APC endeavours to
use every part of the tree for its portfolio
of products, ensuring that the process is
efficient and sustainable, and that nothing
goes to waste.
The company considers it part of
its mission to fight illegal logging,
deforestation, and poverty in the rainforest
regions. Could the sustainable cultivation
of Oud really do all that? Could agarwood
plantations save the Aquilaria tree in
the wild and ameliorate poverty in the
communities in which these plantations
are being established?
Obviously, the most obvious impact
of this cultivation is on the global
population of Aquilaria trees. Thanks to
APC’s efforts, and seed stock imported
from Vietnam and APC’s plantations in
Thailand, Aquilaria trees are rebounding
in Sri Lanka, with over a million saplings
planted as of July 2017. And in Hong
Kong, the ‘fragrant harbour’ is actually
becoming fragrant once again, thanks to
Mr Chan Koon Wing, a third-generation
agarwood farmer who owns the last
remaining agarwood plantation in Hong
Kong. With APC’s assistance, Mr Chan’s
plantation is flourishing, and he is now
Young agarwood trees being cosseted and nurtured.
An agarwood sapling getting used to ‘life in the wild’.
168 The Book of Oud Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 169

producing his own Oud oil – the first Oud
produced in Hong Kong in a century.
But the purpose of agarwood plantations
is not just to increase the number of
Aquilaria trees in the world, nor to replace
wild agarwood with plantation agarwood.
The wild Aquilaria tree is, in fact, essential
to the survival of agarwood plantations,
which need the strength of wild genes.
Without the unique genetic material
from wild trees, the genetic stock of the
plantations would diminish, as would the
quality of the Oud they produce.
Naturally, the relationship is mutually
beneficial. Just as wild Aquilaria is essential
to the plantations, so are agarwood
plantations essential to the survival of
wild Aquilaria trees. After all, when trees
on a sustainable plantation are producing
Oud comparable to that which is found
in the wild, there is no need to harvest
the substance by destroying the few wild
Aquilaria forests that still exist.
The role of agarwood plantations in
ensuring the survival of Aquilaria as a
genus is undeniable, but the impact of
this industry is far more wide-ranging.
First of all, there are the pure economics:
the agarwood trade is extremely lucrative,
but most of that money circulates through
the black market rather than through
legitimate channels. If the power of the
Oud market could be harnessed through
the sustainable cultivation of agarwood,
the income that could be generated for
Oud-producing countries would be
astounding. Realising this, these countries
are now pushing to ease restrictions on the
trade of sustainably cultivated agarwood.
170 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 171
Young agarwood trees, Hong Kong.

But these economic impacts aren’t just
on the macro level. The plantations have
an actual real-life impact on the daily
lives of the citizens of these countries.
Agarwood cultivation is now an industry
that the community can become involved
in. Agarwood plantations have the
potential to significantly boost rural
economies, providing employment and
income, and raising the local standard of
living. Some agarwood plantations train
local workers at all levels, from labourers to
executives, providing opportunities these
communities would otherwise never have
– and paying well above the average local
wage. Across the regions where plantations
are being founded, thousands upon
thousands now make their livelihoods
from agarwood cultivation.
APC, in particular, goes above and
beyond simply providing employment,
working to improve the communities
surrounding their plantations by providing
workers and their families with free land on
which to grow their own food. They repair
roads, build medical facilities, and provide
clothing for the elderly and computers for
the young. The company works to improve
education for the children of the families
living on and around the plantations. In
that vein, APC is even making an effort
to educate local communities about the
wider ecological dangers we face, running
a ‘Green School’ programme in Malaysia
to educate students about global warming
and sustainable living.
Dr Kodi Kandasamy, a Senior Vice
President at the Malaysian Bioeconomy
Corporation, says, “In the past, these
172 The Book of Oud
Agarwood chips being processed.
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 173

communities were reliant on harvesting
from the wild. Now they can have plants
in their backyard, and the smallholders
can then get into this business. It helps the
rural economy.”
Moreover, it is an industry that can
last for generations. “We see the old folks
planting it for the next generation as an
insurance policy,” Dr Kandasamy says,
“because the longer you keep the trees on
the ground, the higher their value.”
The sad truth is that illegal logging
is the only source of income in many
rainforest regions. But the plantations
offer an alternative livelihood that is much
safer and more reliable than poaching.
With that alternative available, poachers
are incentivised to abandon their illegal
activities for fulfilling lives in the legal
agarwood business. A thriving legal
agarwood trade would, in fact, be the most
effective weapon against the agarwood
black market because both commercial
and private buyers increasingly prefer to
avoid illegally logged agarwood.
Agarwood cultivation and inoculation
are both tricky and expensive, however,
and it is therefore difficult for small
growers to simply pick up and do.
They just don’t have the training or the
resources. Thankfully, around the world,
companies such as APC are coming to
understand the wide-ranging benefits of
investing in sustainable Oud – as are local
and national governments. This has led
to programmes and initiatives aimed at
making local growers part of the effort to
save agarwood.
Children in Thailand benefitting from Asia Plantation Capital’s CSR initiatives and support for local communities.
174 The Book of Oud Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 175

Cultivated agarwood plantation, under the protection of Vanadurgi Agarwood.
The agarwood industry is being
supported by governments in India,
Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In Borneo, the Forest Department
of the Malaysian state of Sarawak
is initiating programmes to provide
alternative livelihoods through agarwood
cultivation. 93 In the past couple of years,
the Singapore Ministry of Defence has
worked with a plantation company to
plant six million Aquilaria trees and to
teach current and retired soldiers how
to farm agarwood – a project expected
to improve the livelihoods of military
families. 94 The Forest Research Institute
Malaysia [FRIM] has recently begun
teaching courses on agarwood cultivation,
management, and inoculation, and these
courses benefit hundreds of families. 95
Balung Plantation, a family-run farm
in the state of Sabah in northern Borneo,
produces excellent quality agarwood tea
from the species Aquilaria Malaccensis,
and is similarly at the forefront of
sustainable practice and community
engagement. A cocoa plantation until
1992 when it was taken over by former
Chief Minister of the State Datuk Harris
Salleh, Balung Plantation is 25% energy
self-sufficient, with a hydro dam powering
the processing centres and a system of
methane collection from cattle waste to
supplement its other energy sources. A
co-op with local families in Sabah has the
potential to not only protect independent
farmers from fluctuations in supply and
demand, but also to nearly double their
monthly income by $200 (from $311). 96
176 The Book of Oud
Vanadurgi Agarwood, India’s largest collective of agarwood growers, attending the inoculation procedure on one of their plantations.
Agarwood chips from one of Vanadurgi Agarwood’s more than 5,000 plantations across South India.
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 177

As part of their commitment to ecotourism,
the Balung Plantation also houses
the Balung River Eco Resort, billed as a
nature retreat which entices visitors with
its lush natural beauty, ‘jungle treks’,
and fishing spots. According to a 2015
article in The Borneo Post, “Those who
have been to the resort will develop an
affinity to it. Those new to the place are
sure to fall in love with the beauty of its
natural surroundings.” 97 By drawing
visitors to the area to appreciate their lush
surroundings, eco-resorts such as this one
promote sustainable tourism practices
which support the local economy and
preserve the integrity of the local wildlife.
APC itself has made its proprietary
systems available to smaller growers and
plantations – for example, Mr Chan in
Hong Kong. It works with such groups as
Vanadurgi Agarwood India, which is India’s
largest public-sector agarwood plantation
group. Vanadurgi is a community project
comprising over 5,000 grower plantations
across southern India, and it accounts
for almost all of the Aquilaria trees now
growing in that region.
To help these smaller operations, APC
offers an ‘outgrower’ programme to local
growers, which enables local plantations
that lack the necessary skills and expertise
to set up and manage their own Aquilaria
plantations. APC guides these growers
through cultivation and inoculation, and
all the way through the processing of
agarwood to generate income, boosting
the local economy.
The distinctive ‘façade’
178
of the
The
Aquilaria
Book of
tree.
Oud
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 179

Many smaller growers know how to
grow the trees but don’t have the money
or systems in place to properly inoculate
them, much less navigate the bureaucracy
they need to contend with in order to get
CITES certification and sell their product.
This is where an organisation such as APC
comes in. As Dr Kandasamy explains,
“A lot of the farmers were stranded,
wondering, ‘What do I do with these
trees, now that they are four or five years
old on the ground?” Asia Plantation came
to their rescue, providing their inoculation
service and doing a joint venture and buyback
service model for which they are
beginning to see returns … or at least the
light at the end of the tunnel, the possible
return for the investment.
“I think it’s a real community service,”
Dr Kandasamy continues. “Of course, it
is a business for Asia Plantation, but they
are also helping the community to actually
realise their investment.”
The benefits of sustainable agarwood
extend beyond the immediate
communities of the plantations, and even
beyond the ecological cause of saving the
Aquilaria tree. First of all, discouraging
poachers from hunting wild agarwood
could save not just the wild Aquilaria tree
but many animal species as well. While in
the woods, poachers hunt and kill wildlife
too – for the valuable bones, teeth, beaks,
and fur, or to feed themselves while they
camp out, or to protect themselves against
animals they think might do them harm,
such as tigers and elephants.
180 The Book of Oud Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 181

Moreover, deforestation is a major
contributor to global warming. The
United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization has estimated that the world’s
consumption of wood and forestry-related
products will rise by more than 50 per
cent by 2030, and even now the current
supply of timber and forestry products
from sustainable sources is insufficient
to meet demand. 98 More sustainable
plantations can only ease the impact of
this consumption on the environment.
However, despite all the investment
in sustainable agarwood cultivation,
only 35 per cent of global demand for
agarwood is being met. The truth is
that the demand for Oud is unlikely
ever to be met completely. Oud will
always be a rare and precious substance
that is coveted across the globe, and as
long as that demand exists, the black
market is likely to continue to thrive,
and the grave danger to the Aquilaria
tree will persist … unless we do
something about it.
Humanity has almost destroyed the
Aquilaria tree. It is now up to us to bring
these trees back, to make amends, and to
get the planet back on its feet.
But how would one go about doing
that and meeting the demand for Oud?
Is there any way to know for sure if the
Oud you are buying – whether it’s an
agarwood product or an Oud-based
perfume or pure Oud oil – is from a
sustainable source? Is it really possible
to get your hands on Oud and save the
environment at the same time?
182 The Book of of Oud
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 183

Dani Nasr
184 The Book of Oud Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 185

Who is Dani Nasr?
Dani Nasr is a researcher for Asia Plantation Capital (APC). On the market side, he’s the key source
for market trade data, pricing data, and demand/supply data.
Have you seen the prominence of Oud grow more in the last three to four years in terms of
desirability across global platforms?
“Throughout Asia and the Middle East there has been a huge increase in interest over the past three
years. It’s very difficult to quantify that interest, but if you go into boutiques in the Middle East, you
will notice as you walk through department stores that all the key American brands suddenly have
Oud fragrances. The Middle East is driving this growth. It’s a niche aroma; it’s unique.”
“Throughout Asia and the Middle
East there has been a huge increase
in interest over the past three
years. It’s very difficult to quantify
that interest, but if you go into
boutiques in the Middle East, you
will notice as you walk through
department stores that all the key
American brands suddenly have
Oud fragrances. The Middle East
is driving this growth. It’s a niche
aroma; it’s unique.”
186 The Book of Oud
Saving the World, One Tree at a Time 187

CHAPTER 7
From Soil, to Oil, to You

Yes, there are ways to enjoy Oud
without further contributing to the
devastating effects of the illegal agarwood
trade. You can, in fact, buy Oud while also
supporting the cultivation of sustainable
agarwood. You can bask in the enigmatic,
luxurious scent of Oud and save the
environment at the same time.
Just one of the innumerable awards conferred upon Asia Plantation Capital for its groundbreaking work in sustainable forestry and plantation management.
190 The Book of Oud From Soil, to Oil, to You 191

The truth is that many companies
are eager to make their products
environmentally friendly, because that is
what consumers want. We are moving out
of the age of bigger is better, of mindless
consumption. We are awakening to the
beauty of our natural world … and also to
the chilling fact that we have damaged it
almost beyond repair. And now companies
are catching on, working to make their
products green, working both to provide
for their customers and to preserve the
very habitability of the planet itself.
Unfortunately, in the world of Oud, this
environmental consciousness has led many
companies away from real Oud altogether.
I spoke to Dani Nasr, a researcher for Asia
Plantation Capital, who explained that
some companies are reluctant to purchase
genuine Oud because of the cost of
ensuring that it is ethically sourced. “A lot
of the major fragrance houses, especially
the mass-market brands, are still using
non-sustainable or chemically created
sources,” Nasr said. “They’re looking to
minimise the cost and increase the profit
margins. But most of the mass market
outside of the Middle East is not familiar
with the difference between natural and
unnatural. They don’t know the real smell
of Oud. If they smell the westernised
perfume in the department store, they
say, ‘Mmm, smells good’. But then if they
smell the pure one, they say, ‘Wow, this is
so much stronger and more vibrant, and
it lasts a lot longer’. I think if the market
actually begins to realise how it’s made and
what it is, they will appreciate the real one
a lot more.” 99 Pure Oud oil. An example of the ways in which Oud has impacted the global fragrance market, creating a plethora of expressions from a huge number of brands.
192 The Book of Oud From Soil, to Oil, to You 193

Fortunately, a few brilliant trailblazers
are lighting the way towards a new future
of sustainable, ethically-sourced Oud.
These companies are committed to
true, top-quality Oud and to ecological
responsibility. Ancient practices are being
rejuvenated with modern technology,
simultaneously ‘greening’ the perfume
industry and generating enough profit
to fill its coffers to bursting point. Each
company’s approach differs – varying
according to the company’s location, the
types of products it sells, and the individual
sensibilities of upper management – but
all are striving towards a single goal: to
produce the high-quality Oud that true
aficionados demand while ensuring the
existence of Oud for generations to come.
Two companies in particular exemplify
this new ‘ethical Oud’ trend: strangelove
nyc and Fragrance Du Bois.
“We don’t wear
[sustainability] on our sleeve.
We don’t announce it;
it’s just part of who we are.” 100
—Elizabeth Gaynes, Co-founder, strangelove nyc
strangelove nyc
Elizabeth Gaynes’ journey into sustainable
agarwood farming started the way most
great adventures begin: with a phone call
between friends. “I was working with a
friend of mine [whose] family is from
Borneo,” Elizabeth told me. “I’d just
moved to New York, and she called me
and said, ‘Look, do you want to work with
my family? We have sustainable agarwood
plantations, and we want to build global
awareness and develop new business and
new products’. And so I just jumped in.”
It turned out that this friend’s father was
an important government minister, and
he had grown tired of watching rubber
tree plantations and the palm oil industry
break down the natural ecosystem in the
pursuit of profit. Elizabeth soon learned
Mutual admiration. The strangelove nyc team at work. From left to right: Elizabeth Gaynes, Helena Christensen, Christophe Laudamiel.
194 The Book of Oud From Soil, to Oil, to You 195

Jordan River
196 The Book of Oud From Soil, to Oil, to You 197

Who is Jordan River?
Jordan, aka ‘The Fragrant Man’, is a writer for the international perfume blog and review
website, Fragrantica.
The smell of Oud. What is the spectrum?
“Oud is a journey through scent with all sorts of interesting ‘breezes’ making appearances over time,
like a treasure trove of nature referencing smells from the barnyard to spring blossoms.
“I like to think of ‘barnyard’ as the smell of Mother Nature regenerating.
“There are also other words used to describe this aspect of some Oud oils, especially the Hindi oils.
Cambodi Ouds (agarwood trees grown in the Cambodia/Thailand area) are less barnyardy, while
the Papuan Oud is more floral. In Borneo the scent profile changes to Oud with light fruity sweet
notes. A burnt rubber note is found in Oud from Irian Jaya. Laotian Oud is even more of a shapeshifter,
making this a fantastical perfume ingredient. The medicinal/band-aid/dentist’s chair note is
a fleeting feature of many true Oud oils. These are very broad descriptions; a universe of scent swirls
around in each Oud oil.”
“Oud is a journey through scent with all sorts of interesting
‘breezes’ making appearances over time, like a treasure trove
of nature referencing smells from the barnyard to spring
blossoms.
I like to think of ‘barnyard’ as the smell of Mother Nature
regenerating.
There are also other words used to describe this aspect of
some Oud oils, especially the Hindi oils. Cambodi Ouds
(agarwood trees grown in the Cambodia/Thailand area)
are less barnyardy, while the Papuan Oud is more floral. In
Borneo the scent profile changes to Oud with light fruity
sweet notes. A burnt rubber note is found in Oud from
Irian Jaya. Laotian Oud is even more of a shapeshifter,
making this a fantastical perfume ingredient. The
medicinal/band-aid/dentist’s chair note is a fleeting feature
of many true Oud oils. These are very broad descriptions; a
universe of scent swirls around in each Oud oil.”
198 The Book of Oud
From Soil, to Oil, to You 199

that through co-op agreements with
local farmers and the establishment of
sustainable plantations, the community
acquired wealth while protecting its
natural investments.
“It was just fascinating for me to go
there and be on the plantation and see
how all these things grew,” Elizabeth
says. “So we started thinking, this is the
perfect climate in which to grow essential
oils for the fragrance industry. A couple
of the top fragrance houses – Givaudan
and Firmenich – were really interested in
having us [run] a private plantation for
them and supply them with patchouli
and vetiver. And I talked to the chemists
and the perfumers; I went from the lab to
the CEOs’ offices, and then down to the
plantation … and I got right down on the
earth, planting with my hands.”
Elizabeth partnered with international
supermodel and personal friend Helena
Christensen (whose love for Oud is well
documented), and together they created
strangelove nyc to market the luxury
of Oud to a home-grown American
consumer base. To enter strangelove’s
website you must click a button that reads
‘surrender’, which is emblematic of the
sexy, smoky vibe the company presents –
like Oud itself.
In all aspects of Elizabeth’s business,
the watchword is sustainability, a mantra
inspired by the time she has spent with
her hands in the dirt of Borneo: “Right
there at their doorstep, you could see the
devastation that was happening, so that’s
why I say it’s just in the fibre of who we are
as a company.”
The olfactory palette from 200 which The Book Master of of Perfumers Oud
choose
From Soil, to Oil, to You 201
their ingredients to compose their ‘symphonies of smell’.

Fragrance Du Bois
Perfume industry expert Simon French has
this to say about the Fragrance Du Bois
company, “Luxury covers all four corners
of the room, from its posh, glossy all-black
interior and gold accents to the crystal
chandeliers and lush velvet upholstery.
It looks, feels, and smells incredibly
luxurious.” 101
When writer Candice Chua sat down
at Fragrance Du Bois for the bespoke
fragrance experience that is the brand’s
hallmark, her impression was of a
company adept at the sensual cocooning
of the customer and at creating a scent as
unique as the wearer.
Chua chooses adjectives for the new,
Oud-wearing person she would like to be
(‘relaxed’, ‘optimistic’, and ‘sophisticated’),
in response to which an attendant uses a
special iPad app to concoct an intricate
web of scents that might create this
impression. Fragrance Du Bois likens their
consultants to artists, in consideration
of the creative combination of elements
necessary for a bespoke fragrance. Indeed,
artisan might be a more accurate term;
a Fragrance Du Bois consultant is like
a molecular gastronomist who brings
complex, rich foodstuffs to life in wildly
new combinations.
Looking around her, Chua sees rows and
rows of golden Oud oil waiting to be added
to the unique recipe for her new, personal
scent. She also sees more to the story: “It
is at this point that I realise I am staring at
a pot of gold – gold that doesn’t harm the
Earth, since Fragrance Du Bois only gets
its Oud from sustainable sources.”
“In all my years in this
industry… I have been
hard pressed to find
another organisation
as committed to the
sustainable sourcing
of the highest
quality oils for fine
fragrance production.”
—Simon French, Perfume Industry Expert
202 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 203
A chandelier from Fragrance Du Bois’ boutique in Singapore, reflecting the luxury, glamour and opulence of the brand.

Enter a player we’ve met before: Asia
Plantation Capital. Fragrance Du Bois
gets all of its Oud from APC, which
guarantees that the Oud sourced for
luxury experiences like Candice Chua’s is
ethically and responsibly obtained.
The partnership between APC and
Fragrance Du Bois is a remarkable
vertically integrated production chain.
Every single link in the chain, from
the seeds in the soil to the scent on the
customer’s skin, is carefully overseen and
accounted for. When you buy Fragrance
Du Bois, you know for a fact that the
Oud you are wearing is sustainably
cultivated, and that it comes from an
organisation that is actively working to
better the world.
The Fragrance Du Bois experience
is all about creation: of a new self and
a distinct scent, of partnerships with
rural communities and local economies,
and of farming and distillation practices
that bring ancient traditions into the
modern age. When a luxury-seeker
leaves Fragrance Du Bois’ scent sanctuary
wearing a new self on their skin, they can
leave with the certainty that the Oud
it contains is certified by CITES and
the International Fragrance Association
(IFRA) as legal and ethically sourced.
How often is a truly personal luxury
experience grounded in a regard for the
future? Whereas poachers and careless
plantation owners ruthlessly and
recklessly destroy the source of their own
income, focusing exclusively on how
much money they can squeeze out of a
given crop, APC and Fragrance Du Bois
understand that to invest in a community
204 The Book of Oud
From Soil, to Oil, to You 205

is to build a future of riches both monetary and humanitarian.
It’s no longer enough for luxury perfume clients to consume
a brilliant product; sustainability is now the standard of the
industry, and that standard is deeply embedded in Fragrance Du
Bois’ business practices. As the company motto goes: Fragrance
Du Bois is ‘luxury with a conscience. 102
Fragrance Du Bois, strangelove nyc, The House of Oud,
and other companies that source their Oud from sustainable
plantations are redefining what it means to be a luxury perfume
brand in this global economy. And as this trend becomes
more widespread (that is, as consumer demand forces their
competition to follow suit), the future of Oud will grow ever
more secure.
The incredible efforts of these extraordinary companies
have taken us a long way towards a new, more ethical world.
But those efforts cannot end there. It is up to you and me to
continue on this path, to make sure that the wonders of Oud
are preserved for our children and grandchildren. We must
become the custodians of this rare and revered resin, to ensure
that its mystery, which stretches back to the dawn of time, also
reaches forward into the future.
206 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 207

Jean-Marc Dufat
208 The Book of Oud From Soil, to Oil, to You 209

Who is Jean-Marc Dufat?
Jean-Marc Dufat has a background as a pharmaceutical technician, and he now serves as the
CEO of Oud Essentials in Europe. Mr Dufat’s interest in ‘Galenic Pharmacy’ – the preparation
of pharmacological products by the infusion of natural substances rather than through chemical
processes – sparked his idea to use Oud oil in such products as regenerating serum and eye serum.
The significance of this move is not lost on Mr Dufat, who says, “We will be the first in the world to
introduce Oud in skincare products.” While his company is headquartered in Geneva, it plans to
launch in the Asian market first.
What are the medicinal properties of Oud?
“Oud is the only natural oil in the world to have three core healing properties – all of which have
been proven through scientific studies: Oud is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and it can slow
the ageing process.”
“Oud is the only natural oil
in the world to have three
core healing properties – all
of which have been proven
through scientific studies:
Oud is antibacterial and
anti-inflammatory, and it
can slow the ageing process.”
210 The Book of Oud
From Soil, to Oil, to You 211

CHAPTER 8
The Science of Skin
212 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 213

If there’s anything more time-honoured
than adorning the body with scent,
it’s caring for and anointing the skin.
Cleopatra, whose beauty was renowned
throughout the ancient world, is rumoured
to have taken daily baths in donkey’s milk
to create an effect much like a modern
chemical peel, for which (according to
the story) a stable of 700 donkeys was
necessary.
Cleopatra invented her own personal ‘spa treatments’.
214 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 215

Historically speaking, Cleopatra
certainly wasn’t alone: Elizabethan women
applied raw meat and egg white to their
faces to tighten the skin and minimise
wrinkles. In Latin America, the skin
‘drug’ of choice was avocado. Romans
used lanolin, an oil (technically a wax)
secreted by wool-bearing animals such as
sheep, which was applied to the face daily.
The Romans valued their smooth skin so
highly that they used lanolin despite its
foul odour (modern lanolin products are
scented to disguise the ‘sheep smell’), and
they would often use it in conjunction
with various kinds of animal dung.
The list of things ancient cultures put
on their skin to appear more radiant and
attractive to others would make a modernday
consumer blanche, but it was simply
a case of those people seeing what was
available around them and putting it to
good use. Besides, there’s something to
be said for the fact that Cleopatra knew
exactly where her donkey’s milk was
coming from. 103
As medical science advanced, humanity
became less and less aware of just exactly
what we were putting on our faces and
bodies. The story became murkier as
extracts of proteins and acids developed
in labs replaced avocado and plant oil.
Products became more complex as
scientists searched for the perfect formula,
like Ponce de Leon looking for the
Fountain of Youth. And somewhere along
the way, we abdicated our responsibility
for what we were buying. We stopped
caring how our beauty products got to
our nightstands, and the companies that
Agarwood and lavender. Excellent, fragrant ‘bedfellows’.
The Science of Skin 217

produced them noticed – and also began
to care less. Sneaky chemical additives,
cheaper or more easily procured than
their natural counterparts, made their
way into cosmetic formulas. Plant crops
were decimated by the desire to sell more,
more, more without any consideration
for sustainability. Waste was produced
and discarded indiscriminately, without
a thought for the consequences. The
cosmetics industry began to behave like
a kid with a trust fund that they believed
would never run out.
Today, you and I have seemingly infinite
choices laid out before us when it comes to
what we buy. When I purchase a bottled
drink, I know the nutritional content; it’s
right there on the label. I can hop onto
Google and know who makes that drink,
where in the world their factories are,
whether they’re good for the community
that works in those factories, and if they’re
good for the environment. Of course, I
can also watch a YouTube video of that
drink eating its way through a penny and
think about what it might be doing to my
insides.
The Future of Oud Is Skin Care
Throughout history, the story of Oud
has mostly been about ineffable scents
that bring to everyday lives a sense of the
divine, nurturing our spirits. Successful
luxury fragrance companies have until
now been focused on finding that thread
of the ancient and making it accessible to
a modern audience, drawing a direct line
between us and our ancestors.
Oud Essentials has broken new ground, creating Oud-based skincare products for the very first time.
Right: The Oud Essentials range of skincare products, all featuring 100% pure, sustainably sourced Oud.
218 The Book of Oud

“This is a story that
has been in the making
for thousands of years,
as well as a fascinating
journey for me
personally. Oud came
to my attention a few
years ago, and I have
been drawn to it
ever since.”
—Jean-Marc Dufat, CEO, Europe, Oud Essentials
But the story has to evolve.
Enter Jean-Marc Dufat, CEO, Europe,
of the newly launched company Oud
Essentials. The company’s public launch
was held at a Four Seasons in Geneva,
Switzerland, and attended by journalists,
onlookers, and various movers and shakers
in the Swiss banking world. The seriouslooking
forty-five-year old gazed at the
crowd through his bespectacled eyes, and
spoke with a soft yet commanding voice,
as though what he had to tell them could
save their lives.
“This is a story that has been in the
making for thousands of years, as well as
a fascinating journey for me personally.
Oud came to my attention a few years ago,
and I have been drawn to it ever since.”
Jean-Marc is a student of ‘Galenic
Pharmacy’, the preparation of medicines
and pharmacological products through
infusion and the concentration of natural
substances, rather than chemical processes.
It’s a philosophy akin to that of the modern
wellness movement, a core concept of
which is that personal wellness and a
focus on organic, sustainable products is
good not just for the individual, but for
the world. And Jean-Marc’s belief in Oud
stems exactly from this philosophy. But it’s
not some intangible spiritual connection
that made Jean-Marc fall in love with
Oud; he believes in it on the molecular
level.
“After my research into Oud oil,
I noticed that it had very interesting
properties,” he says. “It is anti-ageing,
anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. I
realised very quickly that Oud oil could
220 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 221

e integrated into cosmetic products.…
We are going to be the first to introduce
Oud oil into cosmetics, and this will be a
revolution unto itself.”
Andrew Gan, a leading cosmetics
researcher working with Oud Essentials,
describes Oud as “one of the most generous
‘guests’ at the skincare formulations party.”
“It’s a powerful ingredient,” he says
with enthusiasm, “and only a small dosage
of Oud is required, but it manages to
enhance the overall absorption of the
nutrients contained in those formulations.
It seems to bring out the best in everything
with which it comes into contact… Work
in our industry sometimes becomes, if
you excuse the pun, a tad formulaic, but
being able to use high quality Oud – that
is so multi-faceted as an ingredient – is
challenging, yes, but also exciting. The
fact that it’s such an expensive and highlyvalued
ingredient adds to the pressure of
getting it right, but that’s something that
cosmetic scientists should embrace and
thrive on.”
With this idea in mind, Jean-Marc
began to collaborate with Swiss and
British skincare industry experts, as well
as a number of scientists in Asia, and
together they engaged in a trial-and-error
process to integrate Oud oil with known
industry compounds. “Sometimes one
ingredient doesn’t work with Oud, [but]
another ingredient works. We have to take
time to revise the formulation … to have
a good combination.” This consortium
of scientists spent two years testing
ingredients before coming up with the
perfect formula.
222 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 223
Cosmetic production in Switzerland.

Pure Oud oil, straight from the distillery.
Jean-Marc is remarkably matter of fact
about this process; he is, after all, a scientist.
But his excitement is unmistakable when
he discusses what he sees as the future of
the skincare industry. Yes, Oud Essentials
carries a range of products designed to
tighten, brighten, moisturise, prevent
wrinkles, lift eyes, and do all the things
that would have made an Elizabethan
woman abandon her egg whites forever.
But for Jean-Marc, that’s merely the tip of
the iceberg.
Dr Astrid Stuckelberger, at the
University of Geneva Medical School
and the University of Lausanne Medical
School, is a consultant for private clinics
and industries including Oud Essentials,
and a renowned expert on anti-ageing.
Dr Stuckelberger had never heard about
Oud before she attended the launch of the
Fragrance Du Bois boutique in Geneva,
Switzerland, and became fascinated on the
subject. “Intuitively,” she says, “from what
I see, I am convinced there is something
fantastic about Oud.”
Dr Stuckelberger put forward to me the
argument that while we know the brain
has the capacity to regenerate through
the end of its life, we don’t know why.
Her current working hypothesis is that it
must be activated, and that scent can be a
pathway to that regeneration.
“What struck me with Oud is that we
are breathing every second. People criticise
pollution and climate change – but no
one is focused on what we are breathing
and smelling… no one talks about Scent
Health.” Dr Stuckelberger’s argument is
that this ancient source of wellbeing, the
scent of Oud which has been a part of
spiritual and health practices for centuries,
224 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 225

Sergio Momo
226 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 227

Who is Sergio Momo?
Born in Italy, Sergio Momo started his career in graphics and design, before yielding to the allure of
fine fragrances. Trained in Grasse – the home of haute parfumerie – he established the
House of Xerjoff (taken from the nickname that he was given while working in London, ‘Sir Joff’) in
2005, in his hometown of Turin.
Having grown up in a household containing well-travelled, fragrance-loving family members,
Sergio embraces the concept of a perfume as an emotional journey of discovery with a compelling
story to be told, encompassing the look, the touch and the smell to produce an evocative,
multi-sensory experience.
What does Outd mean to you?
“For us at Xerjoff, Oud is never just ‘another ingredient’. There is always a clear distinction between
a ‘perfume’ and an ‘Oud perfume’. During the blending of a fragrance, Oud deserves the utmost
respect – it’s a legendary ingredient, with a strong, forceful character, and will always be at the
centre of the whole creative project.
“Oud oil doesn’t always make compromises with other ingredients.
Most of the time, it’s the other way around.
“Oud has a unique olfactive impact, and has no peer with other ingredients. Blending with Oud is
like working with history. Rose, amber and musk are often the ‘special guests’ in traditional blends,
but there is more scope today for experimentation, and Oud has plenty to say in the conversation – it
always has, and it always will. It’s not a ‘fashion’ issue.”
“Oud represents history, culture
and religion, and these are the
foundations that we deal with
on a daily basis. For me, Oud
represents a connection with
nature and is integral to our
philosophy at Xerjoff in the
creation of a perfume.
When I ‘paint’ a new fragrance,
it is one of the most important
‘colours’ on my palette.”
228 The Book of Oud
The Science of Skin 229

sparks something in the brain which
staves off the effects of ageing. Essentially,
the smell of Oud is part of what can
potentially be a life-long, whole-body
regenerative process.
Jean-Marc agrees, and the Oud
Essentials scientists have been put to work
to implement this whole-body philosophy
into a line of new products. Already there is
a button on the Oud Essentials website to
‘register interest’ in an Oud-infused detox
tea, which can be used to treat metabolic
disorders and maladies associated with
ageing. Jean-Marc talks to me about his
company’s ideas for developing Oudinfused
wine, and even whiskey. His
approach is medicinal as well as cosmetic
– it is holistic in every sense. 104 If he has
his way, not only will we be putting Oud
on our skin: we’ll also drink it, eat it, and
breathe it in until it’s infused into every
part of us.
Generations of Oud
Jean-Marc uses the word story a total of
eight times during our brief interview,
each time talking about the brand
identity of Oud Essentials. He speaks
about the ‘energy’ of Oud, and claims
that just wearing an agarwood bracelet
is said to have calming properties. The
recurring themes of our conversation
are sustainability and history; it’s very
important to him that Oud Essentials
be associated with organic sustainability
and ethical business practices. He has
every reason to be concerned about this:
with the growing consumer knowledge
of Aquilaria farming, and the growth of
a global Oud market, Jean-Marc knows
that the success or failure of his brand is
Agarwood chips and floral inspiration.
One of the many innovative products currently on the market using pure Oud.
230 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 231

“During the blending of a fragrance, Oud
deserves the utmost respect.
Oud represents history, culture and religion,
and these are the foundations that we deal
with on a daily basis.
When I ‘paint’ a new fragrance, Oud is one of
the most important ‘colours’ on my palette.”
—Sergio Momo
directly connected to the proliferation of
environmental ethics.
“We need to create our stories,” he says,
“but we are already the story, because we
control all, from the plant to the trees and
after; we take the oil from the trees and
transform it all.”
The company works with regulatory
agencies to ensure that the product
is sustainably sourced and, therefore,
certifiable by CITES. No point in the
process – from the growth of trees to
the distillation to the manufacture of
their skincare products – is out of their
control. And ultimately this knowledge is
what makes a brand sustainable: knowing
how, where, and by whom your product
is harvested means that product will be
available for years and years to come. “All
products that we extract Oud from are
sustainable products because we have our
own plantations in Asia,” Jean-Marc tells
me. “We control all our trees. We control
all production.… We harvest one tree; we
guarantee to plant at least one more, new
tree at the same time.”
It seems a simple notion – plant more
than you harvest – but it’s a relatively new
idea in Aquilaria farming, one that Jean-
Marc hopes will become a necessity in
the industry, rather than an option: Oud
Essentials has just signed an agreement
with Asia Plantation Capital for $50
million that will secure sustainable Oud
production for the next twenty years.
Back at the Four Seasons, Jean-Marc
looks out at the crowd again. “This is just
the beginning of our efforts to impact the
skincare industry and promote a healthy,
socially and environmentally conscious
lifestyle,” he says. “We couldn’t have
hoped for a better start.” 105
232 The Book of Oud
The Science of Skin 233

Elizabeth Gaynes
234 The Book of Oud The Science of Skin 235

Who is Elizabeth Gaynes?
Elizabeth Gaynes is the founder of GaiaOne and strangelove nyc. She was drawn into the world
of sustainable farming when she received an invitation to work with the family of a friend from
Borneo. This family had a sustainable agarwood plantation, and wanted to build global awareness
and develop new business. Together they formed a company called GaiaOne to help them develop
products and market sustainable agarwood farming. Elizabeth continued her commitment to this
unique product by forming strangelove nyc in collaboration with Helena Christensen and
Christophe Laudamiel.
On strangelove nyc’s commitment to sustainability:
“We’re all about integrity, truth, and honesty. It’s just part of who we are. This is like a love story,
not just for me, but for Helena and Christophe, too. We have fallen in love with the whole process.”
“We’re all about integrity,
truth, and honesty. It’s just
part of who we are. This
is like a love story, not just
for me, but for Helena
and Christophe, too. We
have fallen in love with the
whole process.”
236 The Book of Oud
The Science of Skin 237

AN INVOCATION
For the Love of Oud
238 The Book of Oud What is Oud? 239

AN INVOCATION
For the Love of Oud
I’ve come a long way since that fateful day in Harrods when I first experienced the
entrancing and inscrutable scent of Oud. From ancient texts to modern medicine,
from the depths of the jungle to opulent boutiques, from the black market to the
plantations that are raising up communities and saving the planet, I became a
pilgrim on a journey of primal intrigue and transcendent beauty.
After all my investigations, I, like so many others, am no longer simply curious
about or even fascinated by Oud – I, too, am in love. And if, like me, you are only
now discovering Oud, I hope that as you have followed me on this journey you too
have begun to fall in love with this miraculous liquid gold, this wood of the gods.
Oud is an elegant strand extending back to the dawn of human civilisation, and yet
it is as modern as this book you hold in your hands – a scent that speaks both to the
earthly and to the divine.
And if you came to this book already an Oud aficionado, perhaps you now have an
even stronger sense of how this incredible substance binds past and present, East and
West, commerce and environmentalism, body and spirit.
But the Oud that we all love is still in danger. The strand I spoke of a moment ago
is stretched thin, and if we are not careful, that thread may snap. Our desire for the
precious and the rare, and our consumption without conscience, could eradicate
Oud completely.
Happily, we are now well positioned to ensure the survival of the tree that produces
Oud. And by we, I do not mean society at large – I mean to use the word in a more
granular sense here: I mean individual consumers like you and me. The survival of
the ethereal essence that is Oud is in your hands and mine. By seeking out only Oud
products that we know are ethically, legally, sustainably sourced, we can enjoy the
enigmatic scent of Oud while ensuring its survival for aeons to come.
It’s up to you.
240 The Book of Oud

Acknowledgments
Appendix
One of the greatest pleasures and gifts of
any journey is the people you meet along
the way. Now, at the end of the winding
and wonderful road I took into the
world of Oud, I want to thank, from the
bottom of my heart, the many people
who helped make this book possible.
I could not have told this tale without
the assistance and insight of Josh Castle,
Helena Christensen, Jean-Marc Dufat,
Andrew Gan, Elizabeth Gaynes, François
Hénin, Abdul Aziz Al Jasser, Dr Kodi
Kandasamy, Christophe Laudamiel,
Andrew Leci, François Merle-Baudoin,
Sergio Momo, Dani Nasr, Sultan Pasha,
Barry Rawlinson, Jordan River, John
Scanlon, and Dr Astrid Stuckelberger.
Thank you for making this the journey
of a lifetime.
1. http://www.pittimmagine.com/en/corporate/fairs/
fragranze/news/2015/jovoyparis.html
Chapter 1
2. Eric Hansen, “The Hidden History of Scented Wood,”
Aramco World 51, no. 6 (December 2000): 2–13.
3. Sabbar Dahham et al., “Antibacterial , Antifungal and
Antioxidant Activities of Aquilaria Crassna,” International
Journal of Advances in Science and Technology (IJAST), April
2014, 196.
4. James Compton and Akiko Ishihara, “The Use and
Trade of Agarwood in Japan” (Cambridge: TRAFFIC
International, 2004), 6.
5. Kalyan Chakrabarty, Ashok Kumar, and Vivek Menon,
“Trade in Agarwood” (New Delhi: WWF-India/TRAFFIC-
India, August 1994), 18.
6. Su-il Jeong, The Silk Road Encyclopedia (Seoul Selection,
2016).
7. Compton and Ishihara, “The Use and Trade of Agarwood
in Japan,” 5.
8. Jordan River, “OUD SERIES: My Name Is Dehn Al
Oud,” Fragrantica, January 14, 2014, https://www.
fragrantica.com/news/OUD-SERIES-My-name-is-dehn-al-
Oud--5033.html.
Chapter 2
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of Agarwood Leaves,” Journal of Applied and Industrial
Sciences 1, no. 3 (2013): 78.
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Phnom Penh Post, December 13, 2014, http://www.
phnompenhpost.com/scent-more-precious-gold.
13. “Extraction Methods of Agarwood Oil,” Vietnam
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14. E.J. Perry, “Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the
Garden--UC IPM,” Pest Notes (University of California
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Chapter 3
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(Agarwood) as Source of Health Beneficial Compounds:
A Review of Traditional Use, Phytochemistry and
Pharmacology,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 189 (2016):
331–60. And “The Medicinal Use of Agarwood – A
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17. “The Trade and Use of Agarwood in Taiwan, Province of
China” (TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2005).
18. Lim Teck Wyn and Noorainie Awang Anak, “Wood for
the Trees: A Review of the Agarwood (Gaharu) Trade in
Malaysia” (TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2010), 44.
19. Janey Alam et al., “An Insight of Pharmacognostic Study
and Phytopharmacology of Aquilaria Agallocha,” Journal of
Applied Pharmaceutical Science 5, no. 8 (August 2015): 173.
20. Hadi Hendra, Sukarti Moeljopawiro, and Tri Rini
Nuringtyas, “Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of
Agarwood (Aquilaria Malaccensis Lamk.) Leaves,” AIP
Conference Proceedings 1755, no. 1 (July 21, 2016).
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Health Beneficial Compounds: A Review of Traditional
Use, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.”
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24. Siti Khairun Nissa Afiffudden, Habash Alwi, and Ku Halim
Ku Hamid, “Determination of 4’-Hydroxyacetanilide in
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25. Janey Alam et al., “An Insight of Pharmacognostic Study
and Phytopharmacology of Aquilaria Agallocha.”
26. Grandawood-Agarwood Australia, “Agarwood Leaves,
Incense and Oil Benefit,” Grandawood- Agarwood Australia,
accessed August 20, 2017, https://www.grandawood.com.
au/pages/benefit-of-agarwood.
27. Irnayuli R. Sitepu et al., “Fragrant Wood Gaharu: When
the Wild Can No Longer Provide” (Bogor, Indonesia:
ITTO and FORDA, 2011), 37. And Hiroaki Takemoto et
al., “Sedative Effects of Vapor Inhalation of Agarwood Oil
and Spikenard Extract and Identification of Their Active
Components,” Journal of Natural Medicines 62, no. 1
(January 2008): 41–46.
28. Grandawood-Agarwood Australia, “Agarwood Leaves,
Incense and Oil Benefit,” Grandawood- Agarwood Australia,
accessed August 20, 2017, https://www.grandawood.com.
au/pages/benefit-of-agarwood.
29. Leigh Campbell, “The Ingredient In This Skincare Costs
More Than $9000 Per Kilo,” Huffington Post, September
26, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/09/26/
the-ingredient-in-this-skincare-costs-more-than-9000-perkilo_a_21478972/.
30. Angela Barden et al., Heart of the Matter: Agarwood Use and
Trade and CITES Implementation for Aquilaria Malaccensis
(Traffic International, 2000).
31. “The Trade and Use of Agarwood in Taiwan, Province of
China” (TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2005).
32. http://www.cafleurebon.com/new-niche-fragrance-reviewtom-ford-private-blend-tobacco-oud-and-oud-fleur-theevolution-of-oud/
33. http://fortune.com/2015/03/13/oud-scent/
34. http://www.kafkaesqueblog.com/2013/02/06/perfumereview-tom-ford-private-blend-oud-wood-an-approachableoud/
Chapter 4
35. Mike King, “Global Fragrances Industry to Be Worth
$38.8 Billion by 2017,” Yahoo Finance, July 9, 2013, http://
uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/global-fragrances-industryworth-38-000000901.html.
And “Growing Popularity of
Premium, Niche & Innovative Fragrances and Perfumes
to Outline Growth in the Global Fragrances and Perfumes
Market” (Global Industry Analysts, Inc., November 2016),
http://www.strategyr.com/Fragrances_and_Perfumes_
Market_Report.asp#sthash.qXqjJymF.8cr0uHWw.dpbs.
36. “The Global Fragrance Industry: World Markets, Popular
Fragrances & Sales Figures,” Kafkaesque, February 20,
2014, http://www.kafkaesqueblog.com/2014/02/20/
the-global-fragrance-industry-world-markets-popularfragrances-sales-figures/.
37. Siobhan Adams, “The GMR Interview,” Gulf Marketing
Review, February 2011, 41.
38. Alex Wynne, “Market Watch: Middle East: Regional
Overview: Going for Growth,” Beauty World Confidential,
December 2014.
39. Julia Wray, “Blockbuster Season,” SPC Magazine, October
2012.
40. “Big Spenders in UAE, Iran, and Saudi Lead Regional
Growth as Beautyworld Middle East 2015 Paints Glowing
Future,” Dubai PR Network, January 12, 2015, http://m.
242 Acknowledgments
Appendix 243

dubaiprnetwork.com/pr.asp?pr=95144. And “A Scent of
Growth: Perfume Market Hits $5 Billion in the Middle
East,” Al Bawaba, April 14, 2015, https://www.albawaba.
com/business/scent-growth-perfume-market-hits-5-billionmiddle-east-681698.
41. “Growing Popularity of Premium, Niche & Innovative
Fragrances and Perfumes to Outline Growth in the Global
Fragrances and Perfumes Market” (Global Industry
Analysts, Inc., November 2016), http://www.strategyr.com/
Fragrances_and_Perfumes_Market_Report.asp#sthash.
qXqjJymF.8cr0uHWw.dpbs.
42. “GCC’s Luxury Goods Market Continues to Grow Fast,”
BQ Magazine, September 16, 2014, http://www.bqdoha.
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43. Susan Hack, “Bigger Stink Means Higher Price as Men
Crave Rare Oud Fragrance,” Bloomberg.com, September
19, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/
bigger-stink-means-higher-price-as-men-crave-rare-oud.
html.
44. Azimin Saini, “The Wood of the Gods,” Style Men,
October 2015, 99.
45. Hack, “Bigger Stink Means Higher Price as Men Crave
Rare Oud Fragrance.”
46. Tomas A. Ricketson, “Arabian Oud Is However Another
Center Eastern Model That Has Unfold the Scent of
Good Results in 17 Nations around the World Globally
- Art,” May 7, 2012, http://byfashiontrends.blogspot.
com/2012/05/arabian-oud-is-however-another-center.html.
47. Ibid. and “Arabian Oud Launches Its First Store in Times
Square,” Saudi Gazette, May 4, 2016, http://saudigazette.
com.sa/article/154235/Arabian-Oud-launches-its-firststore-in-Times-Square.)
48. Ricketson, “Arabian Oud Is However Another Center
Eastern Model That Has Unfold the Scent of Good Results
in 17 Nations around the World Globally – Art.”
49. “The World of Perfume: Is Everything New Actually a
Well-Forgotten Old?,” Beauty Insider, 2014, 39.
50. Ibid. And Hack, “Bigger Stink Means Higher Price as Men
Crave Rare Oud Fragrance.”
51. “Fragrance Industry Profile and Market Potential for
Taramea,” November 2014.
52. Rachel Syme, “Power Perfumes Return to the Scene,” The
New York Times, December 2, 2015, sec. Fashion & Style,
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/fashion/powerperfumes-return-to-the-scene.html.
53. Elana Knezhevich, “Mercedes Maybach Agarwood Interior
Fragrance ~ Art Books Events ~ Fragrantica,” Fragrantica,
January 12, 2015, https://www.fragrantica.com/news/
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html.
54. “Oud Edition,” Oud Essentials, accessed August 20, 2017,
https://www.oudessentials.com/oud-edition/.
55. Hack, “Bigger Stink Means Higher Price as Men Crave
Rare Oud Fragrance.”
Chapter 5
56. Natalie Heng, “Tracking Tree Thefts,” The Star Online,
February 28, 2012, http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/
features/2012/02/28/tracking-tree-thefts/.
57. “Sustainable Plantations - A Growing Resource for Asia
Plantation Capital,” Benzinga, September 25, 2014,
https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/14/09/p4877025/
sustainable-plantations-a-growing-resource-for-asiaplantation-capital.
58. Ibid.
59. Marina Antonopoulou et al., “The Trade and Use
of Agarwood (Oudh) in the United Arab Emirates”
(TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2010), v.
60. “Agarwood Market Trade Update” (Asia Plantation Capital,
2015), 5.
61. Marina Antonopoulou et al., “The Trade and Use
of Agarwood (Oudh) in the United Arab Emirates”
(TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 2010), v.
62. “Asia Plantation Capital Commits to Working with China’s
Leading Agarwood Industry Experts,” November 12, 2014,
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/asia-plantationcapital-commits-to-working-with-chinas-leading-agarwoodindustry-experts-282361091.html.
63. “Smugglers’ Paradise: A Look at the City’s Incense Trees
Nearing Extinction,” Time Out Hong Kong, January 14,
2016, http://timeout-admin-node1.candrholdings.com/
big-smog/features/75330/smugglers-paradise-a-look-at-thecitys-incense-trees-nearing-extinction.html.
64. “Developing a Non Detriment Finding Methodology for
Agarwood Producing Taxa” (TRAFFIC, April 2008), 3.
65. “Traffic Summary of Worldwide Trade in Agarwood on
Behalf of CITES” (Asia Plantation Capital).
66. “Smugglers’ Paradise: A Look at the City’s Incense Trees
Nearing Extinction.”
67. Qu Zhi, “Smoking out a Bargain at 100 X Price of Gold,”
Shanghai Daily, July 31, 2014, http://www.shanghaidaily.
com/feature/news-feature/Smoking-out-a-bargain-at-100-xprice-of-gold/shdaily.shtml.
68. Angela Barden et al., Heart of the Matter: Agarwood Use and
Trade and CITES Implementation for Aquilaria Malaccensis
(Traffic International, 2000).
69. “Agarwood Market Report” (Sustainable Asset
Management, 2013), 8.
70. “Mainlanders Tagged in Illegal Logging of Agarwood in
HK,” EJ Insight, February 19, 2016, http://www.ejinsight.
com/20160219-mainlanders-tagged-in-illegal-logging-ofagarwood-in-hk/.
And The Trees That Gave Hong Kong Its
Name Are Nearing Extinction Because of Illegal Logging
(Apr 16) Mark Rivett-Carnac, “Trees That Gave Hong
Kong Its Name Are Nearing Extinction,” Time, April 14,
2016, http://time.com/4288304/hong-kong-environmentincense-tree-poaching-agarwood-china/.
71. “Nearly 800 Forestry Offences in Five Years | Daily
Express Newspaper Online,” The Daily Express, October
28, 2016, http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.
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73. Benjamin Elisha Sawe, “Illegal Agarwood Seizures By
Source And Destination Countries,” WorldAtlas, August 17,
2016, http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-top-sourceand-destination-countries-for-illegal-agarwood-seizures.
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74. Smugglers’ Paradise: A Look at the City’s Incense Trees
Nearing Extinction.”
75. Celine Ge, “With Hong Kong’s Country Parks Almost
Stripped Bare of Rare Incense Trees, Robbers Ransack
Residents’ Gardens,” South China Morning Post, February
10, 2016, http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/lawcrime/article/1911843/hong-kongs-country-parks-almoststripped-bare-rare-incense.
76. Rivett-Carnac, “Trees That Gave Hong Kong Its Name Are
Nearing Extinction,”
77. “The Scent That’s Pricier Than Gold,” Illegal
Agarwood, April 5, 2017, https://www.illegalagarwood.
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78. “Nearly 800 Forestry Offences in Five Years,” Daily
Express Newspaper Online, October 28, 2016, http://www.
dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=113724.
79. Clifford Lo, “Five Mainland Chinese Arrested for Stealing
Incense Tree Logs from Hong Kong’s Lamma Island,” South
China Morning Post, January 4, 2016, http://www.scmp.
com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1897990/fivemainland-chinese-arrested-stealing-incense-tree-logs.
80. “Sabah Forestry Department’s Armed Squad To Combat
Threats From Poachers, Illegal Loggers,” Berita Wilayah,
July 30, 2015, http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/
state_news/news.php?id=1156787&cat=sbe.
81. “Rare Agarwood Tree Falls Prey to Tai Po Village
Thieves,” EJ Insight, May 12, 2015, http://www.ejinsight.
com/20150512-rare-agarwood-tree-falls-prey-to-tai-povillage-thieves/.
82. Ge, “With Hong Kong’s Country Parks Almost Stripped
Bare of Rare Incense Trees, Robbers Ransack Residents’
Gardens.”
83. Clifford Lo, “Hong Kong Burglars Net HK$3m Agarwood
Haul in ‘hole-in-the-Wall’ Raid,” South China Morning
Post, December 29, 2014, http://www.scmp.com/news/
hong-kong/article/1670494/hong-kong-burglars-nethk3m-agarwood-haul-hole-wall-raid.
And Clifford Lo,
“Two Hong Kong Men Held in Connection with HK$3
Million Agarwood Heist,” South China Morning Post,
April 28, 2015, http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/
law-crime/article/1778718/two-hong-kong-men-heldconnection-hk3-million-agarwood.
84. Kevin Chan, “Incense Trees Flourish Again in Hong
Kong,” Detroit News, December 24, 2014, http://www.
detroitnews.com/story/news/world/2014/12/24/hongkong-incense-trees/20851237/.s.
”
85. Heng, “Tracking Tree Thefts.”
86. Sniffing out Illegal Trade,” Illegal Agarwood, March 21,
2017, https://www.illegalagarwood.com/2017/03/21/
sniffing-out-illegal-trade/.
87. Neha LM Tripathi, “Mumbai Crime: 4 Held at Airport
for Trying to Smuggle Wood Worth Rs 10L - News,”
Mid-Day.com, December 22, 2014, http://www.mid-day.
com/articles/mumbai-crime-4-held-at-airport-for-trying-tosmuggle-wood-worth-rs-10l/15858191.
88. Khanh Hoa, “Vietnamese Policeman Gets 9 Years for
Stealing Rare Wood from Poachers,” Thanh Nien Daily,
August 18, 2015, http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/
vietnamese-policeman-gets-9-years-for-stealing-rare-woodfrom-poachers-50277.html.
89. Renato Marques, “Agarwood Takes Center Stage at Ho’s
Trial. Why?,” MACAU DAILY TIMES 澳 門 每 日 時
報 , March 3, 2017, http://macaudailytimes.com.mo/
agarwood-takes-center-stage-hos-trial.html.
90. Mainlanders Tagged in Illegal Logging of Agarwood in
HK.” And “Smugglers’ Paradise: A Look at the City’s
Incense Trees Nearing Extinction.”
91. “Smugglers’ Paradise: A Look at the City’s Incense Trees
Nearing Extinction.”
92. “Heavy Sentence On Agarwood Thieves, Poachers Will
Serve As A Lesson,” Berita Wilayah, September 7, 2016,
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.
php?cat=sbe&id=1280806.
Chapter 6
93. “Heart of Borneo Initiative a Success despite Setbacks
— Len Talif,” BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia,
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theborneopost.com/2016/12/08/heart-of-borneo-initiativea-success-despite-setbacks-len-talif/.
94. Ben Sokhean, “Soldiers, Singaporean Firm to Plant 6
Million Trees,” The Cambodia Daily, June 5, 2015, https://
www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/soldiers-singaporeanfirm-to-plant-6-million-trees-85039/.
95. “Villagers Attend Course on Karas, Agarwood,” BorneoPost
Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News, December
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96. Balung Plantation About page, Balung Home Website,
Web. October 22, 2016 http://balungusa.com/about
97. “Resort in a plantation draws nature lovers,” The
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98. “World Agriculture: Towards 2015/2030” (Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2002), 6.
Chapter 7
99. Personal interview with Dani Nasr
100. Personal interview with Elizabeth Gaynes
101. Candice Chua, “Fragrance Boutique Special: Fragrance Du
Bois,” Fragrance Du Bois, February 1, 2015, https://www.
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102. “‘Oud Oil’ by Asia Plantation Capital Star of the 2014
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Chapter 8
103. Victoria Sherrow, For Appearance’ Sake: The Historical
Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming
(Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001).
104. “The Time Has Come Oud Essentials Ready to Launch,”
Oud Essentials, April 3, 2017, https://www.oudessentials.
com/time-come-oud-essentials-ready-launch/.
105. Up and Running: Oud Essentials Launches in Geneva,”
Luxury Lifestyle, February 21, 2017, http://luxurylifestyle.
com/headlines/up-and-running-oud-essentials-launchesin-geneva.html.
244 Appendix Appendix 245

Michael Levin
Michael Graubart Levin is an award-winning author and has written two New York Times
best sellers, one Kindle #1 business book best seller, and more than a dozen national
best sellers in the U.S. He writes regularly for Forbes.com, HuffPost.com, FoxNews.
com, and NewYorkDailyNews.com, and has published in the New York Times and the
Wall Street Journal. Levin, founder of BusinessGhost, Inc., America’s leading provider
of ghostwritten business books, has helped create more successful books, as a writer,
cowriter, ghost, or coach, than anyone in the U.S. publishing industry.
His client list includes a member of the Forbes 400, five individuals with net
worths of over half a billion dollars, and business leaders on four continents (North
America, Europe, Asia, and Australia). He also edited Zig Ziglar’s final book, ‘Born
to Win’. On January 20, 2012, Michael appeared as a guest entrepreneur on the
ABC Television show ‘Shark Tank’.