Thanks to the recent popularity of aromatherapy in the West, we now have a very clear sense of essential oils and their various uses. We know what an essential oil is, and what it is not. If someone says, “I put some lavender oil on my neck to help me relax,” we know she means […]
Category Archives: The Oud Journey
Dear friend, To quote one of my scent mentors’ words of advice to me when I first embarked on my Oudissey: In the end, your nose will educate you profoundly. You will not be able to bear the smell of anything compounded of synthetic chemicals. They will stick in your nose like glue and create […]
There are two types of Oud in the dunya. There’s the so-called ‘oud’ of the auction and bazaar websites, which consists of low-grade agarwood oils diluted with DOP (dioctyl phthalate) and other highly toxic chemicals. This oil is known by its harsh leathery aroma, lack of coherence, linearity, utter lack of a spiritual dimension, and […]