Frankincense – in Arabic, al-lubān, or “that which results from milking – is an aromatic resin from the Boswellia sacra trees. These trees produce a milky sap, which hardens into “tears” for collection.
Native origin(s): Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa
Fragrance Family: ORIENTAL> Soft Oriental
Rose is one of the most prevalent scents in the Middle East. Oil is extracted from the rose flower during the distillation process, which also produces rose water, a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose oil has been used for perfume, skin care, and aromatherapy for centuries.
Native origin(s): Damacus, Syria and Grasse, France
Fragrance Family: FLORAL> Floral
Myrrh is a resin extracted from a tree of the genus Commiphora. It is known for its use in perfume, incense, and medicine, as it can cure stomach aches, congestion, and infections.
Native origin(s): Northeastern Africa and Southwest Asia
Fragrance Family: ORIENTAL> Soft Oriental
Saffron comes from the prized stamens of Crocus sativus, a small flower in the Iris family. Its odor profile is bittersweet, leathery, soft, and intimate, with an earthy base note. It is primarily used to color and spice foods, whereas saffron water is used to perfume baths, houses, and temples. An extract of saffron is used as a medicinal narcotic.
- Origin: Greece
- Fragrance Family: Oriental> Oriental
Meaning “wood” in Arabic, oud, or agarwood, is one of the most valuable raw materials in the world. Oud is produced in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when they become infected with a type of mold (Phialophora parasitica). The wood becomes dense, dark, and embedded with resin. Its distinctive aroma is popular in Arabian incense and perfume.
Native origin(s): Southeast Asia
Fragrance Family: ORIENTAL> Woody Oriental
In the perfume industry, white musk refers to a group of aromas, either synthetic or botanical, that replaces natural, animal (black) musk. These aromas typically offer clean, musky, skin notes and have broad uses in industry, ranging from cosmetics to detergents. While a lot of white musk is produced from synthetic ingredients today, it can be derived from plant sources, such as the musk flower or musk seed.
- Origin: Asia
- Fragrance Family: Floral> Soft Floral
Sandalwood, the second most expensive wood in the world, comes from trees in the genus Santalum. Unlike many other aromatic woods, sandalwood retains its distinctive soft, warm, smooth, and creamy fragrance for decades. It is used as a striking woody base note in many perfumes.
- Origin: southern India
- Fragrance Family: ORIENTAL> Woods
Arabian jasmine flowers are used as a fragrant ingredient in perfumes and for jasmine tea, as jasmine is said to have rejuvenating, boosting, and energizing properties. Jasmine, along with rose oil, is considered the most expensive and exotic oil used in today’s perfumery.
- Origin: Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
- Fragrance Family: FLORAL> Floral