Meanwhile a lot of people love Agarwood oil and are attracted to the perfume of oud, but very few of them know how to differentiate between pure and impure Agarwood oil. In this article, we’re going to discuss how Agarwood oil is adulterated. To create a higher level of awareness among customers and beginner merchants, in order to not be deceived.
Agarwood oil ( dehn al oud ) is the greatest perfume of all time, and one of the most luxurious eastern odors. It’s distinguished with a prolonged longevity fragrance, that words are powerless to express. However, dishonest merchants have committed a massive betrayal of the customers’ trust to earn more money.
Secrets Beyond the Adulteration of Agarwood Oil and Wood
As we’ve earlier mentioned the Stages of Agarwood Oil Extraction, the process of adulteration is related to each stage of oud extraction. which means that it begins with the first stage of the Agarwood Oil extraction process.
First - Adulteration stage of the Pre-Processing Agarood
Adulteration process is set off with the oud tree itself, by injecting the Agarwood tree with chemicals that speed up the production of Agarwood oil ( dehn al oud ). Meanwhile, the natural extraction process provides 10 units of Oud Oil, the chemical injection provides 20 unites of lower-quality oud oil that can’t be recognized by casual customers. Only experts can know the deceived oud by the blessing of God.
Second - Adulteration Stage of the post-processing Agarwood
It’s done after putting the cut and ground oud wood in the cooking barrels. By mixing the original Agarwood with non-agarwood wood to obtain a greater amount of oud oil.
Finally - The adulteration Stage of the Post-Distillation process
Thinning techniques are conducted by using some chemical additives, that have harmful effects on the skin and nose. In addition to its low-quality fragrance and stability.
When using natural additives, laboratory tests can’t detect adulteration because a natural substance has been added. Here comes the expert's role in the play to differentiate the impure agarwood oil.
Adulteration techniques of Agarwood Oil and Wood
Unfortunately, oud adulteration has become a common phenomenon in Agarwood oil and wood of all kinds. Which is hard to detect without experts. In order not to be deceived by fraudulent merchants, we’re discussing all of the adulteration techniques and methods you must know!
1- Moisturizing
The wood of Agarwood naturally has a normal level of moisture, that varies from one kind to another. Some merchants ( may Allah guide them to the righteous path ) take advantage of the water absorption characteristics of wood and soak it in water and subsequently pack it with plastic bags. so that the weight will dramatically be increased and steady. This technique is widely spread among fraudulent merchants. You can detect the adulteration by yourself if the oud wood was soft enough. this means it has a high level of moisture between 30% to 40%. However, it’s hardly detected if not an expert when the moisture level is only 10%.
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2- fillings
It’s the second common adulteration technique where a filling is stuffed within the Agarwood. Meanwhile, the Moroki oud is hardly filled because it doesn’t have pores, other kinds of Agarwood such as Indian and Kelmentan are easily filled. There are two types of filling; natural filling, such as mulberry or sawdust. And artificial filling such as lead, cement, sand, and stone. Both types are fixed within the oud by glue or wax to make oud wood heavier !
3- Adhesion ( Glue )
Although this technique doesn’t make great outcomes or profits, some merchants use it. Especially to steadily set the additives within the wood of agarwood after they intentionally break it. This technique is detected by spotting the light on the wood of agarwood and recognizing the mark or shine of glue.
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4- Dyes and Pigment Stains
It’s commonly known that the darker the agarwood oil, the higher the quality. That’s why some merchants target the color of agarwood and use the dying-based adulteration technique to turn it from super agarwood to fake double super agarwood. An odorless dye is used to get a darker color of agarwood. Meanwhile, this technique is used on lower-quality kinds of agarwood, it’s not usually applied on double super agarwood. The adulteration is dedicated to breaking the oud and checking the monochromatic harmony between the inside and outside of the wood layers.
some fraudulent merchants follow this technique by using an Indian super oud, a battery, and warm water. After the removal of the battery cover, the agarwood becomes painted with the flammable graphite of the battery, so that it looks like a double super agarwood. Afterward, it becomes sprayed with warm water in order to saturate the agarwood with a greater amount of water. Finally, it gets dried and exposed to air until it looks like the texture of double super oud. In order to detect adulteration, put the oud for half an hour in filtered water, so that its color will definitely change if it’s adultered!
Another method in the dying-based technique is polishing the oud wood so that the customer will mistakenly believe in the authenticity of the agarwood oil.
the techniques and Secrets Beyond the Adulteration of Agarwood
5- Mislabeling ( Misleading Oud Names )
it’s very well-known that there are high-demand oud kinds, such as Cambodian and Indian agarwood. That’s why some fraudulent merchants mislabel the lower-quality kinds of agarwood with famous high-quality kinds. This is unequivocally another Adulteration technique of Agarwood Oil and Wood!
6- Mixing ( adding a lower-quality to a higher-quality kind of Agarwood)
Some merchants add a lower-quality to a higher-quality kind of oud, then sell it as a pure high-quality oud. A great popular evidence of this technique is mixing an artificial oud with a natural pure kind and selling it at a higher price. You can detect the adultered agarwood by burning it and comparing the smell of some agarwood chips or wood pieces.
The risk of buying artificial agarwood lies in its harmful effects on health. Experts have warned of the toxic transmission of carbon in artificial agarwood. Several American studies have declared the poising effects of adultered artificial oud as a defective and carcinogenic agent to the respiratory system.
We finally must note that natural agarwood has asymmetric pieces within the same kinds. don't rush to accuse merchants when the oud itself has various qualities and unmatched shades of color.
Adulteration of Agarwood Oil ( dehn al oud )
It involves Moisturizing, mixing, dying, and mislabeling. We can hardly make sure of the quality of agarwood based on its color because a dark oud isn't necessarily an authentic high-quality kind. Also, a heavier oud may have nothing to do with a great amount of agarwood because it can be easily filled with additives.
You must be careful and avoid using adulterated oud oil. A recent British study showed that using adulterated agarwood oil on the neck and exposing it to the sunlight causes an inflammatory rash that can’t be removed without a laser.
Adulteration techniques of Agarwood Oil (Dehn Al Oud )
Mixing & Mislabeling
It’s a very common technique that begins with mixing different kinds of agarwood in a certain ratio and selling it as mislabeled oud oil. In order to make a greater profit!
● An example of oud oil mixing is the combination of Thai, Cambodian, and Trad oud with each others. So it will be sold as an adulterated high-quality pure oud oil (pure Dehn al oud) that’s called Royal agarwood, princelier agarwood, Al-Sheikh agarwood, or other common commercial names. Another example is adding Thai agarwood to Indian agarwood and selling it as an adulterated kalakasi agarwood.
● Cottonseed oil may also be added to the agarwood oil to increase its quantity. First, 5 ml of oud oil is heated in a water bath. Secondly, 3 ml of cottonseed oil is added and the overall solution is heated again until it homogenizes and becomes similar to the Laos agarwood oil (adulterated Lous dehn al oud ).
● Melted Musk Gazelle may also be added to cottonseed oil or almond oil. to play the role of fragrance fixatives that makes perfume last longer. This addition lowers the concentration of agarwood oil.
● In order to increase the weight and density of oud oil ( dehn al oud ), boya agarwood or powder agarwood are added.
● in order to increase the quantity of the oud oil, it’s also possible to add heavy odorless substances. Because the more the quantity, the more the profits!
External Adulteration techniques of Agarwood Oil and Wood
1. Cooking agarwood with a viscous substance until vaporization. So that the viscous substance will be mixed with agarwood as a part of it. After that, the wood gets dried and cleaned to look like the original agarwood.
2. Some merchants ( may Allah guide them to the righteous path ) deceive customers by setting a high-quality chip of agarwood on an agarwood burner to attract the customer with the oud fragrance. That’s why you have to put agarwood on the agarwood burner and check it by yourself!
3. Redistillation of agarwood and replacing oud oil with sugar.
Quality control Techniques of Agarwood
There is a common way to check the quality of agarwood by testing it with water. However, we do not recommend it as a certified technician.
The water-based quality control technique is conducted by adding drops of agarwood oil to a glass of water. Meanwhile, artificial agarwood drops go down to the bottom and don’t dissolve, authentic agarwood oil floats on top and dissolves with water. As we mentioned earlier, you can’t follow this technique because artificial oud oil is being dissolved in water nowadays!
However water-based quality control technique for agarwood is useful to examine its weight and density. Meanwhile heavy and dense agarwood wood sinks in water, and light oud wood float on the water's surface. The denser the wood, the longer the agarwood lasts on the agarwood burner.
Wood density varies according to the growth of different cells and their location in the tree. studies have shown that wood is heavier than water because if the air was removed from it, it would sink into the water.
what is the difference between artificial or enhanced Agarwood and natural Agarwood?
A common question comes to a lot of people's minds “how you can distinguish between adulterated and natural agarwood?”
There are three kinds of oud: natural agarwood - artificial agarwood - enhanced agarwood
Natural Authentic Agarwood
It’s extracted from the forest, then cleaned from impurities to produce a pure free-additive agarwood oil that has no chemicals at all. Natural authentic agarwood is distinguished with a special fragrance, prolonged longevity, and high pricing ( it’s not considered an essential quality standard ). Some merchants sell adulterated agarwood oil to make greater profits!
Commercial names:
( natural Indian Agarwood - natural Moroki Agarwood - natural Kelmentan Agarwood).
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Oudnna for high-quality odors proudly represents it.
Check natural authentic Aagarwood from Oudnna Store.
the techniques and Secrets Beyond the Adulteration of Agarwood
Artificial Agarwood
It’s extracted from white wood and not the original Agarwood such as crocodile or mango wood. That’s why it has a very weak fragrance, cheap price and it can be cut into different shapes. Ricin paste is extracted from oud powder and added to the white wood. Methanol ( An alcoholic liquid ) is also added for a limited period with heating at a certain temperature until the paste merges with the wood. Artificial Agarwood is not recommended to use at all because it has several harmful effects on health.
Its commercial names are (Mini Agarwood Butterfly, Large Agarwood Butterfly, Royal Indonesian Agarwood, Indonesia Agarwood, Artificial Mini Agarwood Butterfly, Artificial Large Agarwood Butterfly, Artificial Royal Indonesian Agarwood, Artificial Indonesian Agarwood ).
the techniques and Secrets Beyond the Adulteration of Agarwood
Enhanced Artificial Agarwood
It’s extracted from authentic Agarwood, added to the Ricin paste, and cut into the final shape of Agarwood.
It’s the perfect choice for daily use, such as Steaming clothes, houses, halls, chambers, and mosques. It has an affordable price and a strong fragrance that fills the space.
Its commercial names are (Enhanced Moroki Agarwood, Enhanced Natural Moroki Agarwood, Enhanced kelmentan Oud wood, Enhanced natural kelmentan Agarwood, Enhanced Agarwood, Enhanced natural Agarwood).
How to Differentiate Between Natural And artificial Agarwood?
● ember of Agarwood ( Jamr Al Oud ) is the criteria method to check adulterated oud that emits dark fumes. Nowadays, even artificial oud can emit blue fumes like natural Agarwood.
● Natural emits blue fragrant fumes when burned.
● Natural Agarwood makes a special sound only experts can recognize!
● Natural Agarwood tastes bitter
● Natural Agarwood doesn’t irritate eyes or skin. In contrast to adulterated oud.
● Natural authentic Agarwood has a dark brown color that dust doesn’t come out of it when wiped with a cloth. In contrast to the artificial adulterated Agarwood excessive dust usually comes out!
● When natural Agarwood converts into an ember, it makes a great fragrance that lasts for a long time. In contrast to the adulterated artificial Agarwood that turns into ashes and doesn’t last for a long time at all. Not to mention that it smell like ricin paste.
● Natural authentic Agarwood doesn’t cause harm when inhaled. In contrast to the adulterated artificial Agarwood that causes irritation and shortness of breath.
● Laboratory tests definitely differentiate between natural and adulterated Agarwood.
● If you apply Agarwood oil (dehn al oud) to your skin and it feels warm, this means it’s an artificial Agarwood. However, natural Agarwood doesn’t feel warm at all!
Things to Know Before Buying Agarwood oil ( dehn al oud )
It’s highly recommended to consult experts when buying Agarwood oil. So that you can differentiate between natural and artificial Agarwood. Furthermore, you should buy Agarwood oil (dehn al oud) from a trustworthy and certified marketplace.
Oudnna for high-quality odors represents high-class kinds of authentic natural Agarwood at affordable prices and under the supervision of experts!
Oudnna for high-quality odor wishes you enjoy the informative article: Secrets Beyond the Adulteration of Agarwood Oil and Wood, which guarantees a solid knowledge to differentiate between natural and artificial or adulterated Agarwood. We also hope that the article answers all of your questions on this topic.