Unani & Herbal, Decoded

Why Oud Costs So Much, The Real Story Behind the Price (Video)

1:42 minWatch on YouTube

Read the full written guide: Oud Price: Why Real Agarwood Oil and Bakhoor Cost So Much →

Ever wondered why a tiny piece of agarwood commands such a high price? This video breaks down the biology, the law, and the labor behind real oud, and shows you how to spot fakes. We also share a practical safety tip for using oud oil and bakhoor at home. For the full deep-dive, read the post on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.

Show the full transcript

Transcript

Did you know a single kilogram of oud can cost Rs 2 lakh?

Did you know a single kilogram of oud can cost Rs 2 lakh?

Oud Price Explained

Ever wonder why a tiny piece of agarwood can cost a fortune? Stay tuned, because the biggest saving tip comes at the end.

What is Oud?

Agarwood starts pale and almost scentless. When a storm, insect or fungus wounds the trunk, the tree floods the injury with dark, sticky resin. Over years the wood darkens to chocolate and sinks in water.

Traditional Uses

Unani physicians called ood hot and dry, using it as a warming aromatic for the stomach and the heart. In many Muslim homes, burning oud marks Friday prayers, Eid, weddings, and welcomes guests.

Why It Costs So Much

Only the wounded, infected heartwood fills with resin, and that’s a tiny fraction of each tree. It can take many years for enough resin to develop, and workers must hand-scrape the pale wood chip by chip, leaving only the richest pieces.

Price per kilogram

Current market price hovers around two lakh rupees per kilogram of raw chips.

Export value

The first legal Assam export fetched two point three five crore rupees for a hundred kilograms.

Real vs Fake

Most perfume bottles list a synthetic oud accord, which is fine if priced accordingly. Tricks include pale wood painted with dark oil, cheap carrier oils diluting real oud, and weighted chips that hide low resin content.

Safe Use Tips

Burn a small chip or a quarter cake for a few minutes, then extinguish. Ventilate the room with a window or fan, and keep the burner away from children, asthma sufferers, curtains, and flammable fabrics.

The one safe tip

The most important safety tip: always dilute oud oil before skin contact. One drop in five milliliters of a neutral carrier works well. Patch test on forearm and wait 48 hours.

Like, subscribe and comment

Useful? Like and subscribe, and tell us in the comments what we should check next.

Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.

Nothing on The Care Online is medical advice. Traditional practices are described as tradition, not as fact. Take a persistent or serious concern to a qualified professional. See how videos and posts are made on our methodology page.