Is Oud the Same as Agarwood?

Not quite. Agarwood is the resin-infused wood itself, while oud is the term used for the fragrant oil or material distilled and extracted from that wood. In everyday trade language the two words get used almost interchangeably, but strictly speaking one is the raw material and the other is the product.

Why the Terms Get Mixed Up

Agarwood only becomes valuable once a tree in the Aquilaria family is wounded or infected and produces a dark, aromatic resin in self-defence. Traders sell that resin-dense wood as agarwood chips, and they sell the oil distilled from it, or the wood burned as incense, as oud. So you might buy “agarwood chips” for a burner and “oud oil” for skin, and both trace back to the same tree, just at different stages of processing.

Does It Matter Which Word Is Used?

For a buyer, not enormously, but it helps to know that “wild agarwood oud” refers to oil from naturally infected trees, which is rarer and pricier than plantation-grown material. Our complete guide to oud goes into the different grades and origins in far more depth, and sits within our complete guide to perfume if you want the bigger picture.