At its core you need wood chips or a binding base (such as gum arabic or a charcoal blend), scented oils or attars — commonly oud oil, musk or floral oils — and resins like frankincense or benzoin for added depth, plus enough time to let the blend properly absorb and dry before burning.

How these ingredients work together

The wood or charcoal base acts as the material that actually burns and carries the scent, while the oils and attars provide the fragrance itself, soaked in gradually so the wood absorbs rather than just sits wet with oil. Resins like frankincense or benzoin are often added for extra complexity and a slower, longer-lasting burn, rounding out what would otherwise be a fairly one-dimensional scent from oil alone.

  • Wood chips or a charcoal/gum arabic base
  • Scented oils or attars — oud, musk or floral
  • Resins such as frankincense or benzoin for depth and a slower burn
  • Time for the blend to properly absorb before use

Sourcing genuinely good-quality oud oil or musk for a homemade blend can be trickier than it sounds, since quality varies enormously between suppliers, so it’s worth buying from a retailer you already trust for your everyday fragrance too.

Our complete guide to bakhoor and our complete guide to perfume go through this process in more detail, and our bakhoor collection is worth exploring for inspiration on finished blends.