WHAT IS AGARWOOD?
Agarwood is a resinous wood from a tree species named Aquilaria that belongs to the family of Thymelaeaceae. What made Agarwood unique is that when infected or stressed by a certain micro-organism, the tree produced a special resin or dammar to fight against the infection to survive.
Agarwood has been listed as an endangered species under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Due to its demand and high value, many illegal loggings of Agarwood have taken place, especially in the plant’s natural habitats, mainly in India and Southeast Asia.
Since ages ago, Agarwood has been used for numerous purposes. However, due to its uniqueness and rarity, only the aristocrats and the elites could afford to enjoy the benefits of Agarwood back then.
Even today, the market value of Agarwood is still quite high. As the most expensive wood in the world, its price has always been compared to gold. This has led to it being dubbed the Liquid Gold, especially by the Agarwood collectors. And yes, the Agarwood, be it in liquid or solid forms, has long been regarded as collectible items, particularly for its fans from all around the world.
In fact, the Agarwood is also known as the Wood of Gods. One of the reasons is that the utilization of this special wood has been recorded since centuries ago in scriptures, manuscripts, and archaeological evidence of every major religion in the world. It had been recorded in the Egyptian archaeological findings, the texts of Mahabharata, the Nirvana Sutra, the Old Testament, the Materia Medica, the Quran, and the Hadiths. (Economic Botany, Arlene Lopez-Sampson and Tony Page).
USES OF AGARWOOD
The ancient Egyptians are believed to be the first users of Agarwood. Their infamous Queen Cleopatra had used it as part of her beauty regime and as perfume. And, it was also used in the Pharaoh’s death ritual during embalmment prior to the mummification.
Mostly known as Aloeswood in Europe, traces of Agarwood could be seen used by the ancient Greeks and Romans too. As incense, the Greeks and Romans used it for festival celebrations, religious processions, and prayers.
The Hindus and Buddhists have also been lighting up Agarwood incense from years ago until now for their religious rites and festivals. They have also included the resin as one of the ingredients in some of their Ayurvedic treatments and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It is believed that Agarwood was brought to the Middle East through the Silk Road. As recorded in Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad had once said that Agarwood could cure seven illnesses. He had also encouraged his followers to wear the Agarwood perfumed oil, mostly known as Attar for prayers, especially on Friday. It has also been practiced until now that the holy Kaaba and the grand mosque in Mecca are fumigated and perfumed with Agarwood 10 times a day with a total of 60kg of Agarwood (Saudi Gazette).
Today, the Agarwood is mainly used for;
perfume
incense and aromatherapy
traditional medicine, and
religious rites
BENEFITS OF AGARWOOD
In the Asian traditional medical practice and treatment, Agarwood is believed to assist in;
relieving stuck energy, particularly in the digestive system
warming up the stomach and stopping nausea
releasing flatulence and expelling gas through its carminative effect
helping with the respiratory system - treating pleurisy and relieving asthma
reducing skin redness, acne, swelling and puffiness
alleviating pain - helps to treat gout, rheumatism, and paralysis (it is known to have sedative and analgesic properties)
treating jaundice, liver and kidney problems
promoting the flow of Qi in our body
having a balancing effect on nervous and emotional disorders
helping our minds to focus and increasing memory
reducing anxiety and improving mood swings
stimulating blood circulation and rejuvenating the nervous system (especially for post-natal mothers)
There are many forms of raw Agarwood products - liquid and solid. The liquid form includes Agarwood essential oil and hydrosol. Meanwhile, the solid forms are wood chips, powder, beads, logs, and leaves.
The Agarwood hydrosol and essential oil are produced via the distillation process of the resinous part of the wood. After the distillation process, the Agarwood oils will go through an aging process through exposure to heat, UV light, and oxygen. This process is to enhance the woody aroma of the oil and induces the formation of Sesquiterpenoid content.
Agarwood Oil
Used as base notes for high-end perfumers - enhance perfume scent and make the fragrance last longer
It can be applied directly onto the skin as perfume (Attar) without carrier oil
Aromatherapists blend it with other essential oils to help with nervous and emotional disorders
Anti-oxidant - useful for skin anti-aging treatment
Anti-inflammatory - helps to treat acne, rashes, and other skin disease
Anti-bacteria - can be used as the first layer of protection for wound
Relieves epilepsy - calming mind and nerves
Alleviate pain - rheumatism, gout, and body aches
Mixed with water as astringent to freshen breath
The resinous solid part of the wood is dark in color. It is noticeably separated from the non-resinous parts which are mostly white or ivory. The resinous parts will be chipped out from the rest of the wood through a process known as cleaning. Until today this task can only be done by human hands, thus making the process require meticulous attention and become quite tedious.
The cleansed Agarwood wood chips will then be separated according to size and resin density. Some are grinded to become powder for incense, some become beads for accessories and some will remain as wood chips. Amazingly and by luck, the natural formation of the resin could resemble natural objects like birds, vines, trees, and flowers. These can then be used as decorations or FengShui items and even pendants.
Agarwood Incense
Calm the nervous system
Expel negative energy
Brings alertness
Relieve anxieties
Improve motivation
Helps to focus during meditation
Improve memory
Sterilise and purify air
Enhance cerebral functions
Stimulate the growth of new neurons and synapses in the brain
Spiritually, it offers protection, success, prosperity and inner peace
Agarwood Woodchips and Beads
Boiled as tea for recovery of energy after birth
Beads can be made into Tasbeeh, Mala, and rosary to increase focus when meditating and praying
The wood dust can be used as Bakhoor (a type of Arabic incense). It is commonly burned during religious ceremonies and gatherings.
Burning of Agarwood wood chips can deter lice, fleas, and mosquitoes.
In some Malay cultures, the Agarwood wood dust is sprinkled at gravesites as a sign of respect for the dead.
Some Agarwood pieces (called Gaharu Merupa) resemble figures of nature, living organisms, and mythical creatures like trees, clouds, birds, fish, dragons, and auspicious writings are recognized as natural art, decorations, and Feng Shui items.
In Indian culture, Agarwood oil and wood are used at the funeral rites and cremation pyres.
In Japan, Agarwood is used in the Koh-Do Ceremony (Way of Fragrance) where the scent is appreciated highly by the Japanese aristocrats and Tokugawa Shogunate in ancient times.
BENEFICIAL ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN AGARWOOD
The research and study on Agarwood are still ongoing at universities and research centers around the world. For many years, the main focus of Agarwood has been biased toward the trunk, branches, and roots where the resin is mainly found. However, in the last decade, the leaves of Agarwood trees have been found to have a wide range of pharmacological properties that offer many benefits too.
Terpenoids
It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic activity.
It has antioxidant, neuro-protective, and immuno-modulatory activity.
It also has anxiolytic effects that help reduce anxiety, improve mood, relax your body, and calm your mind. - helps to protect the brain from damage caused by stress.
Agarwood tea contains no caffeine as it is a herbal infusion, and its unique substance will help you sleep better.
Cytotoxic, also referred to as anti-neoplastic
chemicals that kill or inhibit cell growth (These drugs are mainly used to treat cancer cells).
Genkwanin 5-0 Beta Primeveroside
Have a laxative effect that increases the contraction tension of the small intestine.
Drinking Agarwood tea eases bowel movement and alleviates constipation..
Plyphenol
Known to reduce cholesterol absorption in your body
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