What are Agarwood chips, and what are they used for?

What are Agarwood chips?

Agarwood chips are pieces of resin that come from the Aquilaria tree. Aquilaria trees produce resin in response to injury, and this resin is what gives Agarwood its unique scent.

The Aquilaria tree is native to Southeast Asia, and Agarwood has been used in traditional medicine and burnt as incense for centuries.

Agarwood chips can be used to make a variety of different products, including incense, oils, and ointments. When burned, Agarwood chips release a sweet, woody smoke that is said to have relaxing properties.

When used in perfume or candles, Agarwood adds a warm, rich scent that is perfect for creating a cozy ambience. Whether you're looking for a natural way to relax or want to enjoy the unique scent of Agarwood, chips are a great way to enjoy the benefits of this amazing tree.

The use of Agarwood chips and its benefits

Use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)  and Indian Ayurvedic (I A)

In folk medicine, TCM and I A, the practitioners use Agarwood to treat various health problems, including fever, cough, and diarrhea.

In the book of Herbal Medicine in India,  Dr. Saikat Sen and Dr. Raja Chakraborty mentioned some of the Agarwood usage in Ayurveda,

The medicinal oil of Aguru was used by Sushruta to heal ulcers, wounds, ringworm, and chronic skin diseases.

The decoction of Paathaa (Cissampelos pareira) and Aguru in polyurea is also known to be effective. Ashtaanga Hridaya states that a mixture of Aguru powder and honey relieves cough while the incense of Aguru provides relief from hiccough and asthma.

Additionally, the herb is known to have tonic properties which work like an aphrodisiac.

Lavangaadi Churna is a classical product that is available and recommended for people with conditions like anorexia, indigestion, diarrhoea, polyurea, internal tumours, and asthma.

In Unani medicine, Agarwood Hindi is a tonic for the intestines. It is also an effective deobstruent, demulcent, and sedative.

Deobstruent: A substance that helps to clear blockages in the body, such as congestion in the chest or intestines.

Demulcent: A substance that soothes and protects irritated or inflamed tissue.

Classical compounds such as Jawarish-e-Ood shireen and jawarish-e-Ood tursh are used to treat conditions such as indigestion, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

For an asthmatic attack, Unani physicians give one or two drops of Agarwood oil with betel leaf (Piper betle). The betal-leaf smeared with the oil of Oud Hindi is given like any other pouch of the betal- leaf, for retaining inside the mouth, to achieve retentive and aphrodisiac benefits. For its aromatic and sedative properties Oud Hindi is also used as a mood elevator.

Agarwood is not easily accessible even at 80,000 Rupees per kilogram (around 1000 USD per kg) , and the oil or attar is too expensive for physicians in India.

You can read more about Agarwood usage in Ayurveda here

Burn as incense

Agarwood chips have a long history of use in daily rituals and religious ceremonies. For example, in many Islamic cultures, agarwood chips are used during the Friday Prayer and also during wedding celebrations. The wood is burned as incense, and the smoke is thought to purify the mind and body.

By slowly burning agarwood chips, you can release a divine scent that can fill an ample space with an aromatic woody ambience. This makes them ideal for use in religious ceremonies and other settings where incense is traditionally used.

Thinking of using incense at weddings?

Incense is often used in weddings as a way to create a relaxing and spiritual atmosphere. It can help to set the mood for the ceremony and make the space feel more special.

When used in wedding ceremonies, Agarwood chips can add a touch of luxury and refinement. The smoke from the burning chips creates a beautiful and aromatic atmosphere, perfect for creating a romantic setting. Agarwood is also said to have therapeutic properties, so using it in weddings can be a way to enjoy its benefits.

In the Holy Qu'ran, The Prophet (peace be upon him) is known to have burned Oudh sticks and encouraged others to do the same. Therefore, it is Islamic culture to burn incense such as bakhoor and Oudh. Furthermore, Abdullah bin Umar stated that the Prophet not only used to burn Agarwood for fragrance but also a mixture of camphor and Oudh.

Photo by ali burhan from Pexels: 

The traditions recorded by Imam Bukhari show that the Prophet's Masjid (peace be upon him) was often perfumed with burning oudh sticks. The Prophet advised people to perfume the deceased with bakhoor, saying that it should be done three times.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also advised that the Masjid be perfumed with bakhoor and scented, especially on Friday prayers session. In this regard, Aisha (R.A) reports that the Prophet ordered that Masajids be built in residential areas and they should clean and perfume them. It is narrated Abdullah would burn incense when Umar would sit on the Mimbar to give his sermon.

Muslim brides scent their clothes and hair with incense, and Oud (Agarwood) could be the preferred choice as the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged it.

Nha Trang Agarwood on charchoal. The smoke from the wood chips can be used to scent clothes

Clothes can be placed in the rack. Smoke from the heated Agarwood chips in the censer will cast aroma on the garments. 

Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. The goal of Feng Shui is to create harmony and balance in one's environment.

Feng shui elements have both productive and destructive cycles.

Wood is the element of growth and expansion. It represents the direction of the east and the season of spring. In Feng Shui, wood is associated with the qualities of fertility, growth, and new beginnings.

In the productive cycle, wood strengthens the fire element.

Fire is associated with the south area of a space or room and symbolizes summertime, energy, and activity. The element of fire is said to represent vitality, enthusiasm, and creativity. The colour red is often used to symbolize fire.

Burning incense involves Fire and Wood elements. Wood fuels the fire so burning Agarwood incense will bring positive energy and enthusiasm to your living place. In addition, it also makes a room smell nice and creates a calm atmosphere.

If you're looking to add some wood energy to your home, using agarwood chips can be a great way to do it. The chips can help to promote growth and new beginnings in your life, and they also have a pleasant woody scent that can help to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Agarwood is often used in Feng Shui because of its ability to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere. It brings blessings to your house and gets rid of negative energy. Agarwood is also said to be good for your health, so using it in Feng Shui can be a way to enjoy its benefits.

Pulverised as an incense powder

People have different tastes, so sometimes, to make the aroma "flavourful", incense makers will add other ingredients that harmonise with Agarwood.

The purpose is to create something new and smell great.

Some incense makers prefer to use pure wood powder without adding fragrance oils, including essential oils. Reason: essential oils are potent and, when burnt, will have some bitter notes.

To create incense powder for incense artisans, Agarwood growers or incense makers will pulverise Agarwood chips to make Agarwood powder that can be used in incense making.

To distil Pure Agarwood Oil.

Agarwood chips are often ground before tuning them into pure oil distillates, which are used in various religious rituals: weddings, funerals, religious talks, and prayers.

In recent years, perfumes and candles have been marketed they contain Oud.

The challenge: it is hard to know if there is any genuine Oud oil used.

To appreciate this aroma, I think it is a good idea to try the oil in pure form. What you will get out of it is

• You know if you really like oud oil or not.
• You will also appreciate the skill of the perfumers because they can incorporate oud in their perfumes which is not an easy job. You will appreciate them even more because they have gone through trials and errors before releasing their perfume in the markets for you to try.

When you try Agarwood oil or Agarwood perfume, keep the above in mind, and you will enjoy Oud even more.

Agarwood oil is distilled with Agarwood chips or extracted via Co2 with Agarwood powder as the sole ingredient.

Why should you choose Grandawood as your Agarwood chips supplier?

You are free to choose anyone you like, and there are a lot of good sellers out there.

But there is also a lot of bad one.

Usually, you only learn after you try their products.

So allow me to stay biased; I will let you know some reasons to choose Grandawood as your agarwood chips supplier.

For starters, my family grows our trees. My family have a large plantation, and we do not do it alone. We also partner with other Agarwood farmers like us. It means we have access to more than 1 plantation.

This also means that my team can control the quality of the wood because we have choices and ensure the standard before they come to you.

I cannot guarantee you will love the smell because this is a personal preference. However, I can guarantee that Grandawood Agarwood chips are genuine without any other wood. If somehow you can prove the product is counterfeit, I will refund 2 x money back. It means for every $1 you spend, I will pay you $2 if our products are counterfeit.

So why wait? Contact us today to learn more about our agarwood chips and how they can benefit your life and your rituals.