Not all perfumes are the same! Some are florals, some are aquatics. Some are trendy, some are classy. But the pricing makes all the distinction.

Have you ever wondered what makes some perfumes so expensive? The secret is in their ingredients. Let’s unveil some of the most expensive ingredients in the world that are incorporated into creating tempting fragrances. 

Most expensive perfume ingredients of the world

Oudh

Also known as Agarwood oil as it is obtained from the wood of a wild tropical tree called agar, Oudh is sometimes known as oud.

It is incredibly precious because only two percent of the agar trees produce agarwood oil. ‘Phialophora Parasitica’ a type of mold that infects the agarwood and works to produce a dark-colored intensely fragrant resin which is called the oud.

The ingredient is one of the most expensive in the world because of its high demand, rarity, and painstaking labor work. It is said that it has 1.5 times the worth of gold, therefore some fragrance experts also referred to it as liquid gold.

For centuries it is popular in the Middle East and some brands are also selling Oudh perfumes in the West in huge quantities.

It ranges from AUD 38,000 – 56,000 per kg because of the depletion of Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees.

Orris

The oil of the orris bulb is one of the top three most expensive perfume ingredients in the world, perfume archivist James Craven claims the same. Why? Because of painstaking labor to get the stuff- rhizomes the roots of purple Iris flower are dried for three years, powdered, and distilled with steam. All the huge headaches for little yield. About one ton of iris plant bulbs of 2 to 5 years age is needed to produce two kilos (i.e about 4.4 pounds) of essential oil.

It ranges from AUD 38,000 – 53,000 per kilo.

Ambergris

Ambergris is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients in the world, and no wonder, it is obtained from the intestine of the sperm whales. Not kidding! The rarity is not the only reason for its high price but also its heaviness- weigh on the skin and lipophilic- holding together scent molecule- properties. Its price ranges AUD 11,000 – 66,000 per kg.

Jasmine

Around 80 percent of women’s perfumes contain jasmine and its synthetic versions, but real jasmine oil is expensive.

Approximately 2000 pounds of jasmine flowers are required to obtain one pound of oil. About 8000 jasmine flowers produce 1/25 ounce absolute oil. The oil is highly concentrated, which makes it most precious. Because of the extreme quantity of wastage, the requirement of flowers to produce oil makes the jasmine oil incredibly expensive.

Upon that, jasmine flowers are so fragile that you would need some special baskets to safeguard their petals.

Other top expensive ingredients are sandalwood oil, authentic musk from a musk pod, and Bulgarian rose. If you are looking for real, authentic, and natural fragrance perfumes, find them all at Al Haramain.