Attars

Attars are traditional Indian perfume oils made by ancient perfume artisans. True attars were once obtained by slow hydrodistillation of flowers, roots, spices, and herbs into a base of sandalwood oil. Distillation of complex attars could take anywhere from 3 months to several years. The use of the sandalwood oil base was to act as a fixative for fragile scents that would otherwise lose their delicate floral notes too quickly. The scent of the distilled botanicals becomes one with the sandalwood, creating a unique, rich, sensual blend of notes that surprisingly gets better with age.

Attars were used by royalty and were offered as gifts to the gods before they eventually became part of commercial perfumery. The attars that we provide are true. True attars are difficult to acquire due to the rising cost of sandalwood oil, the emergence of an infinite number of synthetic aromatic compounds and the decreasing number of skilled artisans.

Our 100% pure steam distilled attars are produced by modern, more efficient methods. They, however, still retain their complex, mesmerizing aromas. Pure attars can be extended using jojoba or fractionated coconut oils. The diluted blends can then be used to create perfumes or to fragrance skin care products. Use these oils sparingly, allowing them to blend and cure before adding additional drops.