Everything You Need To Know About Attar
Everything You Need To Know About Attar
A good fragrance is a powerful cocktail of memories!
The saying turns out to be true when we think of the magical scent- Attar. As you take a walk through the fragrance obsessed culture of Arab, the whiff of attar will pull you. Rose, Agarwood, Mogra, or Khus are a few that you know, other foreign fragrances have been added to the list. When you scout around for the special one, you will find hundreds of fragrances that may suit your palette. But, one thing that confuses and challenges many is the originality of the attar for which you should have a knack of it.
In this blog, we are going to discuss all the important aspects of attar so that you can find the one that you would love to include in your panoply. So, let’s begin.
What is Attar?
Attar or Ittar is an Arabic word derived out of a Persian word called “Itir.” It is used for natural perfume oil which is derived from different botanical sources. These sources may include flowers, herbs, spices, or barks, out of which the oil is distilled naturally that later on qualify as Attar. Attar is being aged naturally into a wood base typically sandalwood after being extracted from the source. The ageing period may vary from one to ten years depending, on the botanical source, from which it is extracted.
Types of Attar
When it comes to attars, they may be classified into four broad categories that include floral, herbal, warm, and cool. So, let’s take a look at the detailed explanation of all four.
Floral Attars – Floral attars are the ones that are manufactured from single species of flower. They include:
- Gulab ex Rosa damascena or Rosa Edword
- Kewra ex Pandanus odoratissimus
- Motia ex Jasminum sambac
- Gulhina ex lawsonia inermis
- Chameli ex Jasminum grandiflorum
- Kadam ex Anthocephalus cadamba
Herbal Attars – Herbal attars are the ones which are produced from natural herbs. This category of attars can be manufactured from a combination of floral, herbal & spices. Hina and its various forms are the best example for this that include Shamama, Shamam –tul – Amber, Musk Amber and Musk Hina.
Apart from this, there is another category of attars which is neither floral nor herbal. It is called as attar mitti falls that is produced by distillation of baked earth over the base material.
Now comes the attars that are classified based on their effect on the human body such as
Warm Attars – Attars that particularly increase the human temperature fall under this category. It includes attars such as Musk, Amber, Kesar (Saffron), and Oud. These are specifically used in winters to maintain the body heat in the chilling weather.
Cool Attars – Cool attars are the ones that have a cooling effect on the human body. These types of attars include Rose, Jasmine, Khus, Kewda, and Mogra. These are used in summers to cool down the body and maintain its temperature in the scorching heat.
Uses of Attar
This magical scented oil has always been popular in the elite class, specifically kings and queens. You would also find its use in many Hindu temples in India. Considering its qualities, it is used in numerous ways:
- Many people; especially, in the elite Muslim world, use it as a personal fragrance as it doesn’t contain alcohol.
- These are also used for specific purposes in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Natural attar oil or essence of Rose and Kewra are particularly used in traditional sweets of Pakistan, and Indian Bengali sweets to impart flavour.
- Due to its magical powers to captivate you, the attar is used in aromatherapy.
- Attar has a deep impact on people’s minds. This is the reason it is used as a tranquiliser that enhances the mood.
- Apart from this, it has a comprehensive range of applications right from healthcare to simple usage as a fragrant.
Storage and Shelf Life
As we have read above, attars smell best when they are old because years of ageing makes them more aromatic. So, conclusively we can say that attars have no expiration date; instead, they have a longer shelf life as compared to synthetic perfumes.
Where to Get the Best Quality Attar?
It could be tricky to pick the best quality of attar as it involves many aspects, which makes it an overwhelming exercise for you. Well, it may require you to know everything about attar right from the raw materials used to the best brands. Moreover, your personal choices also play a significant role in choosing the best attar, for which you would need a meticulous shopping approach. Here, considering the established brands is important. One such brand is Boutique Nour Al Houda, where you will get the high-end durable scented attar oils.
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