Again to the fore is the issue of adulteration and fraud in sourcing materials. This time it is about oud and agarwood. A client of mine has sent me a message that they spent a small fortune on oud and agarwood from a source recommended to them, or someone they chose to trust, and have discovered that they have been robbed. One seller, when confronted with the facts of having bought cheap oud from Aliexpress and passing it off and reselling it as much more expensive oud, actually turned off their store in response, which is a good indication it was a sham business out to fleece as many people as possible. My guess is that the seller was new to the business of oud and agarwood, was gravely inexperienced, and had no clue that there is an entire lifestyle among oudies that defies this type of thievery and fraud. Firstly, the cost of these materials is insane, so it stands to reason that the repercussions of selling fakes would be met with more than the average amount of disgust and outrage. This very same thing happens with almost ALL naturally sourced materials these days, and I imagine has always happened. I know I sound like a broken record, but I must, again, bring up the fact that every time a group of students (NPA) sends their final perfume submissions, there are among them one or two who send perfumes with fake oils. This isn't their fault, of course. It's the fault of those sellers who knowingly, or not, sell fakes. The key is education. Simple as that. Educate the seller about their clients and the materials they sell; educate the student to learn the difference between authentic and fake. One little trick I now use to teach my students, at NPA or in-person study, is to study the fakes. In my experience, the two most commonly used fakes are heliotropin and hydroxycitronellal (Laurine). They are pretty smells, soft and sweet, hydroxycitronellal being softly floral, lily-of-the-valley specifically, and heliotropin (Piperonal) sweet like marshmallow and vanilla. These, in combination with others, are what pass over my desk at least twice a year.
Now to toss the scent strips with Piperonal and Laurine before this buzzing in my ears becomes a migraine.
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