Bakhoor or Scent Diffuser? How to Get an Oud Scent at Home Without Smoke

Quick answer: bakhoor is wood chips soaked in fragrant oils and burned on charcoal or an electric burner. It gives a strong, traditional scent, makes smoke, and lasts about as long as it burns. A cold-air scent diffuser turns oud diffuser oil into a fine, dry mist with no heat, flame or smoke, and runs on a schedule you set. Many homes in the UAE use both: bakhoor for guests and special occasions, a diffuser for an everyday oud scent in the background.

What bakhoor is

Bakhoor (also written bukhoor) is wood chips, often agarwood (oud), soaked in fragrant oils and perfume. It is burned in a mabkhara, the traditional incense burner, either on a piece of hot charcoal or on an electric burner. The fragrant smoke scents the room and is often wafted over clothes and through the majlis when guests arrive.

Bakhoor is part of hospitality across the Gulf, and nothing replaces it on an occasion. For a home that should smell of oud every day, though, burning bakhoor several times a day is a lot of work. That is where a scent diffuser comes in.

How a cold-air scent diffuser is different

A cold-air (waterless) scent diffuser uses air pressure to break diffuser oil into a fine, dry mist. There is no heat, no water and no flame, so nothing burns and there is no smoke or ash to clean up. You pour the oil into the machine's bottle as supplied, set the hours and the intensity, and the diffuser keeps the scent even across the room for as long as it is switched on.

Bakhoor and a scent diffuser, side by side

Practical points when you burn bakhoor

• Never leave a lit burner or hot charcoal unattended, and keep it away from children, curtains and fabrics.
• Open a window or run the air-conditioning on fresh air for a few minutes afterwards.
• Bakhoor smoke can set off a smoke alarm, so do not burn it right under one.
• Let the burner cool fully before you clean it.

Choosing an oud oil for a diffuser

Scentivo's diffuser oils are made for cold-air diffusers. These are the oud and warm, woody scents in the range:

If you are new to oud in a diffuser, start with White Oud, the softest of the three, on a low intensity, and turn it up if the scent is too light. For a small room or a shelf, the Ebony Agarwood Automatic Mist Diffuser (rich agarwood and ebony with a smoky depth) needs no setting up. For washrooms, the Oudy air freshener spray works in an automatic dispenser.

Do not put bakhoor, oud perfume oil or attar into a scent diffuser. Thick or resin-heavy oils can clog the atomising head. Use oils made for diffusers, and ask us first if you want to try another oil.

Which diffuser for which space

• A living room, majlis or bedroom: the ASH 200 (200 ml oil bottle, up to 500 m²), the NOIRSYNC (200 ml, made for living rooms, lounges and offices, with a touch screen) or the S200A, a desktop diffuser for up to 1,000 sq ft that uses about 1 ml of oil an hour.
• The whole villa: an HVAC diffuser connected to the air-conditioning ducts scents every room from one machine. The PUREVENT 1010 covers up to 5,000 m³. See all whole-home diffusers.

One way to use both: set the diffuser to start an hour before guests arrive, then light bakhoor when they come in.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put bakhoor or oud perfume oil in a scent diffuser?

No. A cold-air diffuser needs an oil made for diffusing. Bakhoor is solid and perfume oils are often thick, and both can block the atomising head. Use a diffuser oil such as White Oud, So Oud or Mysterious Oud.

Is an electric bakhoor burner the same as a scent diffuser?

No. An electric burner replaces the charcoal but still heats the bakhoor, so it still makes smoke. A cold-air diffuser uses no heat at all: it turns oil into a dry mist.

Does a scent diffuser make smoke?

No. A cold-air diffuser has no flame and burns nothing. It releases a fine mist of oil that you will smell rather than see.

Can I scent the whole villa with oud?

Yes. An HVAC scent diffuser connected to the air-conditioning spreads the scent through the ducts to every room. Ask us to check which machine suits the size of your home.

How long does a bottle of oud diffuser oil last?

It depends on the machine, the intensity and the hours it runs each day. As a guide, the S200A uses about 1 ml an hour. See our guide to diffusers and diffuser oils for more.

Smell the oud oils before you choose

Visit our store at Office No. S208B, Block T, Karama Shopping Complex, Al Karama, Dubai, every day from 10 am to 9 pm, or browse the diffuser oils and scent diffuser machines online.