Oudh – or agarwood – is the most precious and expensive wood used in perfumery: the wood mostly grows in India, Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia and Brunei – but it’s not simply a case of planting more trees. The wood itself is left to mature (or rather, to rot) for hundreds of years before it gives up its fragrance to perfumery and incense-making. ‘We like to use natural elements at CREED, so a synthetic version is not an option for us.’