Saffron

Saffron is a highly valued ingredient in attar making due to its rich, warm, and slightly sweet aroma. It adds depth and complexity to fragrances and acts as a natural fixative, enhancing the longevity of other scent components. Often blended with sandalwood oil, saffron is used in luxurious attars like Kesar Attar and also complements traditional blends featuring oud, musk, or amber. In addition to its aromatic qualities, saffron holds cultural and therapeutic significance in Unani and Ayurvedic practices, believed to uplift mood and calm the mind. Its rarity and prestige make it a symbol of opulence in perfumery, even when used in small amounts.  

Sandalwood

Sandalwood plays a central role in attar making, primarily as a base or carrier oil due to its ability to absorb and preserve the aromatic essence of other ingredients. Its own fragrance is smooth, woody, creamy, and long-lasting, which blends harmoniously with a wide range of floral, herbal, and resinous notes. Sandalwood not only enhances the richness and depth of attars but also acts as a natural fixative, helping the fragrance last longer on the skin. Traditionally valued in Ayurvedic and spiritual practices, it is also believed to have calming and grounding effects, making it both a practical and sacred choice in perfumery.  

Rose

Rose is one of the most cherished ingredients in attar making, valued for its sweet, floral, and romantic fragrance. It serves as a primary note in many traditional attars like Gulab Attar, where rose petals are distilled—often into sandalwood oil—to create a soft, elegant scent. Rose not only adds freshness and beauty to a blend but also balances stronger ingredients like oud or musk. In traditional medicine and perfumery, rose is believed to have cooling, soothing, and heart-opening properties, making it popular for both emotional and spiritual well-being. Its timeless appeal and versatility make it a staple in natural perfumery.  

Herbs

Herbs play an essential role in attar making due to their natural aromatic properties. They are often used as a primary source of fragrance or as supporting notes in the perfume blend. Herbs like basil, rosemary, lavender, and patchouli provide rich, earthy, and refreshing scents that enhance the overall composition of the attar. Additionally, some herbs act as natural fixatives, helping the fragrance last longer on the skin. Their therapeutic qualities also add a subtle wellness aspect to attars, making them both fragrant and soothing.

Essential oils

Essential oils are the foundation of attar making, providing the natural fragrance and character of the perfume. Extracted from flowers, herbs, woods, and spices, they offer rich, long-lasting aromas that evolve beautifully over time. Common oils used include rose, jasmine, vetiver, and sandalwood. These oils are blended to create layers of scent—top, middle, and base notes—giving depth and complexity to the attar. Sandalwood oil is often used as a fixative, helping preserve the fragrance for years. Essential oils also offer therapeutic benefits, making attars both aromatic and holistic.  

Clay

  In attar making, clay (especially baked clay or 'mitti') is used to create the famous Mitti Attar, also known as the scent of rain. This unique attar captures the earthy aroma of soil after the first rain—called petrichor. To make it, clay is baked and then distilled using the traditional hydro-distillation process with sandalwood oil. The porous nature of clay helps absorb and release subtle, natural earthy scents, which are transferred into the sandalwood base. This process results in a grounding, calming fragrance that is 100% natural and deeply nostalgic.