Smoke rising to the heavens, clouds of sweet scent carrying a message to the gods. It’s an evocative image, and among the reasons why aromatics have been integral to medicinal and spiritual practices since prehistoric times.
Used as medicine, as well as a popular temple incense in Ancient Egypt, kyphi is the world’s first known perfume. Its historic recipe boasts more than a dozen components such as myrrh, frankincense and cinnamon—each with symbolic meanings for protection, introspection and healing. Frankincense, for instance, was believed to promote peace and harmony so was burned at weddings and religious celebrations. It was also used for embalming to ensure a tranquil afterlife.
Meanwhile, oud was a valuable commodity along international trade routes and became linked to the sacred in many cultures. It was used in spiritual practices by Tibetan monks for cleansing and inner peace, in Ayurveda to calm the thoughts, and in Islamic ritual during daily prayers and holy events.
Redolent with meaning, these modem elixirs tap into the fragrant history of meditation and healing.
1. Oud Satin Mood by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, CDN $435 / 70 mL
Since founding his own luxury house, the French Armenian perfumer has become known for opulence made wearable. That sensibility is exemplified here with his interpretation of calming oud caressed by an infusion of Damascena rose, used in Ancient Greek and Roman remedies and renowned for its calming properties.
2. Eucalyptus 20 by Le Labo, CDN $419 / 100 mL
Aboriginal healers in Australia traditionally use eucalyptus to relieve mental exhaustion. The camphorous cedarwood and eucalyptus combination of this uplifting musk offers a similar oasis. These two elements act like the sauna of an invigorating healing circuit’s cold plunge routine—or the aromatic equivalent of a ramble in the unremitting desert heat.
3. Mississippi Medicine by D.S. & Durga, CDN $300 / 100 mL
This Southern gothic-themed scent was inspired by the mingling of Catholic church rituals and research into the voodoo apothecary of the “proto-Mississippian death cult of the 1200s.” Translation: a bracing burst of rich birch tar and white spruce that mellows into a gentle incense drydown.
4. De Los Santos by Byredo, CDN $435 / 100 mL
Swedish-born Indian Canadian creative director Ben Gorham created this earthy scent as a tribute to healing from grief (both his once-estranged father and close friend Virgil Abloh had passed away). The grounding sage and temple incense draws on the intentionality of memorial rituals, such as Dia de los Muertos and All Saints’ Day in Latin America.
5. Oud Zarian by Creed, CDN $630 / 100 mL
Linked to the sacred in many cultures, oud yields a complex aroma, depending on the terroir of the Aquilaria tree it comes from-here, 80-year-old Jalali oud trees in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Creed’s elixir wraps it in protective and healing frankincense and myrrh, as well as tonka bean.
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