Dehn al oud: how to wear it without overdoing it

Dehn al oud is the distilled oil, not the wood. It is far more concentrated than any spray, and it is the one fragrance where using more genuinely makes the result worse.

One drop, on skin, not cloth

Wrist, behind the ear, or the base of the neck. Skin is warm, and that warmth is what opens the oil through the day. On cloth it sits flat and it stains.

Never rub

Rubbing your wrists together breaks the top of the oil and you lose the opening entirely. Put it on and leave it. It will find its own way over the next hour.

Put it on before you dress

Give it a few minutes on bare skin before the thobe goes on. It settles better and you avoid marking the fabric.

A single tola, used this way, lasts most people months. Come and smell the grades at the branch before you choose one.