What Is Bakhoor and How Do You Burn It?

Bakhoor is one of the oldest ways of bringing fragrance into a home. Across the Arabian Gulf it is burned to welcome guests, to scent clothes and hair after bathing, and to mark occasions such as Eid and weddings, and it has long been part of homes in India too. If you have walked into a room filled with warm, sweet, woody smoke, there is a good chance bakhoor was burning. This guide explains what bakhoor is, what you need to burn it and how to use it safely.

What is bakhoor?

Bakhoor (also spelt bukhoor or bakhour) is scented wood chips. The chips are soaked in fragrant oils and blended with ingredients such as resins, musk, amber and sugar, then left to absorb them. When the chips are heated, they release a rich, fragrant smoke that lingers in the air and in fabric.

Bakhoor is not worn on the skin. It is for scenting spaces, clothes and hair. Many blends are built around oud, the precious resin-soaked agarwood explained in our guide to oud.

Bakhoor, incense sticks and attar: the difference

• Bakhoor is loose scented wood chips, heated on charcoal or an electric burner. It gives a dense, rich smoke and lets you control how much you burn.
• Incense sticks burn on their own once lit, releasing a gentler stream of scent over a longer time. Simpler, with no burner needed.
• Attar is a perfume oil worn on the skin. See our guide to applying attar.

What you need

• A burner. Traditionally a mabkhara, a decorative burner with a bowl on top. Any heatproof incense burner works.
• A heat source. Either a quick-lighting charcoal disc or an electric bakhoor burner.
• Tongs for handling hot charcoal.
• Bakhoor. A piece about the size of a fingernail is enough to start.

How to burn bakhoor with charcoal

1. Place the burner on a stable, heatproof surface in a ventilated room, away from curtains and anything flammable.
2. Holding the charcoal disc with tongs, light its edge until it begins to spark across the surface.
3. Set the charcoal in the burner and wait until it is glowing and covered with a thin layer of grey ash. This usually takes a few minutes.
4. Place a small piece of bakhoor on top. It will begin to smoke and release its scent almost immediately.
5. Add another small piece when the scent fades. A little goes a long way.

How to use an electric bakhoor burner

Electric burners heat the chips without an open flame or charcoal. They produce less smoke, are easier to control and are more convenient for everyday use indoors. Place the bakhoor on the heating plate, switch it on and let it warm. Switch it off once the room is scented.

How to scent your clothes, hair and home

• Your home. Burn bakhoor for a few minutes and let the smoke drift through the room. The scent stays in soft furnishings for hours.
• Your clothes. Hold a garment above the burner at a safe distance so the smoke passes through the fabric, or hang clothes in a room where bakhoor has been burning. This is a traditional way to scent clothes before an occasion.
• Your hair. Traditionally, the smoke is allowed to pass through freshly washed hair. Keep the burner well away from your hair and never lean over an open flame or hot charcoal.
• Layering. For a fragrance that lasts all day, scent your clothes with bakhoor and wear a matching attar on your skin.

Safety tips

• Never leave burning bakhoor or charcoal unattended.
• Keep the burner out of reach of children and pets.
• Burn in a ventilated room, and avoid small, closed spaces.
• Always handle charcoal with tongs; the burner itself gets very hot.
• Let the ash cool completely before throwing it away.

How to store bakhoor

Keep bakhoor in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. This stops the oils from drying out and keeps the chips fragrant for longer.

Our bakhoor and incense

Our bakhoor comes in 250g and 500g packs, including Bukhoor Malaki, Bukhoor Arais, Bukhoor Khas and Bukhoor Al Layl. If you prefer something simpler, our incense sticks, such as Oud Zafran and Oud Vanilla, need no burner at all.