About Sandalwood Oil

Sandalwood (Santalum album) is perhaps best known in the west as a sweet, warm, rich and woody essential oil closely associated with the indigenous religious and spiritual traditions of India. For thousands of years is has been revered as an ingredient in fragrant products such as incense, perfumes, aftershaves, skin care and other cosmetics. Because sustainability has long been a major issue for this botanical, it is exciting to see other species of Santalum being cultivated, including Hawaiian Sandalwood (S. paniculatum), Australian Sandalwood (S. spicatum), New Caledonian Sandalwood (S. austrocaledonicum) and Red Sandalwood (Pterocarpus santolinus). To a well-trained nose, the essential oils from each Sandalwood species have distinct aromatic differences yet share most applications in aromatherapy and natural perfumery.

The Sandalwood Tree

Sandalwood oil, powder, carvings and other highly valued products are obtained from the heartwood of Santalum album, a member of the Santalaceae botanical family; it is a hemi-parasitic tree that obtains nutrients via its roots from several other plant species. It is also known as White Sandalwood, Mysore Sandalwood, East Indian Sandalwood, sandal, Chandan (Hindi), and tan xiang (Mandarin). S. album is an evergreen tree that grows up to 50 feet and occurs naturally in Eastern India, specifically in the states of Mysore, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It grows in dry and rocky terrain and reproduces by suckers and seeds. The environmental conditions this tree requires are rather specific and not completely understood. Thus, these requirements and the necessity of living off one or more host plants makes Sandalwood challenging to propagate. Even so, in recent decades, several other Santalum species as well as S. album have been cultivated in other Southeast Asian locations, including Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as Australia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu and others, where some very good quality Sandalwood essential oils are currently being produced – a positive development we celebrate!

Loved to Death or Saved by a Woylie?

One cannot discuss Sandalwood without expressing deep concern for the sustainability of the Santalum album species in India, as this rare tree and the oil from it have become targeted by poachers and illegal dealers. Listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List, the combination of high demand and a dwindling resource has led to a number of unfavorable results – among them, widespread adulteration, soaring prices and excessive removal of trees that would likely amount to species extermination.

In Australia, an annual quota of S. spicatum wood, wild harvested by Aboriginal groups and the Forest Products Commission (FPC), is licensed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW). The FPC, applying Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management, also receives an independent certification assuring that harvesting operations from these responsibly managed forests are sustainable. Australian Sandalwood has a tiny ally, the extremely rare woylie, a critically endangered desert marsupial in its own struggle to survive. The seed dispersion and planting behaviors of the woylies have long been observed for applying to ‘Operation Woylie’, the FPC-designed mechanized equipment that mimics this behavior, increasing germination and regeneration of hundreds of thousands of seedlings annually. Sandalwood lovers everywhere can look to Australia for the next decades’ production of sustainable growth where strict logging quotas do not exceed the natural regeneration capacity of the raw material.

Consider Your Cache of Sandalwood Oil

To help protect the vulnerable status of Santalum album trees, we no longer carry Indian Sandalwood essential oil, but are enthusiastic supporters of plantation grown S. album oils in Australia based on a highly commendable program of growing and managing Sandalwood forests. While most people assume that the iconic Mysore Sandalwood is superior to other Santalum species, this is not necessarily the case. Some S. album oils are more muted in aroma than others (and may be pre-diluted), while distillers from other states in India, Indonesia and elsewhere are beginning to produce some very fine specimens. It is important to point out that S. album oil specimens distilled in current years will perhaps never resemble the perfection of exquisitely aged oils produced as long as 50 to 60 years ago – nor should we expect them to. Old growth Sandalwood oils are a thing of the past, so it is best to meet the new Sandalwoods with an open nose and a new perspective. It is always advisable to compare several different species of Sandalwood oils or those from different bioregions to find the one(s) that are preferred, especially if purchasing over the internet where we are scent-deprived.

If a Sandalwood oil is found that pleases like no other, enough should be purchased to set some aside for aging – this oil will improve rather than degrade with age when properly stored – while the remainder should be used sparingly, mindfully, and with special gratitude to the Aussies and the woylies who work towards a more secure future for Sandalwood!

Extraction

Aromatically, the heartwood is the most precious part of the Sandalwood tree; the finest Sandalwood oil comes from the roots where the best heartwood is located. Older trees have more heartwood and are more highly prized compared to young sapwood trees that yield lower quality oils. Ultimately, the quality of the final Sandalwood oil depends on the grade of wood, the length of distillation time, and the experience of the distiller. Because thorough extraction of heavy sesquiterpene molecules requires long distillation times, Sandalwood, for example, due to its high sesquiterpene content, may require anywhere from 30 to 70 hours in the still. Hydrodistillation and steam-hydrodistillation are other methods of extraction that also yield Sandalwood oils with superior aromas.

Adulteration of Sandalwood Oil

Due to high demand, soaring prices and the relative scarcity of the genuine product, Sandalwood is one of the most often adulterated essential oils. Adulteration comes in many forms – this can easily be performed at almost any phase and by anyone from the distiller to the consumer. Adulteration and reconstruction of essential oils for mass market, however, are often done in the labs of the essential oil brokers. Dilution of a genuine essential oil may be done with a cheap carrier oil or solvent or by reconstruction using aroma chemicals, be they natural or synthetic. Some adulterations are easy to spot, while those performed by an expert with the right materials can be very difficult to detect. This is another reason why working with a trusted supplier is truly a great advantage.

There is another tree that yields an essential oil sometimes inaccurately called West Indian Sandalwood or Amyris (Amyris balsamifera). This tree, indigenous to Southern Florida in the US, Central and South America, Haiti, and other islands in the West Indies, is not at all related to the Santalum species. Amyris oil has been and is still often used to adulterate or extend Sandalwood oil, however, because of its Sandalwood-like aroma, it can be used as a far less costly substitute, especially in wash-off products such as soaps and for candles and incense.

In Aromatherapy

Sandalwood has a long history of traditional use throughout ancient India and China. But the essential oil is also a beloved staple of modern aromatherapists for topical preparations, chest rubs, room sprays, and meditation blends. Sandalwood oil is also a versatile choice for skin care and facial serums as it is well suited for all skin types, particularly dry and mature skin. Used before a yoga or meditation practice, in a full body massage blend, or in calming baths, Sandalwood’s warm embrace will not disappoint.

In Perfumery

Sandalwood essential oil is used extensively in natural perfumery as a valuable, precious base note and fixative. As such, this ultra-smooth oil helps slow down the evaporation rate of top notes – the lighter, more volatile aromas that tend to dissipate quickly – while acting as a foundation to support middle notes – the more complex and full-bodied aromas that generally form the theme or ‘heart’ of a perfume. As a harmonizing agent, Sandalwood oil graces and melds together the aromatic essence of all the other oils, adding a precious flourish without diminishing or overpowering them. Sandalwood has long held a special place in Indian perfumery, as it is central to the crafting of traditional attars (aka ‘ittar’); by distilling rare and/or difficult-to-distill plant oils into pure Sandalwood oil, they become exquisite, concentrated natural perfumes in an almost magical, intoxicating way.

In Spiritual / Ritual Use

Sandalwood in all its forms is used in many different ways in the spiritual traditions of the East, and is the iconic fragrance for meditation and for calming the spirit. In temples, it is used as incense or on personal altars. Deities of all kinds are carved from Sandalwood, then installed in a shrine or temple or placed on the home altar. Strings of meditation beads or malas are made with Sandalwood into which a mantra or a personal prayer is repeated as the beads are rolled through the fingers. Sandalwood paste is used in many rituals, including fire ceremonies, to anoint the forehead in blessing, or to make a design symbolic of a particular religious sect. One drop of the essential oil applied to the temples or between the eyebrows before beginning meditation may help align intention with the breath.

Click here for more information and to explore our collection of Sandalwood oils.