Sandalwood

Harvested from the Santalum album (East India) and Santalum spicatum (Australia), this rare and precious resource has a rich history and versatile applications.

Originally abundant in East India and Australia, sandalwood's popularity led to overharvesting, resulting in strict controls on its production to protect dwindling natural resources. To obtain sandalwood oils, the entire tree is harvested, and the oil extraction process through distillation can take an extensive 36 hours. To make sandalwood essential oil, sandalwood roots and heartwood (the dense, inner part of the tree’s trunk) are turned into a powder, which is then processed by steam distillation to extract the essential oil.

As of 2020, Australian Sandalwood oil sells for around US$1,500 per 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), while Indian Sandalwood oil, due to its higher alpha santalol content, is priced at about US$2,500 per kg.

Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world, along with African blackwood, pink ivory, agarwood and ebony.

Indian Sandalwood belongs to the amber woody olfactory family and has a deep, creamy sweetness with warm undertones of amber, leather and wood, which comes from the component santalol. Milky, soft, sturdy, rich, with a green top note and a satisfying lingering scent.

Not only does sandalwood oil add a delicious, spicy warmth to a perfume, it’s also an impressive fixative, able to stabilise the parts of a perfume that would otherwise quickly evaporate and fade away. When inhaled or applied to the skin, can help calm the nervous system, relieve stress and anxiety and reduce signs of ageing and skin inflammation.