For decades, many cultures have used sandalwood in their religious rituals. The Egyptians employed it in the embalming process of mummies, while for Hindus, it symbolizes protection during ceremonies.
Sandalwood is considered sacred and plays a significant role in many religions. It is also traded for the construction of temples and is one of the main ingredients in incense, widely produced in Asia for places of worship.
Additionally, sandalwood possesses numerous medicinal properties. Its essential oil helps reduce anxiety, decongests, tones the body, and soothes stomach and dental pain.
Although it has been widely used for over 4,000 years, perfumers only began exploring its olfactory properties in the 19th century.
Sandalwood in Perfumery
Sandalwood is a tree that can grow up to 15 meters tall. Its heartwood, ranging in color from red to dark brown, determines the quality of the wood. Belonging to the Santalaceae family and the Santalum genus, sandalwood thrives in tropical climates.
Perfumers use mainly three species of the genus Santalum. The first is the Santal album from India, the second is the Santalum Spicatum from Australia and finally the Santal New Caledonia which is the Santalum Austrocaledonicum.
Several other types of wood are sometimes mistakenly referred to as sandalwood, although they do not belong to the Santalaceae family. Among them is Amyris, whose essential oil has a scent similar to sandalwood. However, Amyris belongs to the Rutaceae family and is a different raw material used in perfumery.
Due to deforestation and overexploitation, Indian sandalwood is now an endangered species, making its essential oil extremely expensive. As a result, perfumers more commonly use the Australian and New Caledonian varieties. Additionally, several synthetic molecules can recreate sandalwood’s olfactory signature in fragrances.
The raw material from sandalwood
The trees used for essential oil extraction are typically around 20 years old. They are uprooted and cut down, with their branches and leaves removed, leaving only the trunk. The bark is then stripped away, and the heartwood is transformed into wood chips.
The steam distillation of these wood chips produces sandalwood essential oil. The process is slow, requiring more than 5 hours to obtain just 1 kg of essential oil.
The composition and scent profile of the oil depend on the quality and origin of the wood. The primary molecules responsible for its fragrance are alpha-santalol and beta-santalol.
Sandalwood from the Perfumer’s Perspective
Sandalwood essential oil belongs to the woody olfactory family, making it a base note in perfumery. The olfactory nuances of sandalwood essential oils vary based on their origin.
The essential oil of Santal India is woody, warm and velvety. It is the sweetest and most milky, with an almost coconut buttered touch that adds to this nice mixture. New Caledonia sandalwood is also woody and warm but with a note of cedar slightly terpene. L’huile essentielle de Santal en provenance d’Australie est plus résineuse avec une note s de cyprès et encore plus terpénique que les deux autres.
Some fragrances around the Sandalwood
- Samsara – Guerlain – 1989
- Tam Dao – Dyptique – 2003
- Sandalo – Zara – 2008
- Santal Blush – Tom Ford – 2011
- Santal Volcanique – Maison Crivelli – 2018
- Nomade – Chloé – 2018
- Santal Austral – Matière Première – 2019
- Santal Insolent – Molinard – 2020
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