Sandalwood is a tree with a highly aromatic wood. It is economically and culturally important to many countries around the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean regions where it grows or is traded. The wood is prized for making furniture, ornaments, sacred objects, carvings and joss sticks (incense). The essential oil is used in medicine, perfume and aromatherapy.

Botany/OriginsThere are 16 species of sandalwood (Santalum) that grow naturally throughout the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean regions. Sandalwoods are evergreens ranging in size from tall shrubs up to large trees. They grow in a variety of climates--from the Australian desert to subtropical New Caledonia--and at elevations from sea level to over 8000 feet. Sandalwood is a parasitic plant, equipped with special structures on its roots that penetrate the roots of host plants and obtain nutrients.

The most well-known and economically important species is Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood. Indian sandalwood has the highest oil content (6 to 7%) and a desirable aroma profile. New Caledonia's S.austrocaledonicum and Fiji's S. Yasi are also distilled to produce essential oil. S. spicatum from Australia has been valued for its wood for many years, and has recently also become a source for essential oil. Many of the other species are used for their wood, for building, firewood and for furniture making.

Trees harvested for oil are selected by age and size because of the higher proportion of heartwood (and thus essential oil) in larger trees. Dead-standing or fallen trees are also harvested because the wood holds onto the essential oil for many years. The whole tree is harvested and used--including the sawdust and the stump (which has the highest oil content) and the sapwood (which contains a small amount of oil). The lower grades of sandalwood, such as the sapwood, are used for incense and for chips and powder, while the better logs are used in carving (from small objects to furniture).

HistorySandalwood was first used in ancient times--probably more than 4,000 years ago. In India, it's been valued for at least 2,000 years as one of the most sacred trees--an important part of devotional rituals. The wood has been used to make various religious artifacts such as staffs and figurines, and a sandalwood paste was made for marking the skin. Because of its resistance to white ants, the wood was also used in early buildings.

Sandalwood was an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicines. By 700 B.C., it was an important trade item and has been found in

Egyptian embalming formulas. It was also used in death rituals in other countries--in India it was burned on funeral pyres or even used to make coffins for the very wealthy.

A key ingredient in perfumes and incense, lotions and body oils, sandalwood has been one of the most important perfume materials for more than 2000 years. In China, sandalwood joss sticks are very popular as incense. Sandalwood's use in European and American perfumery was not significant until the 1900s, where it was (and still is) appreciated for its fixative ability as well as its fragrance. Today it is often used in fine perfumes.

Following tradition, the wood of the sandalwood tree is still used to make sacred objects, carvings, and various handcrafted ornaments. In the past, it was often used for temple doors, and it is still valued for intricately carved furniture--although with today's high prices, it is used for this purpose less than in the past. Chips of wood are burned as an incense or ground to make incense sticks.

Santalum album, IndianThe fragrance of sandalwood is interwoven with Indian history and culture. The first mention of it in Indian literature is found around 2000 B.C. in the Ramayana. It was included with spices and silk among the first trade items with Middle Eastern and other countries. In 1792 sandalwood was declared a "royal tree" by the Sultan of Mysore--a status that continues today with the Indian government "owning" all the sandalwood trees. (Individuals can get up to 75% of the value of trees growing on their land in payment for growing and protecting the trees--but their harvest must be approved by the government.)

Indian sandalwood's many uses include medicine, incense, burning of chips for ritual use, perfumes and beauty care products, and for carving religious and other artifacts.

Most Indian sandalwood grows on the Deccan Plateau in southern India, with the majority of the trees in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Santalum album is found in dry, deciduous forests. It is considered a slow-growing tree and is easily damaged by fire, various pests, grazing pressures and disease.

The amount of heartwood in a tree varies considerably depending on age, soil and climate conditions--and other factors not entirely understood. The essential oil found in the heartwood of the trees does not even start to form until the trees are at least 10 years old, and trees are not usually harvested until they are at least 30 years old. The heart is yellowish to dark brown, with the lighter-colored wood containing higher levels and a better quality of essential oil than the darker wood. Oil content is also

highest in the root and decreases as one moves up the tree. The highest concentrations of essential oil are found at the core of the heartwood, with decreasing amounts as one moves out from the center.

Sandalwood essential oil is mostly obtained by steam distillation (the practice of water distillation is considered outdated). It is colorless to pale yellow and somewhat viscous. The top note (the first aroma you smell) is very soft with a sweet-woody, balsamic body note and a long-lasting bottom note (which is why sandalwood is such a good fixative).

Santalum spicatum, Australian SandalwoodWhile Australia has five native species of sandalwood, only two are considered commercially important, S. spicatum and S. lanceolatum. The wood of both species was exported starting in the early 1800s, much of it to China. As demand grew and supplies of other sandalwoods dwindled, more and more trees were cut for export. The government in Australia first attempted to control the harvest of trees with the Western Australian Sandalwood Control Act of 1929. Also around this time, essential oil production from S. spicatum was systemized enough to control the quality so that it was considered therapeutically equivalent to East Indian oil. In 1932 S. spicatum was added to the British Pharmacopoeia.

S. spicatum or Western Australian sandalwood was originally found across a large area of Western Australia from the arid interior to the woodlands. It is a small tree that grows to 20 feet tall. Australian sandalwood begins to bear fruit at 5 to 10 years of age, with flowering beginning in March or April. Trees mature much faster where there are higher levels of moisture (30 years to maturity) than in the dry regions (where trees may take 50 or more years to mature). Early over-harvesting and the conversion of forest to farmland in the regions with higher rainfall has eliminated most of the sandalwood trees in the area. Much of the replanting being done is in this region (the wheat belt) where the higher rainfall provides a better chance of success. Control of the sandalwood harvest and encouragement of plantation planting by the Western Australia government are being used to ensure a sustainable supply of Australian sandalwood.

The steam-distilled Australian sandalwood essential oil has chemical components similar to Indian sandalwood, but there are differences in levels of those constituents and in their respective aroma profiles. The most significant difference in make-up is that Indian sandalwood has much higher levels of santalol (25 to 30% versus 60 to 70%). The difference in the aroma of the two oils is most pronounced in the top note. Australian sandalwood has a more resinous, drier and less sweet top note than Indian sandalwood. The aroma of the two oils becomes more alike in the middle notes--and

the all-important base notes are almost identical. In aromatherapy, Australian steam distilled sandalwood essential oil can be used the same as Indian sandalwood.

There are two types of Australian sandalwood oil being sold, one a true steam distilled essential oil and another that is solvent extracted or co-distilled oil. The co-distilled oil is produced by extracting ground sandalwood with hexane to create an oleoresin. The separation of the oil from the oleoresin ocurs during co-distilling under vacuum with a co-distilling agent and finally it is rectified. Steam distilled oil is produced using only heat and produces a oil that is more complex and characteristic of sandalwood. Aura Cacia sells only true steam distilled sandalwood essential oil.

Sandalwood In AromatherapySandalwood oil is an excellent cleansing, astringent addition to massage and facial oils, bath oils, aftershaves, lotions and creams. It's suitable for all skin types and is especially useful for chapped, dry, sensitive or inflamed skin. Sandalwood oil is relaxing, soothing, cooling, centering and sensual. It promotes restful sleep and helps to ease an anxious mind. It's considered an aid in meditation and prayer--a common practice is placing a drop of sandalwood oil on the third eye. It's grounding in times of emotional distraction and helps bring peace and acceptance in times of loss.

An excellent fixative when combined with other oils, sandalwood is also valued for its own sweet, warm, rich balsamic aroma. It blends especially well with floral or other oils dominated by their top or middle notes, but works with almost any oil--providing or enhancing the base note and lending its fixative ability. It is suited for both feminine and masculine formulas.

Buy Aura Cacia Sandalwood Essential Oil now.

Add sandalwood (3 to 5 drops for each ounce of rinse) to enhance hair rinse, especially for dry or damaged hair.

For a nourishing, elegant skin cream, add 3 drops of rose and 3 drops of sandalwood to each ounce of unscented, natural cream.

For a relaxing massage, add 3 drops of sandalwood per teaspoon of skin care oil. For a more sensual massage include a drop of jasmine or rose.

For a sensual bath, use 4 drops of sandalwood and 1 drop of ylang ylang oil.

For face oil for dry skin, add 8 drops of sandalwood and 4 drops of geranium to an ounce of a light skin care oil (such as sweet almond).

Sandalwood is a very safe, non-irritating oil. Like all essential oils, however, it should be diluted before applying to the skin. It has been reported to occasionally cause irritation when applied undiluted to the skin.

QualityDue to its high price and scarcity, sandalwood oil is often adulterated. The most common adulterants are the essential oils of other species of sandalwood, copaiba oil, Atlas cedar fractions and amyris oil. Another type of adulteration that occurs is called "stretching," where odorless solvents are added to sandalwood oil in order to increase its quantity.

Sandalwood oil must be aged at least six months in order to fully develop its sweet, woody, sensual aroma. After that its fragrance continues to improve slowly with age, so sandalwood can be stored indefinitely in a dark, airtight glass container.

Sandalwood SustainabilityEast Indian sandalwood was the first sandalwood to be traded extensively in its native area. The demand for sandalwood, especially in China, led to a search for alternatives and the exploitation of many of the natural stands of sandalwood in the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean regions. For example, on the island of Timor, exploitation started with the Portugese in the 1600s, passed to the Indonesians in 1975, and by 1990 most of the trees had been harvested and none replanted. In the early 1800s in Hawaii, King Kamehameha I traded enormous amounts of sandalwood for luxury goods, forcing his people to collect the sandalwood he needed to pay the bills. Succeeding leaders continued the trade, taking on huge debts to buy expensive, over-priced goods and paying in future harvests of sandalwood, which was becoming harder to obtain. Pressure by creditors to pay the debts kept the sandalwood flowing for some time, but by the 1940s most of the island's harvestable trees were gone. By 1820 Fiji and the Marquesas were all but stripped of their sandalwood and in the late 1800s uncontrolled harvesting in Vanuatu had taken its toll and trade in sandalwood was reduced to a trickle.

Perhaps because it has been so intertwined with Indian culture and heritage, the people of India were quicker than others to recognize the need to make sure this important resource was not lost. Although the government took control of the nation's sandalwood trees with the Sultan of Mysore's declaration of sandalwood as a "royal tree" at the end of the 18th century, forest conservation efforts have depended on many different governments over the years, so progress has been quite uneven. Experimentation with cultivating sandalwood and replanting in forests met with

limited success. Problems with fire, browsing and spike disease have interfered with natural regeneration. Smuggling has undermined government efforts to control the harvesting and trade of sandalwood. With the death in 2004 of the most notorious and successful smuggler in recent history, sandalwood prices rose sharply, adding to the temptation for unscrupulous poachers. India continues to struggle to create a sustainable sandalwood industry by limiting the age and number of trees that can be harvested, continuing replanting efforts and controlling the export of wood and lumber.

Australia's history of sandalwood exploitation of native species began in the 1840s and continued until the 1950s when decreasing supplies and low prices made it no longer a profitable trade item. Regulation of the sandalwood industry began in 1923 on royal land and included annual quotas, export licenses, an increase in royalties, and appointment of forest rangers to curb illegal harvesting and begin reforestation.

In 1984 Australia's Forest Department completed a comprehensive resource evaluation, mapping existing Western Australian sandalwood trees and determining natural and artificial regeneration requirements. As a result, changes in management and sustainability practices were undertaken. Today the Forest Product Commission (FPC) is the body responsible for ensuring the sustainability of Australia's sandalwood. The FPC has initiated and funded land management practices that facilitate natural regeneration. In addition, quotas are set on the amount of sandalwood that can be harvested. Current quantities are 2000 tons a year with about half of that dead wood (trees that have already died). Pullers (people who harvest sandalwood, so called because the whole tree is pulled from the ground in order to get the high-oil content of the roots) are required to plant 12 sandalwood seeds near suitable host plants for every tree harvested. An external audit system certifies that all sandalwood planning, harvesting and forest management is in accordance with ISO 14001, the environmental management regulations of the International Organization for Standardization.

The Australian government is working with natural regeneration and plantation planting of sandalwood trees. Much has been learned from research into soil types, rainfall, elevation and other growing conditions. Also researched are the best types of host species, seeding rates, germination factors and survival. Other important factors are protection from grazing, fire and drought. The FPC initiative for farming Western Australian sandalwood is a collaboration with the farmer to provide land for the planting of trees in exchange for cash payments and a share of the timber profits. The Australian program utilizes years of sandalwood management research to successfully establish sandalwood tree farms that will replace harvesting from the wild.