Sandalwood (Australia)

Woody, milky, creamy, unctuous, oriental, persistent, warm, pervasive, balsamic, suave, velvety.

A must-have in any perfumer’s arsenal, sandalwood forms the base note of countless fragrance compositions. Its milky, suave facets make for a deliciously blendable fixative that has inspired perfumers for millennia. Australian sandalwood offers a woody and ambery note with a pervasive warmth with a rich spiciness and fresh milkiness.
Rich and lingering, the coveted note of sandalwood has its origins as an evergreen tree with richly fragrant heartwood. While there are many varieties of the sandalwood tree, only a select few make it into the world of perfumery: Santalum album, Santalum spicatum, and Santalum australedonicum. Its essential oil is obtained through a process of distillation after the wood and roots are dried and reduced to chips or powder.

Data sheet

Type
Extraction Method
Used parts

Production

Rich and lingering, the coveted note of sandalwood has its origins as an evergreen tree with richly fragrant leaves. While there are many varieties of the sandalwood tree, only a select few make it into the world of perfumery: santalum album, santalum spicatu, and santalum australedonicum. Its essential oil is obtained through a process of distillation after the bark and roots are dried and reduced to a powder.

Photo by courtesy of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils

History

For more than 13 million years sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) has grown in the vast, ancient land of Australia, preserved for more than 60,000 years by traditional custodians -- making it the oldest species of fragrant sandalwood today. To Aboriginal people, sandalwood is more than a sacred tree – it is a link to the soul and spirituality. When burnt, its fragrant smoke was was said to align the mind, body and spirit, and was used by traditional custodians prior to arduous, deeply cognitive or stressful activity.

Origin

Australia

Did you know...

Australian sandalwood has been revered by Asian incense makers for centuries. This insatiable demand for sandalwood prompted the introduction of conservation measures that have continued since the 1920’s, limiting harvests of the tree and supporting regeneration to ensure sustainability. It was not until the early 2000’s that the first Australian sandalwood distillations were introduced to the fragrance industry. Today, the ingredient forms part of many iconic perfumes, and through the support of industry has created fairer returns for traditional custodians on whose lands the tree thrives – the first time this has occurred in the history of sandalwood exports from Australia. In Chinese medicine, sandalwood essence is used to aid a number of ailments, including stomach pains and skin problems. It’s known to increase longevity and boost immunity, and its scent is thought to increase willpower, ambition and price. In Hinduism, sandalwood smoke is thought to lift the soul and thus improve meditation.

Most combined ingredients

Iconic Fragrance

Chanel

BOIS DES ILES EAU DE PARFUM

Bois des Iles de Chanel was one of the first feminine woody fragrances, giving pride of place to sandalwood. Republished in 1983 and again in 2007 for "Les Exclusifs" collection, it inspired its masculine version: Egoïste, in 1990, which was a resounding success.