Sandalwood: History, Scarcity, and the Secret of its Sacred, Creamy Note
Sandalwood is now one of the rarest and most expensive woods in the world. Revered since ancient times in religious rituals, it has inspired deep devotion. This passion has led to its scarcity and, in some areas, the risk of extinction.
Botanical name: Santalum Album, Austrocaledonicum, Spicatum
Botanical family: Santalaceae
Origins, Spiritual Uses, and the Sacred Heartwood
Originaire d’Asie (Inde, Indonésie), sandalwood has been used since ancient Egypt for embalming and continues to be vital in religious rituals.
A Sacred and Medicinal Wood
In Buddhism and Hinduism, sandalwood is sacred: its smoke is believed to elevate the soul and enhance meditation. It is traditionally burned in ceremonies and used to make ritual paste (Tilaka) in India.
It was once used to build temples and to make objects that naturally resisted insects thanks to its persistent scent. It is also valued in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.
Sandalwood is a hemiparasitic plant. It feeds off neighboring tree roots for its first 10 years, making cultivation highly challenging.
Scarcity: From Royal Monopoly to Global Threat
The quality of Mysore sandalwood in India was once the global benchmark. However, poverty fueled a vast black market, leading to resource depletion. In 2010, India banned sandalwood harvesting. Its production is now tightly regulated, with limited exports.
Sustainable Cultivation and Alternatives
Facing extinction risk, global cultivation has shifted to:
- Australia (Santal Spicatum, lower quality).
- New Caledonia (Santalum Austrocaledonicum, near Alba quality): utilizes sustainable harvesting, cutting trees only after 30 to 50 years when the fragrance fully matures.
Scent Profile: Creamy, Milky, and Persistent Longevity
Sandalwood reveals a soft, woody, and uniquely creamy scent. It is velvety, powdery, balsamic, milky, warm, sensual, and slightly leathery and animalic.
It has low volatility, meaning it diffuses subtly but offers incredible longevity on the skin, often described as a musky note (cf. Musky notes).
Extraction and Key Molecules
The fragrance is concentrated in the heartwood. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation or cold extraction.
The key component is Santalol. High-quality sandalwood should contain at least 90% santalol.
For large-scale perfumery, synthetic molecules (Polysantol, Sandalore) are used to boost the natural scent, but nothing fully replaces natural sandalwood (cf. natural vs. synthetic).
Sandalwood in Modern Perfumery
Initially used in men’s fragrances, sandalwood is now widely used in women’s perfumes. It strengthens woody and powdery notes. It integrates seamlessly into oriental, fougère, and floral families like iris. It can even enhance citrus-based perfumes with unexpected roundness.
Iconic Sandalwood Perfumes
- Classics: Samsara, Mouchoir de Monsieur, Jicky – Guerlain; N°5, N°22, Allure – Chanel.
- Niche/Modern: Santal 33 – Le Labo; Tam Dao – Diptyque; Santal Blush – Tom Ford; Mojave Ghost – Byredo.
- Delacourte Paris: Valkyrie – Delacourte Paris (santal fresh and puissant).
