Sandalwood 

(Santalum album)

SAFETY INFORMATION: As long as diluted before application, Sandal wood is perfectly safe for home use.

Family:  Santalaceae
Other Names:  White Sandalwood, yellow sandalwood, east Indian sandalwood, sandalwood mysore, sanders wood, santal (oil), white saunders (oil), yellow saunders (oil)

    Known as a 'woody' oil, it is a pale yellow, greenish, or brownish thick liquid with a sweet and woody scent.  It blends well with rose, violet, tuberose, clove, lavender, black pepper, bergamot, rosewood, geranium, labdanum, oakmoss, benzoin, vetiver, patchouli, mimosa, cassie, costus, myrrh, and jasmine.

Actions and Uses

Carrier Oils

Tradition and History

    Sandalwood is one of the oldest known perfume ingredients.  In the East it was used traditionally for incense as well as in perfumer, cosmetics, and embalming material.  The wood was a popular material for building temples.  The Chinese used it for vomiting, nausea, and skin complaints.

Extraction: The sandalwood tree is a small evergreen that can reach up to 9m (30ft) high.  It has a grey trunk and many smooth, slender branches.  It's leaves are leathery and has small pinkish purple flowers.  The tree must be at least 30 years old before it is ready to produce sandalwood oil.  The oil is extracted from the roots and heartwood, which is powdered and dried, by water or steam distillation.