subject: The Story Behind Sandalwood [print this page] The reason for this article is to educate you on the origin and uses of the sandalwood fragrance that we use in our scented oils. If you have ever had the pleasure of smelling this wonderful fragrance you have experienced its rich aromatic aroma.
Sandalwood is used as a base for fragrance when perfumers or dealers are creating a fragrance for their customers. It is also used as fragrance body oil, potpourri oil, or oil for incense when it is refined. The fragrance is wonderful and lasts for a very long time. It is definitely a masculine fragrance but really mixes well with other fragrances as a base when you are experimenting or creating a new fragrance for your own personal use.
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. I think that this is the reason that the fragrance lasts so long in the scented oil. I can apply sandalwood and still smell its fragrance the next day even after I have showered.
Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, the slow-growing trees have been overharvested in many areas.
Sandalwoods are medium-sized hemiparasitic trees. Notable members of this group are Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) and Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum). Others in the genus species have fragrant wood. These are found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. In India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka it is called Chandan.
Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood, is a threatened species. It is indigenous to South India, and grows in the Western Ghats and a few other mountain ranges like the Kalrayan and Shevaroy Hills. Although sandalwood trees in India and Nepal are government-owned and their harvest is controlled, many trees are illegally cut down. Sandalwood oil prices have risen to $1,0001,500 per kg recently. Some countries regard the sandal oil trade as ecologically harmful as it encourages overharvesting sandalwood trees.
Let me make a note here for the consumer. Be sure that you are dealing with a reputable dealer when you purchase sandalwood. The chance of fraud increases because this oil is so precious and rare. I have dealt with manufacturers in the past who have sold me a diluted product. Fortunately I have been merchandising this product for quite a while and I know the difference.
Producing commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils, requires Santalum trees to be a minimum of eight years old, but at least fourteen years is preferred. Australia is the largest producer of Santalum album, the majority grown around Kununurra, Western Australia.
Unlike most trees, sandalwood is harvested by toppling the entire tree instead of sawing them down at the trunk close to ground level. This way, wood from the stump and root can also be used. So you see that the entire tree is destroyed in the process of creating this product.
Sandalwood essential oil provides perfumes with a striking wood base note. Sandalwood smells somewhat like other wood scents, except it has a bright and fresh edge with few natural analogues. When used in smaller proportions in a perfume, it is an excellent fixative to enhance the head of other fragrances.
Sandalwood oil is widely used in the cosmetic industry. The main source of true sandalwood, S. album, is a protected species, and demand for it cannot be met. Many species of plants are traded as "sandalwood". Within the genus Santalum alone, there are more than nineteen species. Traders will often accept oil from closely related species, such as various species in the genus Santalum, as well as from unrelated plants such as West Indian Sandalwood (Amyris balsamifera) in the family Rutaceae or bastard sandalwood (Myoporum sandwicense, Myoporaceae). However, most woods from these alternative sources will lose their aroma within a few months or years.
Isobornyl cyclohexanol is a synthetic fragrance chemical produced as an alternative to the natural product. In many cases this is what you get. The simplest way to ascertain whether you have the true product is to use your sense of smell. How long does the fragrance last after you apply it? If its gone within a few hours it doesnt have the real thing. Fragrance Oil Express
