Sandalwood Oil

Origin & story

Santalum album is native to peninsular India and is closely tied to the dry-deciduous tracts of the Western Ghats and the Mysore-southern Karnataka belt, extending into parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The commercial story is anchored in Mysore: the Government Sandal Oil Factory was set up under the Maharaja of Mysore around 1916, and Mysore Sandal Soap followed in 1918, later run by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KS&DL). Because of overharvesting the species is now listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, so most present-day supply is meant to come from managed forests and plantations rather than wild trees.

How it’s made

The oil is produced by steam distillation of chipped and powdered heartwood; the near-oil-free sapwood is removed first, which is a step specific to Indian sandalwood. Distillation is slow because the heavy sesquiterpene alcohols come over gradually, so runs stretch over many hours. A good Santalum album oil is more than 90% santalols, and it is these compounds that carry the characteristic sweet, persistent, woody smell.

Sourcing & cultivation

Sandalwood is a root hemiparasite: it forms haustoria and draws water and nutrients from host plants, so it cannot be grown as a clean monocrop. Growers pair it with hosts (nitrogen-fixing, fast-growing species are commonly favoured, and well over a hundred hosts have been recorded), on well-drained soils in the dry-deciduous South Indian climate. Heartwood only begins forming after several years, and harvest is generally quoted at around 12-15 years, with a roughly 15-year rotation often cited. Farmers must also work within the law: since 2002 anyone in Karnataka may plant sandalwood on private land, but trees are registered with the forest department and felling, transport and sale are controlled, with logs typically routed through government auction rather than sold openly.

Grades & quality

Quality is judged mainly on santalol content and physical constants, checked against Indian Standard IS 329 and International Standard ISO 3518. Published ISO 3518 profiles for Santalum album put alpha-santalol at roughly 41-55% and beta-santalol at roughly 16-24%, with total free alcohols (as santalol) at a minimum of about 90%; oils below these levels are treated as inferior. Supporting markers buyers look at include a slightly viscous almost-colourless to yellow liquid, relative density near 0.968-0.983, refractive index around 1.503-1.508, and a levorotatory optical rotation. High alpha-santalol is what makes Indian-origin oil command its premium.

Uses & applications

The oil is a classic fine-perfumery material and a traditional base and fixative in attars, blending with rose, jasmine, tuberose, clove and oakmoss. It also goes into soaps and cosmetics (Mysore Sandal Soap is marketed as made with sandalwood oil), and into incense, agarbatti and dhoop, alongside long-standing religious and ritual use. It is used as a mild flavouring in some food and beverage applications and is valued in aromatherapy for its scent.

For buyers & the trade

India is the historic home of Santalum album oil and its high-alpha-santalol quality is the reference point, though supply is tight and heavily regulated, so genuine, legally sourced Indian oil trades at a premium. Sandalwood is among the most expensive woods in the world; industry estimates put global demand at roughly 10,000 tonnes of wood (on the order of a couple of hundred tonnes of oil), of which only a small share comes from natural stands, with much of the market filled by synthetics such as Sandalore and Ebanol. For sourcing, buyers should insist on documentation of legal felling/transit and on GC santalol analysis against ISO 3518 / IS 329, since adulteration and species substitution (e.g. Australian S. spicatum or unrelated "sandalwood" oils) are common.

Frequently asked