Sandalwood essential oil, revered across cultures and throughout history, is extracted via steam distillation from the wood of the Sandalwood tree, especially the heartwood of the roots, where the highest quality oil resides. This evergreen tree, indigenous to southern tropical Asia, presents unique cultivation challenges. It’s a parasitic species, requiring other trees for sustenance and demanding specific environmental conditions. Furthermore, Sandalwood trees take nearly three decades to mature and yield valuable oil.
The aroma of Sandalwood essential oil is characteristically woody, balsamic, sweet, and subtly musky. It’s a pale yellow to brownish liquid prized for its lasting aroma and fixative properties. Santalum album is considered the most therapeutically significant variety, with the Mysore region of eastern India historically recognized for producing the finest quality. However, over-harvesting has strained the environment. A promising alternative is the austrocaledonia species, successfully cultivated on Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific. This oil offers a captivating woody, smoky scent, reminiscent of a beachside setting, making it a superb base note in perfumes and cosmetics.
While the West appreciates Sandalwood oil primarily as a natural perfume or a common ingredient in cosmetics and aftershaves, Eastern cultures deeply integrate it into their spiritual and cultural traditions. The wood is fashioned into furniture, religious icons, and temples. It’s also burned as incense in various ceremonies. The oil anoints the deceased, aiding their transition to the afterlife. In Burma, women use it to bless others during the New Year. In Hindu weddings, Sandalwood smoke envelops the bridal couple. For yogis, the oil and incense foster a tranquil state of mind, aligning the individual with universal consciousness.
Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine system, values Sandalwood for its cooling properties, particularly in balancing the fire element, pitta. It addresses inflammatory conditions, such as skin irritations and intestinal issues. Modern aromatherapy recognizes its benefits for dry skin, acne, bronchitis, coughs, laryngitis, sore throats, diarrhea, nausea, and cystitis.
Beyond physical applications, Sandalwood essential oil serves as a potent tonic for an overactive mind. It’s considered an antidepressant, alleviating agitated emotional states and releasing overthinking. Esoterically, its ‘divinely sweet’ aroma evokes the grounding Earth element, freeing one from the ‘tyranny of the intellect’ and promoting a serene state that unifies body, mind, and spirit. This unified state fosters creativity and profound transformation through meditation.
For calming the mind, consider these essential oil blends for massage, reflexology, or pulse point application: for obsessive thoughts, combine four drops of Sandalwood with two drops of Vetiver in one tablespoon of carrier oil; for a detached, analytical state, mix three drops of Geranium, two drops of Sandalwood, and one drop of Patchouli in one tablespoon of carrier oil. These blends are also suitable for diffusers (without the carrier oil). A soothing perfume can be created by combining three parts Sandalwood with two parts Vanilla oil.
Sandalwood is unique in that its quality improves with age. As demand increases, so does its price, making it wise to purchase slightly more than needed and store it for future use. Sampling different varieties is also beneficial to find the perfect Sandalwood for personal use.