Sandalwood: origin, history, real or fake, how to burn and choose it

What is sandalwood?

The most sought-after sandalwood comes from the heartwood of Santalum album, a small tree 4 to 9 metres tall. It is a hemiparasite: it draws part of its nutrients from the roots of neighbouring plants, which makes it difficult to cultivate. The scent is only found in the heartwood, which forms slowly: it takes about ten years for it to appear and around twenty for a tree to be harvestable.

Sandalwood was first associated with southern India, where 'Mysore sandalwood' (from the Karnataka region) built its reputation, and with Indonesia. Today it is also grown in northern Australia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Other species exist: Western Australian sandalwood (S. spicatum) contains less santalol, the main molecule behind its scent, and its fragrance is drier; sandalwoods from New Caledonia, Fiji and Hawaii have also been harvested.

A little history

Sandalwood has accompanied the cultures of the Indian subcontinent for a very long time. A paste made by rubbing the wood on stone with water is used to mark the forehead during Hindu ceremonies; the wood is burned in temples and on funeral pyres (today often just a small symbolic piece). In China and Japan it is an incense of Buddhist temples; in Japan it has its place in the way of incense (kōdō). Muslim funerals in Egypt have also used it.

Sandalwood oil has been distilled in Mysore since 1917. In the early nineteenth century, according to historians, Hawaiian sandalwood was harvested so intensively for the trade with China that the resource collapsed within a few decades.

Its scent, described simply

It has a soft, creamy, woody scent with a hint of milk and an almost sweet quality, very round and not sharp. The smoke is discreet. Western Australian sandalwood is drier and more resinous; classic Indian sandalwood is warmer. The scent takes time to arrive: it does not impose itself, it settles.

Traditional cultural uses

In Hindu traditions, sandalwood paste marks the forehead and adorns statues; among Buddhists, its sticks perfume temples. In Japan, small slices of wood are heated, never burned, in the practice of kōdō. Sandalwood powders are also the base of many Indian masala-type sticks and of the Nag Champa fragrance. Each use has a specific meaning, and we present them without mixing them up.

How to burn it

• Shavings or fine powder: placed on a charcoal covered with grey ash, or better, on a sheet of mica or a heating plate. The wood warms gently, without flame, and releases its scent without burning.
• Sticks and cones: use them in a suitable stick holder, away from anything that could catch fire. Read the composition: few 'sandalwood' sticks actually contain sandalwood.

A single small shaving is enough. Find the basics in Incense and smoke cleansing and the equipment in our burners and incense holders section.

Real, fake, imitations: finding your way

Sandalwood is one of the most imitated scents. It needs years of growth and the raw material is strictly regulated, so it is very expensive. In practice, here is what you will find:

• the great majority of low-priced 'sandalwood' products (sticks, cones, oils) use synthetic molecules or scented powder from some other wood;
• 'sandalwood' shavings that are in fact another wood, sometimes dyed or soaked in oil;
• red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a wood from a completely different family, used for its colour and almost odourless, and it is also regulated; 'West Indian sandalwood' (Amyris balsamifera) is another approximation.

To know what you are buying, ask for the species (Santalum album or S. spicatum), the country, and whether the source is cultivated. A promise of 'real Mysore' at a low price is a reason to ask questions, because India prohibits the export of sandalwood.

Sustainability and ethics

White sandalwood is listed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN, because of overharvesting, loss of habitat, fires and a tree disease (spike disease). In India, production fell from about 4,000 tonnes a year in the 1960s to about 350 tonnes in 2014. Whole trees are uprooted, and seizures and illegal trafficking are regularly reported. Since 2001, Karnataka has permitted private cultivation, and plantations exist in Australia and India.

What you can do: buy small quantities and prefer sandalwood from identified plantations. Otherwise, choose another scent: blends of cedar and benzoin recreate a soft woody impression without putting pressure on a threatened species.

Safety

Even when scented with a precious wood, smoke is still smoke: burn in a well-ventilated room, in short sessions, and air the room thoroughly afterwards. A study comparing several types of sticks found that the quantity of particles emitted varied greatly from one to another. People with asthma or who are sensitive to smoke, young children and birds should not be exposed to it; dogs and cats must be able to leave the room. Use a stable holder, away from fabrics, and never leave an ember unattended.

Storage

Real sandalwood keeps its scent for a very long time in a closed jar, away from light and humidity. Sticks should be kept in their original packaging, in a dry place, away from sunlight, otherwise their scent fades.

Pairings with other incenses

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to incense and resins.