Sandalwood, mainly from the Santalum album tree, is one of the oldest and most loved aromatic materials in the world. Its scent is creamy, warm and woody, and it has been a mainstay of ritual and perfumery for thousands of years.
The essence of scarcity
Sandalwood scent lingers for a very long time, but the tree is slow. A sandalwood tree must reach maturity, often 15 to 30 years, before the heartwood holds enough oil to be worth harvesting. Over-harvesting in the wild means Santalum album is now listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Historical significance
From the ancient temples of India to the imperial courts of China, sandalwood has long stood for the sacred.
- Spiritual: in many Eastern traditions its smoke is burned in meditation and prayer to quiet the mind and mark a space as set apart.
- Craft: the fine, even grain carves well, and sandalwood has been made into beads, fans and small boxes for centuries.
- Perfumery: it is a classic “fixative”, binding other scents and helping them last.
Other sandalwoods
Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) has also gained ground in recent years, with a slightly different, greener scent.
At The Forest Origin
Sandalwood is coming to the collection as a fine incense powder, made to be burned on charcoal in a small burner. See the collection or read how to burn powder.