Sandalwood Essential Oils
Question
“I just realized that Sandalwood from India has become very hard to get as well as is expensive due to the rarity of it nowadays. Can you recommend another type of Sandalwood, because I am almost out and will be in need of some soon. I have been considering Australian Sandalwood. What do you think?”
Felicia, SCT Certified Traditional Holistic Aromatherapist
Answer
Who doesn’t love the tenacious, warm, balsamic, woodsy and earthy aroma of sandalwood or chandana as it is known in Sanskrit? East Indian sandalwood, Santalum album or true sandalwood is one of the oldest known aromatic materials having at least 4,000 years of history of use! (i) It has been a favourite of mine since the mid-1970s, assisting mind, body and spirit integration, alignment and wellness.
Sandalwood is harvested by uprooting the entire tree. The tree is left on the ground where ants eat the bark and outer layers, leaving behind the valued heartwood and roots. Ideally the tree is not felled until it is between 30 and 70 years old. A mature sandalwood tree yields the highest quantity and quality of timber, wood powder and essential oil. The essential oil is steam distilled or extracted using a hypercritical carbon dioxide process from coarsely powdered heartwood and major roots of the tree. The distillation process is very slow and costly.
East Indian sandalwood essential oil primarily consists of a number of closely related chemical constituents called sesquiterpenoids. The most prized sequiterpenoids of sandalwood essential oil santalols (alpha-santalol and beta-santalol) are significant to its aroma and therapeutic properties; anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, analgesic, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, cicatrisant, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, sedative and tonic. (i, ii, iii) The quality of the sandalwood essential oil is determined by its level of santalol. A minimum of 90 percent santalols is considered to be of the highest quality and the most valuable for therapeutic application. East Indian sandalwood is renowned for having the highest percentage of santalols and for having the best aroma.
The world’s ever increasing demand for East Indian sandalwood lead to over-harvesting, pushing the treasured tree onto the endangered list. The Indian government has significantly limited the export of essential oil to allow for the trees’ regrowth. Each Santalum album tree is owned and controlled by the government and as part of reforestation efforts the government instituted a program that sees a new sandalwood tree planted for each one that is felled. Aromatherapy uses a very tiny percentage of world sandalwood use, with the bulk going to the perfume and toiletries industry. (iv)
Nonetheless ecological concerns and escalating costs of true sandalwood essential oil has many aromatherapists looking for alternatives.
The sandalwood tree belongs to the botanical family, Santalaceae. This is important to remember when choosing a sandalwood essential oil. Do not be mislead into purchasing West Indian sandalwood as a substitute. Amyris balsamifera is from the Rutaceae botanical family and does not have the same aromatic or therapeutic properties as East Indian sandalwood. It has a woody-balsamic aroma similar to sandalwood and is most often used as a perfume fixative. Therapeutically it may be used as an antiseptic, and it shows promise when used to relieve stress and treat insomnia. (v, vi)
Western Australian sandalwood essential oil, Santalum spicatum is not without its own harvesting controversy. Some maintain that the government regulated sandalwood tree plantations are not sustainable as the trees are not doing well. And there have been reports that some producers use a combination of solvent extraction and subsequent steam or vacuum distillation to produce the essential oil. (vii, viii)
According to the world’s largest producer of certified organic Western Australian sandalwood essential oil, although the East Indian and Australian sandalwood essential oils contain similar chemical components, the concentrations are different, creating two similar but quite distinctive oils. (ix) The most significant difference is that quality Australian sandalwood has nearly half the percentage of santalols than quality East Indian sandalwood. However, Australian sandalwood is high in bisabolols, a sesquiterpene which possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. The essential oil also possesses antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic and antiviral properties. Like East Indian sandalwood, Western Australian sandalwood is indicated for skin care and the management of some skin disorders. (x)
With regard to aroma, an article from thebestorganics.com reports that there is little difference between Western Australian sandalwood in the enduring base note that is vital to sandalwood’s aromatherapy use. There is some difference in the middle notes of the two oils and a clear distinction in the top notes. Western Australian sandalwood has a more resinous, drier and less sweet top note than Indian sandalwood. (xi)
Despite its odour and therapeutic property differences, Western Australian sandalwood oil is commonly used as a substitute for East Indian sandalwood oil, due to its availability and the lower price.
The lesser known New Caledonian sandalwood essential oil is gaining attention as a possible substitute for East Indian sandalwood. The Santalum austrocaledonicum tree is a species of sandalwood native to the islands of New Caledonia. The harvesting of the trees is closely monitored by government and for every tree felled, three are planted in its place. Steam distillation of the heartwood produces an essential oil that boasts a rich, warm, sweet aroma with a slightly smoky, clear sandalwood character.
Quality testing of the essential oil using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that New Caledonian sandalwood essential oil is more closely related to East Indian sandalwood than Western Australian sandalwood. The oil contains a slightly higher percentage of ‘santalols’ and has a softer top note than Western Australian sandalwood. (xii, xiii)
So there you have it, Felicia. Which sandalwood essential oil inspires or resonates with you? Trust your intuition and if you have access to samples use your nose to make the final decision. The choice truly is yours.
P.S. – I use my coveted stash of East Indian essential oil very sparingly; when making a blend that will be applied to the face, neck and decollete and occasionally in a special body massage blend, if I determine that an alternative will not work synergistically with the other essential oils. I use Western Australian sandalwood essential oil primarily for its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties and as an aroma fixative in body massage blends. When I need a deeply relaxing and grounding aroma in a room, into my diffuser I add 7 drops Western Australian sandalwood essential oil, 2 drops ylang ylang essential oil (Cananga odorata) and 1 drop vetiver essential oil (Vetiveria zizanoides). Physically and energetically it stills my mind and connects me to earth.
Barbara Power, Certified Aromatherapist
