Sandalwood Perfumes and Fragrance Notes

A woody, oriental fragrance

Sandalwood is a woody, oriental note with a soft, yet sturdy and rich scent which offers a green top note and long lasting scent. A soothing and revitalising scent from the oil found in the wood of Santalum Album or East Indian Sandlewood Tree. Sandalwood perfumes usually feature a woody, oriental aroma.

It can be found in the peninsular of India, where it is mainly distributed from, as well as in Malay Archipelago, Northern Australia and the Indonesian Islands of Timor and Sumba.

Sandalwood Perfumes

Sandalwood comes from a family of trees called the Genus Santalum, they are solid, yellow and have a fine grain. The oil which is extracted from the wood is particularly useful in perfumery as it retains its fragrance, often spanning decades. Due to near extinction, Mysore sandalwood, which is the product with the best quality, is now protected from harvesting as an endangered species. The scent of Sandalwood is heavily influenced by a number of factors, the age of the tree, the location of it and the skill of the distiller.

When used in perfumes and fragrances, it gives a long lasting, woody base from the oriental, woody, chypre and fougere families. It also lends itself to both floral and citrus fragrances due to its fixative nature. For floral fragrances it is usually combined with other scents, for example orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine and ylang ylang.

Alternative Medicine

Sandalwood is a popular ingredient in alternative medicine, where it is used to treat a range of ailments. Whilst not medically or scientifically tested and certified, there is research available which suggests it is effective in treating particular health conditions.

Decorative Items

The soft wood is very useful for carving and has traditionally been used when carving idols and sculptures of Hindu Gods.

Food

The seed kernels, nuts and fruits of the quandong sandalwood trees can be eaten. In Australia the fruit has been used in jam making, chutneys and desert pies.

The pulverised bark from red sandalwood is used along with other spices for marinating anchovies and pickled herring.

In today’s culinary industry, the nuts have been used as an alternative to macadamia nuts, along with the oil being used to add flavour to different food groups, including ice cream, puddings and non alcoholic drinks.

Men’s Fragrances containing Sandalwood