Sandalwood: The Champion of Luxury Fragrances and Indian Medicine

Can you think of a calming creamy woody scent that often soothes your mood and reminds you of spirituality? If you are thinking of the sandalwood fragrance, you’ve caught on with us. 

Today we’re talking about the richness of Chandan, a significant Indian aromatic essence. Right from its availability to its uses, benefits, and facts. Let’s explore the reverence of sandalwood fragrance and find out why it holds such a divine place amidst all scents.

Availability of Sandalwood

Santalum Album, or Sandalwood, is a small evergreen tree, most abundantly found in Southern India. Another type - Santalum Spicatum, is found in parts of Australia. Both of these varieties prefer tropical growing environments and are hemiparasitic plants. The Indian variety has higher scent components and longer fragrance retention. 

Due to its rich uses, sandalwood was heavily smuggled, bringing its cultivation and distribution totally under state regulation. Moreover, these trees take around 15-20 years to mature into usable forms, needing constant safeguarding. Over the years, sandalwood has become a nearly endangered species. 

With its worth having doubled in less than a decade, sandalwood is one of the most expensive woods and scents. Earlier it was common to auction sandalwood and today prices have reached up to ₹20,000 per kilogram.

The Process of Sandalwood Essence Extraction

Extracting the useful heartwood and sapwood portion from the logs is quite a physically demanding manual process. Right from the roots to the mid-bark, to tiny branches, all is used up in production.

The quality of sandalwood varies depending on whether it's a separate heartwood or sapwood type, or a mixed one. Sandalwood is sold in varied forms, be it sticks, chips, powder, or its essence - the oil. 

Once the interior wood is separated from the bark, it is crushed into chips and ground in a fine powder. Now, begins the long process of distillation to extract sandalwood oil. The dry crushed residue still carries the scent, which is further used to make incense sticks and dhoops. 

The extracted oil is tested in labs and sent out to factories to use in the production of soaps, perfumes, creams, etc. KSDL - Karnataka Soap and Detergents Limited is among the experts in sandalwood products, renowned for the Mysore Sandal Soap.

Important Uses and Benefits of Sandalwood

Be it beauty, medicine, or Indian rituals, the sandalwood fragrance has become an inseparable part of it all. The many uses of sandalwood in its different forms are listed below:

1. Cosmetic uses: Sandalwood is highly used in moisturisers, face creams, shampoos, etc. because of its natural fragrance.
2. Perfumery: varieties of products like soaps, creams, incense sticks, roll-ons, perfumes, and more are made from Sandalwood.
3. Aromatherapy: alongside many other aromatic essences, sandalwood oil helps to calm the body and de-stress. It is known to lower anxiety and mental healing.
4. Skin benefits: it also soothes acne and skin inflammation and has properties that repair and protect the skin from sun damage and dermatological cancer. 
5. Promotes sleep: sandalwood essence is also used to promote relaxation and induce healthy sleep.
6. Anti-oxidation: sandalwood properties also reduce oxidative stress and fight free radicals, protecting against cancer.
7. Skin revitalisation: it is commonly used in facial toners and aftershaves, as it heals and tightens the skin.
8. Antiseptic abilities: the oil is often used with carriers or in ointments to heal open wounds, warts, pimples, etc.
9. Natural aphrodisiac: this essence has always been used in Ayurveda an agent that enhances libido.
10. Pain relief: Sandalwood paste has been known to calm headaches when applied to the forehead.
11. Natural coolant: It also has a cooling effect, and is hence, used in cooling sprays to fight summer heat.
12. Digestive properties: one of its medicinal uses is to treat gastric ailments and irritability.
13. Meditation: sandalwood fragrance is a common one used during yoga or meditation because of its relaxing aroma.
14. Ritualistic purposes: Hinduism treasures Chandan, through pastes anointed on idols, used for cleansing and purity, smearing on foreheads, for teekas and bindis, and more.
15. Insect-repellent: Sandalwood was commonly used in temple architecture to keep away ants. Chandan pouches are also used to keep away moths and other infestations on clothes.

There are lots of ways to use Sandalwood in homes, medicine, temples, festivals, cosmetics, and perfumery. That being said, sandalwood fragrance with its warmth stands out as a matchless unique scent, enhancing the Indian identity.