Australian Sandalwood Essential Oil — Santalum spicatum — Distilled in Vietnam

€22,05

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Santalum spicatum is not a lesser version of white sandalwood, but a different species with its own history and its own chemistry. It is the West Australian sandalwood, exported to China for incense since the 1840s. This oil, from trees grown in Australia and distilled in Vietnam, is dry, woody, earthy, and structured.

＋ 01 — Origin and botany

Santalum spicatum (R.Br.) A.DC. is a shrub or small tree of the Santalaceae family, growing up to about 6 m, with grey-green foliage and spherical orange fruits about 3 cm in size, containing an edible seed. It is native to the semi-arid areas of southwestern Western Australia and South Australia, and is tolerant of drought and salt.

Like all sandalwood, it is a hemi-parasite: its roots attach to those of other plants, especially acacias, to take some of their water and nutrients.

Australian Aboriginal peoples have used it for millennia as food, medicine, and in smoke ceremonies; in Noongar, it is called waang. The aromatic material is in the heartwood, the inner wood of the trunk and roots.

＋ 02 — History

Western Australia has exported its sandalwood since the 1840s, mainly to China, where it was burned as incense. For a time, its trade accounted for more than half of the colony's revenue.

＋ 03 — Extraction and chemistry

The wood is pulverized and steam distilled; this batch was distilled in Vietnam.

Its oil is distinct from that of S. album, and the ISO 3518 standard treats them separately. A published analysis of S. spicatum oil found 22% α-santalol and 5% β-santalol, compared to the 41–55% and 16–27% required by the standard for S. album, in addition to components that white sandalwood does not have, such as trans-farnesol (5.8%) and lanceol (5.2%).

Farnesol is a declarable allergen in the European Union; consult the batch certificate before formulating.

＋ 04 — Olfactory profile

Pure oil. Dry, woody, earthy, and structured, with less creaminess than S. album.

＋ 05 — Applications in perfumery

Woody structure: for formulators looking for wood without as much creaminess.
Incense and resins: the historical use of this sandalwood, alongside frankincense, myrrh, and oud.
Study: compared to our S. album grown in Australia and distilled in Vietnam, it shows the difference between species with the same origin and process.

＋ Bibliography

Plants of the World Online — Santalum spicatum (R.Br.) A.DC. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Kucharska, M. et al. (2021). A Comparison of the Composition of Selected Commercial Sandalwood Oils with the International Standard. Molecules 26: 2249.

Also explore our collection of natural sandalwood for perfumery.

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Store in a cool, dark place, tightly closed and away from direct light. Natural materials are alive: over time they can round out and gain depth.

Each lot is treated as an individual material, with its own origin, process and evolution. We state provenance, extraction method and year whenever available.

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