Sandalwood: Unlocking the Mystery of Two Oils [Part One]

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! Today we will be talking about Sandalwood and its historic uses. There has been so much information which I have found on the two species which dōTERRA carries, that the next post will focus solely on Sandalwood while the third post will focus on ‘Iliahi (Hawaiian Sandalwood). I am excited to share my research with you in respect to these two wonderful trees.

My first experience with Sandalwood dates to a couple of years after I became affiliated with dōTERRA. I was getting ready for a class when the unthinkable occurred: I lost my voice. Now, when I lose my voice, it doesn’t fade away and go hoarse. Instead, my voice increases in pitch to where I sound like an impersonator portraying Minnie Mouse. I panicked. How was I going to be able to present at this meeting? I grabbed my bag and searched desperately for something, anything, that would help.

One question I hear frequently with the oils is, “How do I know what to use?” My answer has been simple: smell the oils. If it smells good, then there is something in the make-up of that oil your body needs. So I started grabbing oils and smelling deeply as I removed each cap. Nothing seemed to be working, and the mountain of my anxiety was becoming as big as Everest. Then I grabbed my bottle of Hawaiian Sandalwood. I remember hearing other consultants talk about Sandalwood in prior classes and I wanted to have a bottle, yet was put off by the price. Since Hawaiian Sandalwood was the cheaper option, I had recently purchased a bottle. As I took a breath in, time seemed to slow. This smelled nice, and I went back for another breath. I put a couple of drops in my hand and massaged my throat. Forcing a smile, I started greeting the people arriving for the class.

Then it happened.

My husband (bless his soul) was joking about my high pitch squeal as I started. Suddenly, my throat relaxed, and my voice returned to its normal pitch. It remained so for about twenty minutes, before I started to squeak again. So I put some more Hawaiian Sandalwood on my neck, and once again, felt my voice lower back to normal a few minutes later.

After the class was over, I discussed what happened with my husband. Neither of us were familiar with Hawaiian Sandalwood at the time, and the brief research we did seemed to raise more questions than answers.

As the years passed I kept my ears open for references to Hawaiian Sandalwood. Soon, the oil was being referred to in conjunction with the Kealakekua [Key-a-la-key-coo-ah] Mountain Reserve, or KMR, the acronym by which it is known in dōTERRA. The time had come to do some more research into Sandalwood and Hawaiian Sandalwood.

To start off with, both are, simply put, Sandalwood. Most horticulturists world-wide agree that there are nineteen species of Sandalwood. The oil we know as Sandalwood is Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood, and is commonly referred to as the most expensive wood in the world (1) Its cousin, Hawaiian Sandalwood is Santalum paniculatum. Notice the common word in each Latin name: Santalum. This is the genus name, or the grouping of a set of species. There are minor differences between the individual species themselves, and they possess nearly identical chemical profiles. To me, the scent of Sandalwood is more woodsy, while ‘Iliahi is slightly sweeter. Personally, I find myself drawn more to the ‘Iliahi, while a friend (a Hawaiian, no less!) prefers the woodier scent of Sandalwood. Sandalwood belongs to a group of trees known as “perfume trees,” due to their scents. Other trees in this group include cedar, cassia, cinnamon, and rosewood. (2)

Yep, It’s a Hemi! (Hemiparasitical, that is.)

One of the defining features of the Santalum genus is the fact that new seedlings require a host plant in order to survive. The host helps provide nutrients to the developing tree, and provides needed shade in the early years of growth. The nutrient exchange takes place through a structure called a haustra, which grows from the roots of the Santalum and envelopes the host roots. A comparable example to the haustrum would be the placenta, which allows nutrients to pass from a mother to a developing fetus. Studies are underway to learn more about how the host plant affects the properties and qualities of the oil obtained from the Sandalwood trees.

Developing Sandalwood trees require a minimum of ten years for the heartwood to fully develop. The heartwood is critical to the tree, as this is where the oil originates. The tree expands as it grows, and soon broad, evergreen leaves appear. The developing tree requires abundant sunshine at this point in order for luxuriant growth, and soon stands at heights of 35 to 45 feet (12-15 meters) tall. Studies show that Sandalwood thrives from Sea Level up to an elevation just over 8,000 feet (0-2,550 meters). (3) The tree’s habitat extends from India, eastward into southeast Asia, including Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula; southward into Australia, and further east onto several Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. The rich tropical forests found throughout this region provide a variety of hosts for the younger trees to utilize.

The Older, The Better

Sandalwood trees continue getting better with age, as the heartwood grows and expands rapidly once the ten-year mark is passed. A “full-growth” tree usually requires up to thirty years to mature. Sadly, most trees are harvested at about fifteen years. So-called “Old-growth” trees for Sandalwood are nearly a thing of the past, a situation which will be looked at in greater depth in the next post.

Why is Sandalwood so popular? There are several reasons for its popularity. The wood is soft and easy to carve, so that statues and icons of various sizes can be easily created. The heartwood is densely packed with oil. As such, the scent lingers for several years before fading.

Many cultures embraced Sandalwood over the mellinnia. The oldest are the Egyptians, the Chinese, and the people of India. The Lords of the Nile used Sandalwood during embalming to help release the soul from the body, as incense in the temples, and in cosmetics and perfumes. The Chinese also used Sandalwood as incense in their temples. About 600 B.C. the Chinese began using Sandalwood as construction material for temples and monasteries. The wood was also carved into prayer beads (malas) which the faithful would wear. The culture and religions in India made much use of Sandalwood, too. The Hindus and Buddists used the wood for incense and also for construction of temples and monasteries throughout India and Nepal. This sacred wood was also used as fuel in funeral pyers for individuals of great renown. Societies closer to the Mediterranean were also familiar with this fantastic wood. The Jews in Jerusalem used Sandalwood in Soloman’s Temple, and the Islamic people used the wood for funeral pyres and as a “bakhoor” to fumigate religious centers.

Through the travels of Alexander the Great, the roads of the Roman Empire, and untold millions of merchants traveling the ancient superhighway that was the Silk Road, the fame of Sandalwood grew, as did demand for the precious wood. So, too, did the knowledge of uses of Sandalwood propagate to people and lands far away from India and Malaysia. As a result we see many different cultures, separated by thousands of miles, using Sandalwood in uses including medicinal means, as well as cosmetic means, because of the information exchange taking place along the routes of the Silk Road. Consequently, the Arab nations used Sandalwood in similar means as the Hindus, Buddhists, and Chinese did.

Today, the oil is obtained through a long process. Trees are felled during the rainy season, as roots are also harvested. The tree is then chipped, roots, trunk, and branches. The chips are then processed again and again, gradually being reduced to a fine chip. This is then placed in a steam distillery. Great pressure and heat are needed to release the oil from the wood. A batch of oil may take up to nine days to process, depending on the quality of the oil desired. The oil is known to be of benefit in maintaining skin tone, and also helps calm and ground an individual’s mood, hence the use historically in spiritual meditation.

One needs to be careful with Sandalwood, however. There several trees harvested and sold as Sandalwood which are better known by their collective group name of “False Sandalwoods.” These include the Red Sandalwood (Adenanthera pavonina), the Sandalbox (Eremophila mitchelli), the African Sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata), and the east African Sandalwood (Osyris tenuifolia). This is one reason why knowing the Latin name becomes important. It prevents being led to products whose effects would be ineffective and possibly harmful to individuals

There be Dark Times Ahead

Santalum album and Santalum paniculatum share a lot of qualities. This comes as no big surprise, given that they are close cousins. What I did find surprising, however, is the dark history surrounding each species, and the similarities that evolved due to mankind’s greed. The next two posts will take a look at the historic abuses and the modern solutions concerning Sandalwood first, and ‘Iliahi second.

I do have to admit that years later, I laugh at myself whenever I start to sound like Minnie Mouse, and take great pleasure at the astonishment in people’s faces as my voice drops after I apply ‘Iliahi topically on my neck. I hope you have enjoyed this look into Sandalwood, and I encourage you to join us in the coming weeks as we continue our exploration, here at Harvesters’ Corner.

Sources

1. In Ezra Rashkow’s article, “Perfumed the Axe that Laid it Low,” he states that S. album sells at about $147,000 USD per metric ton. Footnote 2 of the same article states, “Although S. album often receives the superlative ‘the most expensive woo in the world,’ there are certain difficulties in attempting to verify this, for example, black market prices, different prices across international markets and the fact that while most timber is priced in board feet, sandalwood is sold by the metric ton.” See Rashkow, Ezra. “Perfumed the axe that laid it low: The endangerment of sandalwood in southern India.” Montclair State University. 2014. Department of History Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works, 20. Online. <https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/history-facpubs/20>  Accessed 2 March 2024

2. Carrement Belle. “The Mysteries of Sandalwood.” The Scented Notebook: Ingredients. 23 September 2020. Online <https://www.carrementbelle.com/blog/en/2020/09/23 /mysteries-of-sandalwood/>  Accessed 2 March 2024.

3. Speetjens, Tawn M. and Douglass E. Jacobs. “Nutrient Availability Has a Greater Influence that Pot Host on Seedling Development of Hemiparasitic Hawaiian Sandalwood (Santalum paniculatum Hook. and Arn.).” Forests 2023, 14, 458. Online. <https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030458>.  Accessed 3 March 2024.