Sandalwood is the name of the fragrant wood of the trees of the genus Santalum. Sandalwood: description and scope

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

This plant is now in a precarious position: the active felling of sandalwood trees due to their valuable qualities can lead to complete extinction if not tough measures are taken (as India, Nepal and other Asian countries did). The article details the value of this tree and why it was cultivated on numerous plantations.

Application in the modern world

Sandalwood is a generic name for a product made from a tree of the Santalum family, which grows in Asia, Australia and numerous Pacific islands. These include:

sandalwood oil, which is widely used in perfumery and ritual ceremonies;
sandalwood, from the wood of which various things are made: from beads to furniture;
the dye is often red.

Also, some natives of the Pacific Islands use sandalwood fruits and seeds as food, although for a Europeantheir taste will seem too sharp. In fact, sandalwood is an inaccurate name, but rather a more pleasant one to pronounce, but at home it is called a little differently: in Sanskrit it sounds like chandan (translated as “brilliant”), later transformed into sandal or sandal wood. The same name is used by botanists and scientists who are researching beneficial properties and trying to develop a new variety capable of more active growth.

A few facts

Sandalwood is a semi-parasitic plant that for the first few years of its life feeds on the juices of other plants located near plants, digging into their roots. Further, sandalwood takes root in the soil, and it is not at all capricious: it can grow both on sand and on clay plots. In natural growth, it can reach a height of ten meters and a hundred centimeters in girth, although it takes at least 50 years for a tree to grow to such a size.

Sandalwood varieties are about 12 species and more than forty subspecies, but the following are considered the most valuable:

Santalum white (in Russia it is sometimes called yellow). In most Hindu countries, it is considered a sacred tree. It is in the wood and roots of this species that the maximum amount of essential oil is contained (up to 10%), therefore, in the last century, the massive felling of this plant led to the fact that sandalwood had to be listed in the Red Book as a vulnerable species. At the moment, the export of sandalwood and essential oil from India is prohibited.
Yasi's sandal is as valuable as its fellow, butmainly lives on the island of Fiji and Tonga in the wild. Between 1809 and 1816, the tree was almost destroyed by profit-hungry traders, so now this type of sandal is very rare and is also listed in the Red Book.
Santalum spicatum is an Australian variant that is less valuable but more common. It has been actively cultivated in Australia in recent decades: plantations occupy more than 15 thousand acres of land, and a ton of raw materials on the market fluctuates within 16 thousand dollars per ton.

Unfortunately, smuggling and illegal logging of sandalwood occurs in all places where it grows, despite the active efforts of the authorities to protect this species. In order for a tree to gain the strength of essential oils, it must be at least 15 years old, and 30 year olds are especially highly valued. That is why there is a real hunt for wild trees of this species.

Main use of sandalwood

The most important ingredient for which this plant is cultivated is the essential oil. It is extracted from wood by steam distillation. From each ton of raw materials, about two hundred kilograms of a viscous, light brown with a yellow tint substance are obtained - this is sandalwood oil, highly valued by all perfumers and doctors.

The antiseptic properties of sandalwood oil were noticed by healers in ancient times, it was used to treat inflammatory processes on the skin. Also used for:

acceleration of the processsoft tissue repair;
fight against fungi of various kinds, as well as parasites and bacteria.
as a diuretic and expectorant;
stimulation of libido and potency;
normalization and stabilization of blood pressure, as well as problems associated with sleep disturbance.

In modern industry, the essential oil of this tree is used to make soaps, perfumes, and various cosmetics. It is worth noting that the oil of the white santalum and its Australian relative differ in cost. The first is very expensive, such sandalwood in perfume is used only by branded manufacturers, and the second from Australian sandalwood has a cost several times lower, therefore it is more affordable for ordinary users, although it is inferior in durability.

Wood as a valuable product

The second most valuable raw material that gives sandalwood is fragrant wood, various souvenirs are made from it: figurines, caskets, beads and bracelets, as well as small interior items and less often furniture. All these items are quite expensive, as sandalwood products have a very persistent aroma that does not dry out even after a dozen years.

The wood of this tree itself is very dense, heavy and not subject to damage by insects, even termites bypass it! The only negative is that when drying, sandalwood boards undergo deformation, so the craftsmen have in their arsenal a number of specific manipulations to give the productthis tree to the desired shape.

Sandalwood paste

People who profess Hinduism firmly believe that sandalwood is the fragrance of the gods, capable of ridding the house of evil spirits and negative energy, so they often light aroma lamps with its smell, rub the area between the eyebrows, stimulating an uncluttered stereotyped look at everything that exists, and also use a special sandalwood paste in various religious rituals. It is made from the highest quality sandalwood wood, dried and ground into a powder, which is then mixed with a little water and saffron (for a bright red color). It is noteworthy that the preparation of sandalwood paste is allowed only to the elite: these are Brahmins (priests in Hinduism) pure in soul and thoughts, who constantly live at the temple and use special equipment for grinding pieces of wood.

Sandalwood sticks

Also, incense sticks are often made from sandalwood paste: sandalwood in this form is almost always present at meditations, various chattings (conversations with the Guru), funerals and other significant events in the life of Asians. To do this, thin wooden torches were smeared with a thin layer and dried in the sun, and, if necessary, set on fire: a thin stream of fragrant smoke was considered blessed, with its help the human soul could reach the divine state and get rid of the negative qualities of character.

Pterocarpus sandalwood

So botanists call another type of sandalwood. More precisely, this is a subspecies with reddish wood, which, due to external similarity and smell, is mistakenconsidered sandalwood. This tree is also actively used for the extraction of essential oil, although it is significantly inferior in quality, and a dye is also mass-produced from it.

It was he who was first brought to Russia several centuries ago, moreover, it was red sandalwood that gave rise to a new word: "sandalize, slander", which means to become covered in red, and later - to get drunk, get very drunk. It has long been known that people who abuse alcohol have a constantly red nose, and those who saw sandalwood for the first time felt its amazing aroma and involuntarily sniffed the powder closer, staining their nose with paint. Since then, the word has been transformed, but then forgotten.

What does sandalwood smell like?

How to distinguish this smell among dozens of other fragrances used not only in perfumery, but also in cosmetology, as well as other areas of human life? It is immediately worth noting that this fragrance has no analogues: it is unique and unrepeatable. The smell of sandalwood is quite rich, woody-musky with a creamy undertone, warm and uniform.

Those who once knew it will not confuse it with any other, although when interacting with other aromas, its note may slightly change in shade. It pairs perfectly with rose, geranium, almost all citrus and woody notes, as well as fruity and jasmine tones.

Some tips for using sandalwood oil

It is worth noting that if the price of sandalwood essential oil is below 1.5 thousand.rubles - most likely, in front of you is a synthetic fake or a diluted product, since real oil is highly valued. If you are lucky enough to become the owner of a bottle with this miracle remedy, then you can use it like this:

To relieve varicose veins and eliminate skin irritation, mix 4-6 drops of sandalwood oil with 150 grams of vegetable oil (coconut oil is best). Rub the affected areas, rubbing gently into the skin.
If lips often dry out in the cold or from the wind, then you can lubricate them with a mixture of two drops of sandalwood, the same amount of jojoba oil, and 1 teaspoon of any vegetable as a base.
If the nails are very brittle, then after a day or two they can be lubricated with a thin layer of sandalwood oil. In addition to strengthening nails, the body will always smell good, the need for synthetic perfumes will disappear.