Sandalwood Essential Oil

Overview: Indian is derived from the heartwood of sandalwood trees grown in the southern parts of the Western Ghats, primarily in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The trees in the Marayoor forest region in Kerala and the forest regions of Mysore are highly regarded for their quality. Sandalwood trees grown in wild, rain shadow regions are considered the best. Government regulations strictly control the trade, permitting the use of fallen trees or those grown in designated reserves for oil production. These are auctioned by the government and later used for distillation.

The heartwood starts developing at 15 years but matures at around 60 years, with 25 years being the ideal age for cutting. While commonly known as sandalwood essential oil, there are various grades based on the wood part used for distillation. All parts of the tree except the leaves are usable, but the oil from the aged heartwood, also known as Vilayat Budha Class, is c...