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🪵 Earth

Sandalwood

Creamy santal, milk and temple wood — Mysore memory, Australian farms and the softest lasting base in the atlas.

At a glance
Score intensity

Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.

Score profile

Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.

668874727870
Trail and hold
Notes
Notes: Bergamot / Rose / Spearmint / AldehydeNotes / Bergamot / Rose / Spearmint / AldehydeHeart: Mysore album / Australian sandal / Jasmine / IononeHeart / Mysore album / Australian sandal / JasmineBase: Santalol / Javanol / Polysantol / MuskBase / Santalol / Javanol / Polysantol / Musk
Timeline

Milestones in order. This is history, not a weekly activity grid.

Antiquity ChandanMughal–colonial Kannauj attars1926 Bois des Îles1989 Samsara1990s–2000s Mysore crisis2003 Tam Dao2011 Santal 33CITES years Album controls2000s Javanol years2010s Plantation album
  1. Chandan
  2. Kannauj attars
  3. Bois des Îles
  4. Samsara
  5. Mysore crisis
  6. Tam Dao
  7. Santal 33
  8. Album controls
  9. Javanol years
  10. Plantation album
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15 min read

Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology

Pin a wear occasion

Pick an occasion already in this family’s wear chapter. Last pick stays beside this pick — two uses, no new family.

Teaching notes on skin and season. Not a medical, legal or workplace-scent rule.

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Sandalwood — Sandalwood
KarlM ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sandalwood is milk and temple — the creamiest wood, and the one whose forests now have to be farmed.

Creamy santal, milk and temple wood — Mysore memory, Australian farms and the softest lasting base in the atlas.

Sandalwood sits in the Earth group of this atlas. Wood and moss — dry timber, sandal, oud smoke, vetiver root and chypre.

FamilyCreamy wood
Key notesSantalol, milk wood
SeasonCool to cold
LandmarkMysore memory
WearClose skin
WatchFarm vs wild

The profile

668874727870

The scent pyramid

Top Bergamot · Rose · Spearmint · Aldehyde Heart Mysore album · Australian sandal · Jasmine · Ionone Base Santalol · Javanol · Polysantol · Musk

Pin a wear occasion

Pick an occasion already in this family’s wear chapter. Last pick stays beside this pick — two uses, no new family.

Teaching notes on skin and season. Not a medical, legal or workplace-scent rule.

Seven chapters on this family

Frequently asked questions

What is Sandalwood?
Creamy santal — milk and temple wood, now mostly farmed. Wild Mysore is a story, not a supply chain.
EDP vs EDT — what changes?
Concentration is oil in alcohol, not a quality score. EDT (about 5–15%) shows more top; EDP (about 15–20%) shows more heart and base. Houses vary; this is not a lab assay.
How should I wear Sandalwood?
One or two sprays on skin or cloth — sternum or hair, not a cloud in a lift. Let it turn an hour before you add more.
Which season fits?
Cool to cold, close to skin. Heat turns creamy wood into sun lotion.
Does skin chemistry change it?
Yes. Warm, moist skin amplifies sweet and spice; dry or cool skin can turn the same juice woody, soapy or short. Test on your skin, not only a blotter.
What about IFRA and oakmoss?
IFRA sets industry limits on some naturals and synthetics. A reformulation is usually a legal edit, not a betrayal. This atlas is not a safety sheet.
Any ethics or materials I should know?
Read the materials chapter for the actual load. Niche and designer often share a family and disagree on dose.
Is this medical or allergy advice?
No. This atlas is cultural and editorial. Fragrance can irritate; oakmoss, eugenol, citrus oils and musks are common triggers. See a clinician for reactions. Nothing here is a diagnosis, treatment or safety sheet.

Where to wear it

Choose the wear line for Sandalwood.

Follow this wear tip: Smell album and spicatum apart.

Scent craft. Not a shopper rank.