What is it?
The fragrant essential oil obtained from the heartwood of East Indian sandalwood, Santalum album, a tree native to India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. Most of the oil is made up of two related compounds, alpha- and beta-santalol, and beta-santalol gives it much of its scent. It is used as a fragrance in perfumes, face serums and other skin care. It is a different ingredient from sandalwood seed oil, a fatty oil from the seeds of Western Australian sandalwood.
Key information
- The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety classes sandalwood oil as an established contact allergen in humans, in its category of 101 to 1,000 reported positive patch-test reactions.
- EU labels must name Santalum album oil, and santalol, above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products placed on the market after July 31, 2026.
- East Indian sandalwood oil is mainly alpha-santalol (41 to 55 percent) and beta-santalol (16 to 24 percent).
- The IUCN Red List classifies Santalum album as Vulnerable, with a decreasing wild population.
More information
According to the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), East Indian sandalwood oil consists almost entirely of closely related sesquiterpene compounds. By far the main ones are the alcohols alpha-santalol (41 to 55 percent) and beta-santalol (16 to 24 percent); beta-santalol is mainly responsible for the scent.
In its 2012 opinion on fragrance allergens, the SCCS classified Santalum album oil as an established contact allergen in humans, in its category of 101 to 1,000 reported positive patch-test reactions. In one large study of 3,671 consecutively patch-tested patients, 1.3 percent reacted to it. The SCCS also regards the santalols themselves as established allergens. In 2023 the EU added both sandalwood oil and santalol to the fragrance allergens that must be named in the ingredient list when present above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products; products placed on the EU market after July 31, 2026 must comply. IFRA, the fragrance industry’s standards body, has no standard of its own for sandalwood oil in its current (51st amendment) standards.
Sandalwood is also a conservation concern. The IUCN Red List assessed Santalum album as Vulnerable in 2018, with a decreasing wild population threatened by harvesting, logging and fire. On labels, look for Santalum Album Oil; it may also be part of “fragrance” or “parfum.” Don’t confuse it with Sandalwood Seed Oil, a fatty oil from the seeds of Western Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) that is not a fragrance ingredient, or with oils from other species that are also sold as “sandalwood.”
Sources: SCCS: Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (2012); Official Journal of the EU: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens; IFRA: The complete IFRA Standards, up to and including the 51st Amendment; IUCN Red List: Santalum album (Indian sandalwood)
