a reference. Mysore sandalwood is Indian sandalwood from Karnatak a's Mysore district — the densest, creamiest, most santalol-rich grade, against which all other sandalwoods and synthetics are measured.
Ultra-creamy, buttery, and lactonic — richer than any other sandalwood grade. The immediate impression is warm milk with a trace of woodiness. Sweeter and denser than Australian sandalwood, which is comparatively dry and thin. More persistent than New Caledonian grades.
After several hours on skin, Mysore sandalwood develops a subtle musky-animalic quality — not dirty, but skin-warm and intimate.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Intensely creamy, buttery milk with soft wood warmth
After a few hours
After a few hours
Deepening lactonic richness, faint musky-animalic glow on skin
After a few days
After a few days
Persistent, dry, mineral base — still creamy after 72+ hours
The Full Story
Mysore sandalwood is not a separate species but a geographic designation: Santalum album harvested from the forests around Mysore (now Mysuru) in Karnataka, India. The region's specific soil, altitude, and climate conditions produce heartwood with the highest alpha-santalol content (typically 85-90% combined santalols) of any sandalwood origin.
The Indian government nationalized sandalwood in 1792 under Tipu Sultan, and state control has continued in various forms since. Karnataka Forest Development Corporation manages legal harvesting, which only permits felling of dead or mature trees. This scarcity, combined with illegal logging and dwindling wild populations, has pushed genuine Mysore sandalwood oil beyond $3,000/kg.
In contemporary perfumery, the gap between genuine Mysore sandalwood and its substitutes (Australian S. spicatum, New Caledonian S. austrocaledonicum, synthetics like Javanol or Polysantol) is narrowing but still perceptible. The Mysore oil has a depth, a richness, and a skin-melting quality that synthetics approximate but do not replicate.
The Karnataka government values sandalwood trees by their heartwood weight at death or felling. A single mature Mysore sandalwood tree can contain 20-40 kg of heartwood, valued at the equivalent of $50,000-$100,000 at current oil prices.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation of heartwood and roots from mature trees (minimum 30 years, optimally 60-80 years old). The wood is chipped to maximize surface area. Distillation runs 48-72 hours at atmospheric pressure. Oil yield: 4-6.5% from quality heartwood. Government-controlled auctions in Karnataka determine pricing and allocation.
Restricted. IFRA sets concentration limits due to sensitization potential.
Synonyms
INDIAN SANDALWOOD · EAST INDIAN SANDALWOOD · YELLOW SANDALWOOD
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Boiling Point
276.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point
> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity
0.97000 to 0.97800 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index
1.49800 to 1.51200 @ 20.00 °C.
In Perfumery
Mysore sandalwood is the ultimate base note fixative in classical perfumery. It serves as the foundati on of the sandalwood accord in oriental, woody, and floral-woody families. Its extreme substantivity (detectable on blotter for 100+ hours) makes it an ideal carrier for less persistent materials. Synthetic substitutes — Javanol, Polysantol, Sandalore, Ebanol — each capture different qualities but none matches the complete profile.
