Sandalwood and Rosewood are Endangered Hardwoods
We offer alternatives
Sandalwood (Santalum album) Essential Oil is distilled from the powdered wood of the sandalwood tree. The tree originates in India, Ceylon, Indonesia and surrounding islands. It is one of the most ancient known perfume ingredients and is valuable to the perfumer. However, it is also much endangered since obtaining the essential oil requires destruction of a mature tree to obtain the essential oil and despite efforts at control in India, where most sandalwood is from, poaching occurs frequently. Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is a frequent substitute for Indian Sandalwood.
Rosewood essential oil is also produced by destructive distillation of the tree. Rosewood trees are tropical and grow primarily in Brazil. These trees are destroyed for production of the essential oils and are being harvested at an unsustainable rate. This is just a part of the more general problem of deforestation in the Amazon.
We don't sell either Rosewood or Sandalwood for those reasons. There is some effort being put to obtaining essential oils from the leaves and twigs of these trees as well as plans for sustainable harvest, however these are not underway in any significant way and there is some doubt as to sustainability of these efforts.
There are some alternatives for these two essential oils. Amyris (Amyris balsamifera) is used as a substitute for sandalwood and has a similar balsamic woody aroma. Like sandalwood it can be used as a heart tonic and for lymphatic or veinous problems. It is also antiseptic and sedative. We are also looking into the sustainability of Australian Sandalwood.
Ho wood (Cinnamomum camphora) has been recommended as a replacement for Rosewood. It is high in linalool which is one of the main components of rosewood essential oil. Ho wood essential oil comes from the same tree as camphor; camphor comes from the wood of the tree and Ho Wood comes from the leaf. The properties are very similar. Ho wood has been used as a deodorant, skin conditioner, muscle relaxant and antiseptic.