Sandalwood

IUNX L’Ether EdP by Olivia Giacobetti 2003

/ cookie queen / 17 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ

I lived through my first radio broadcast, and was happy enough with it, despite the mistakes I made.

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The technics lady who was teaching me left me alone for half of the show assuring me I could do it.  She sat outside where I could get her in if I needed.    Coordinating the music with the faders, and talking into a microphone took some concentration, but I did it.   What nearly killed me was a deadlift training session that morning that caused my hands to bleed.  Honestly, you would have thought that I would have learned by now.   As a reward for surviving everything, I ordered my next IUNX perfume.

IUNX L’Ether EdP by Olivia Giacobetti 2003

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Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Hello APJ Peeps!

I hope you are all well and fabulously fragrant. I wanted to share a captivating documentary I discovered today. It takes an hour to view, but well worth the time invested for its fascinating content, based in Western Australia and France, all about delicious Australian Sandalwood and more!

Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular

The documentary outlines the Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia and highlights environmental issues, indigenous community involvement, poaching, uses of, industry’s worth and traces the oil right through to Givaudon’s laboratory in France where they now use both species of oils for fine fragrance and beauty products.

How would you describe the smell of Sandalwood Oil? Have you had the luck to smell both Indian AND Australian native sandalwood oil? What differences did your nose perceive?

I learnt so much from watching and hope you do too! Make yourself a cuppa or some popcorn, relax and enjoy!

Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia Documentary Link <<<JUMP

Here is an additional ABC news story, which outlines the dodgy poaching industry that is occurring in greater volume than the legal exporting of Sandalwood Oil from Australia. Who knew?!? SO interesting!

After watching the above my mind was inspired, racing in all different directions. My legs took me to my bathroom where I found a bottle of Mecca Cosmetica: Scrub Up Smoothing Body Polish. The reason I raced to find it was I knew it was the only product I had containing Sandalwood KERNEL (i.e. not from the wood) oil CO2 extracted AND the nuts themselves as the exfoliation component. It is from the species Santalum Spicatum which is indeed the Australian Sandalwood kernels. If you remember from the program they were the bigger nuts and sound like they often go to waste…perhaps not anymore!? It seems they have made a slightly more “luxurious version” of the traditional indigenous “chew and spit” kernel poultice/scrub. (..And I do recommend it!)

Sandalwood Mecca Cosmetica

We at APJ would love to hear your thoughts on the above programs including anyone who has personally visited the plantations in Western Australia.

Finally, which are your favorite Sandalwood containing fragrances and do you think they contain Australian or Indian oil…or synthetic molecules?

A Series Of Sandalwood Dreams: Jordan River on BaseNotes

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

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Guest Post by Jordan River

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On ya APJ,

This is a night flight…

Fasten your web-belts dear readers. Tonight we are journeying across the web for A Series of Sandalwood Dreams. Let’s see if these dreams take us to a heightened sense of reality over the next 8 nights. Will you dream with me?

Perfume Observant readers may be able to sample something very special somewhere along this journey. Tonight we will meet Mr Purna who is so old that he now resides in the Pali Canon. Tomorrow we will visit The Perfumed Chamber, an ancient place shrouded in the mists of time. I have discovered that the remains of this chamber exist today. There will be clues as to how you can find recreations of The Perfumed Chamber in your own city, home town or village. After that we will explore the northern reaches of a continent that broke away from Gondwanaland many eons ago. We will be visiting perfume plantations and a thriving distillery which uses the principles of alchemy and modern science to turn your sandalwood dreams into reality.

We are starting with a mytho-historical story and this story begins over here at Basenotes…

Let’s go web-traveling.

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A Series of Sandalwood Dreams
Basenotes – Part 1 – Myths and Legends

Photos Supplied by Jordan River

Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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An essential oil from a wood can draw us in to world of intrigue and secrets, ancient knowledge and divine scent. Wood oils bring an oil formulation together and can be considered “grounding” and “centering” – due to the fact the tree roots delve deep into the earth. Oils from woods have been used for thousands of years in sacred ceremonies, embalming techniques and in traditional healing. Cherish these beautiful gifts from nature.

Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

sandalwood WATodayPhoto Stolen W.A.Today

Today most oils come from renewable plantations but in the case of Sandalwood we have seen a decline in the tree population for many years. Indian Sandalwood has been over farmed, which has lead to a crisis in the industry and in our forests. Illegal felling of young trees has lead to more stringent controls from the Indian government to help sustain production long term. This is the one driving factor in the huge price increase in the last 10 years, and is also the reason why the Australian Sandalwood industry is booming.

The Indian type “Santalum album”, and the Australian sandalwood “Santalum spicatum” have similarities but are wonderful in their differences. The Indian wood is the classic deep, sweet exotic scent that we have come to know and love and in the Australian oil, you can actually smell the bush. It really is beautiful. I use both oils, and both are considered to be premium oils and are more expensive than common oils.

Traditionally Sandalwood has been used for spiritual ceremonies and the spread of the use of this oil is claimed to have come hand-in-hand with Buddhism. If anyone has been to India you would know the widespread use of the scent in incense and temples, in soaps and perfumes.
It is used therapeutically to treat acne, urinary disorders and infections and as a nervine tonic to ease stress and anxiety.

There is also an oil produced called West Indian Sandalwood but this tree comes from a different species and is sometimes called amyris oil. I’ve never used this oil, and have never seen it anywhere. It apparently has a slight sandalwood scent (hence it’s name) and is used in perfumes and fragrant body products.

Indian Sandalwood will usually come in a 3% jojoba blend like Rose, Jasmine and Neroli. This means it is ready to go as a perfume but not good for putting in an oil burner. Oil burners and diffusers need 100% pure essential oils so when an oil is mixed with jojoba, the scent won’t escape the carrier oil and may also damage your diffuser.

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Try these simple recipes to invite peace, sacred sexuality and a connection to the divine:

Pulse Point Perfume

Mix together in a little bowl or saucer and anoint your beautiful self

“Good Luck Charm”
Sandalwood 3% in jojoba 3 drops
Mandarin 1 drop

“Gold”
Australian Sandalwood 2 drops
Rosewood 2 drops

sandalwood SandalwoodCompanyPhoto Stolen SandalwoodCompany

Scent Your Space

Add these oils to a classic oil burner or diffuser:
“Fluidity”
Australian Sandalwood 10 drops
Ylang Ylang 6 drops
Orange 9 drops

Sandalwood is an oil for softening the edges in your life. Breathe it in and you wont be disappointed.

Suzanne R Banks x

Ed: If you thought this was good go see the Suzanne R Banks site (LINK JUMP) or like her Facebook Page (LINK JUMP)