Sandalwood Oil is one of the oldest incense materials which has been in use for over 4,000 years. Sandalwood oil is a very important ingredient in incense, in both traditional and modern formulas.The tree is 12-15 meters tall. The tree reaches its full maturity in 60-80 years, which is when the center of the heart wood has achieved its greatest oil content. As the tree grows, the essential oil develops in the roots and heartwood, which requires atleast 15 to 20 years. Full maturity is reached after 60-80 years.
The core of dark heartwood gradually develops, which is covered by outer sapwood. The sandalwood tree is never felled, but uprooted in the rainy season, when the roots are richer in the oil.The best quality oil comes from the Indian province of Mysore and Tamil Nadu where the harvest of Sandalwood trees are protected by the state government. It is said to have been used for embalming the corpses of princes in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) since the 9th century.
