Indonesian Sandalwood

I never knew Sandalwood trees grew in Indonesia, nor that Sandalwood Essential Oil was distilled there.

It is.  And apparently if you know the right people,  essential oil distilled from roots and heartwood.

A month or more I was sent a wee sample, and it was love at first sniff.  Deep and mysterious.   So much Sandalwood these days is sweet and smooth but light. This is deep, mysterious, evocative, the ultimate masculine oil. 

In the early '90's, when we could still procure Mysore Sandalwood with some confidence that it was "the real thing" a friend in the industry sent me a dram of Mysore Sandalwood distilled in 1942.    It was magnificent.  Deep, mysterious, magical.  Amazing stuff.  That small sample has, forever after, been the benchmark to which I compared all other Sandalwood specimens.  Some I received measured up.  Our almost legendary Tamil 2002;  the Tamil 2006 was not close, but obviously from the same family.

This amazing new Indonesian oil is if not a direct decendant, then a very close cousin of that so well aged Mysore, close to 70 years old.

I have read that Indonesia was the origin of the Sandalwood trees grown in India for the past 2000 years, that they originated in Timor, and were taken to India in hopes that they would flourish.  How did I not learn this years ago?  How did I never experience Sandalwood from Timor, from Eastern Indonesia? I've led a deprived life!


The Indonesian Government/Forest Service is responsible for the islands' Sandalwood trees.  The people of Timor believe that those who cut the Sandalwood tree illegally will not have a peaceful life.  We hope that these measures will be sufficient to preserve these beautiful trees, and prevent the poaching and black market activities that have made true Mysore Sandalwood unavailable.

Santalum album  Hydrodistilled from roots and heartwood in Spring, 2011.  What this amazing oil will mature into remains to be seen.  It may be the aromatic investment of a lifetime.  Coming soon to a website near you. (We have to pour and label it first.)

Vitex Essential Oil: For Women Only

by Christi R. Pugh
for Nature's Gift Inc.

Menstrual irregularities are often a source of great frustration for women, & the choices available for treatment are not always the most desirable. An interesting “women’s” oil available for use in aromatherapy is Vitex agnus castus from the leaves and/or berries of the Vitex Tree, also known as Chaste Tree or Chasteberry of the Verbenaceae family of plants native to the Mediterranean.

For many years the herb has been used mainly as a tincture with success but more recently, the essential oil has been studied for its reported ability to balance estrogen-progesterone in females: those having menstrual difficulties such as PMS or those experiencing menopausal symptoms. Vitex is a key component of our Passages blend of essential oils.

It is particularly helpful where an overabundance of estrogen is present, it seems, helping alleviate painful periods & PMS symptoms such as severe cramping, hormonal headaches and/or hot flashes & night sweats for those experience menopause or perimenopause. The oil may be used stand alone via inhalation from the bottle or an inhaler or in a low dilution in a lotion or crème, & some have experimented with internal use of one drop a day which so far has shown no adverse results, according to Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt in Medical Aromatherapy. (If you use Vitex internally the gentler Vitex Leaf is a better choice than the Berry, we believe.) We also offer Vitex Hydrosol (floral water) which the distiller recommends at one half teaspoon per day in a bottle of water, eventually increasing intake to up to one tablespoon per day as needed.

Not for use by men, pregnant women, or by those taking birth control pills. For individuals on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), a recalibration of dosage might be necessary once you begin using Vitex. As with any essential oil, please keep pertinent safety concerns, cautions, & warnings in mind before use.

For more information on other blends & oils recommended for women see http://www.naturesgift.com/aromatherapy_women.htm.