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Sacred Trees from the Big Island
Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood Essential Oil or ‘Iliahi in Hawaiian, is rapidly becoming the most sought-after sandalwood in the world. The Hawaiian variety of sandalwood is exceptionally sweet, rich, and chemically superior in comparison to other sandalwood varieties.
This prized Sandalwood variety is ONLY grown and distilled on the Big Island of Hawaii, which happens to be our home. The Sandalwood forest is located on a family-owned and operated 2,800-acre farm, which is currently part of a reforestation project.
Shop our Collection of Hawaiian Sandalwood Products
Until recently, Hawaiian Sandalwood had been unavailable for many decades due to over-harvesting of the trees. This reforestation project facilitates an abundance of Hawaiian Sandalwood, such that it is no longer in danger of becoming extinct, and we are able to supply the essential oil, hydrosol, and many other Hawaiian Sandalwood products worldwide.
History of Hawaiian Sandalwood
Up until the late 1700's, sandalwood trees that grew on Hawaii Island were used by the natives for waterproofing and scenting clothing, making musical instruments and tools, and for treating dandruff, lice, skin conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases. Around this time, King Kamehameha began trading Sandalwood worldwide, and had monopolized the Sandalwood trade by 1811. King Kamehameha used this influence to purchase the artillery required to unify the Hawaiian Islands.
After King Kamehameha’s death, his son and successor King Kamehameha II, fell into tremendous debt with
The astounding amounts of Sandalwood being harvested exhausted the forests causing the wood quality to degenerate. Since the forests were being ravaged, prices became higher and quality decreased. By 1830, the Hawaiian Sandalwood trade had collapsed leaving Hawaii stripped of its precious Sandalwood for almost 200 years, until reforestation projects brought back the production of Hawaiian Sandalwood in a sustainable way. In fact, this farm only uses dead and dying sandalwood trees to produce their essential oil and hydrofoil, making them 100% sustainable. You can read more about Haloa ‘Aina’s mission and book a farm tour here.
Benefits of Hawaiian Sandalwood Essential Oil
- Botanical Name Santalum Paniculatum
- Plant Part Heartwood of dead & dying trees (100% sustainable)
- Origin Big Island, Hawaii
- Extraction Steam Distilled
- Physical Color Yellow-Gold/Clear color with medium Consistency
- Aroma Woody, Sweet, Rich
Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil imparts profound balancing and healing effects, due to its high-quality heartwood and high concentration of santalols. Here’s a list of some of the benefits you can expect from using Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil:
Emotions
The oil is energetically calming, thus facilitating a sense of inner peace. It encourages the release of pressure and stress and supports upliftment from depressive states of mind.
Skincare
Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil contains the highest amount of sesquiterpenes, chemical compounds that have been studied for their action on cancer. The oil is antimicrobial, which helps to rid the skin of harmful viruses and bacteria. Hawaiian Sandalwood is indicated for all skin types, helping to maintain a healthy balance of oils on the skin and face when properly diluted. The oil is an important ingredient in my Super-Custom Anti-aging blend and Rejuvenating Face and Body Butter.
Physical
Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil is extremely calming and relaxing for the mind as well as the body. The oil can be used as a sedative to calm the muscles and nerves, and to reduce blood pressure and inflammation, while increasing circulation. The oil can be used to fight off all viral infections and tone the immune and nervous systems in the body. It's an important ingredient in my calming blends, like Malu and Forgiving.
Spiritual
Spiritually, Hawaiian Sandalwood is frequently used during meditation or sacred practice. Hawaiian Sandalwood is extremely potent in its healing components that it is found more beneficial for quieting the mind than other Sandalwoods on the market. Hawaiian Sandalwood is a root chakra balancer and will ground one to the earths roots. It's an important ingredient in my Vision, Faery Woods, and Heart Blends.
Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil acts on all chakras, and specifically these ones…
- Root Chakra (Balance) Hawaiian Sandalwood grounds and stabilizes ones emotions and mental patterns. This allows one to feel their sense of inner peace derived from a strong foundation.
- Sacral Chakra (Creativity) Hawaiian Sandalwood, although mild and calming, can act as a powerful aphrodisiac. The oil can also be inhaled to calm overthinking thought patterns and connect to their creativity. See Passion essential oil blend and Sexxy Essential Oil Blend.
- Solar Plexus (Adaptibility) Hawaiian Sandalwood’s calming and sedating effects on the mind instills ones sense of confidence with themselves and the universe. Sandalwood calms ones entire being, which allows for ease in change and adaptability.
- Heart Chakra (Love) Hawaiian Sandalwood is a high frequency essential oil, which allows ones heart to vibrate at a higher frequency. This attunes ones thoughts and emotions to unconditional love and compassion. See Heart essential oil blend.
- Third Eye (Intuition) Hawaiian Sandalwood effectively quiets mental chatter, promoting a deep meditative state. This state invokes spiritual intuition, allowing one to better receive and integrate healing energy. See Vision essential oil blend
- Crown Chakra (Wisdom) Hawaiian Sandalwood incites higher consciousness and instills a sense of unity.
How to Use Hawaiian Sandalwood Essential Oil
Neat: Place a drop or two directly onto clean and intact skin. A couple drops on the wrists, shoulders, temples or neck imparts a beautiful aroma and is an effective remedy for stress and nervous depression. To use as deodorant, place a drop or two on each armpit. Note: May be too concentrated to be used undiluted on facial skin.
Blended with Carrier: Use 15 drops per 1 TBL of carrier oil and massage over any area where you would like for healing to occur. For more sensitive and mature skin, start out with using 5 drops per 1 TBL dilution.
Bath: Place 8 drops into 3 handfuls of bath salt and disperse, or add 8 drops to vodka or whole milk before dispersing in the bath.
Diffusor: Follow diffusor manufacturers instructions, but typically add about 8 drops.
Room Deodorizer: Add 15 drops per 2oz distilled water and spray as desired, and for a light refreshing and super delicious Sandalwood Essential Oil Spray, try our Hawaiian Sandalwood Hydrosol.
Sandalwood Hawaiian Essential Oil (Iliahi) - Organic (Santalum Paniculatum)
$86.00
Botanical Name: Santalum Paniculatum Common Name: Hawaiian Sandalwood, 'Iliahi Plant Part: Heartwood Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled Country of Origin: Hawaii, USA Color/Consistency: Clear Yellow-Gold Color with Thin-Medium Consistency Aroma: Warm, Sweet, Rich, and Woodsy Perfumery Note: Base Main Chemical Components: Cis- alpha… read more
FAQs
What is the difference between Hawaiian Sandalwood Essential Oil and other varieties?
Hawaiian Sandalwood (Santalum paniculatum, also called 'Iliahi) stands apart from other sandalwood varieties in both its chemistry and aroma profile, largely due to the unique terroir of Hawaii's volcanic soils and isolated island evolution.
Hawaiian Sandalwood contains exceptionally high levels of therapeutic santalol compounds—the precious constituents that give sandalwood its legendary healing properties. With 40-50% α-santalol and 20-25% β-santalol (totaling 65-75% santalols), Hawaiian Sandalwood rivals the prized East Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) and significantly surpasses Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), which typically contains only 40-50% total santalols.
This higher santalol content translates directly to more potent therapeutic benefits: deeper calming and sedative effects, enhanced skin regeneration and anti-aging properties, stronger anti-inflammatory action for irritated skin, and more pronounced antimicrobial activity.
How does location affect Hawaiian Sandalwood Essential Oil?
Hawaiian Sandalwood's exceptional quality comes directly from its place of origin. Growing in the mineral-rich volcanic soils of the Big Island at elevations between 1,000-6,000 feet, these sacred trees develop in an environment unlike any other sandalwood habitat. The iron, magnesium, and calcium-rich basalt, combined with excellent drainage and unique microbial communities, allows the trees to produce higher concentrations of therapeutic compounds. The cooler mountain nights and isolation of the Hawaiian Islands created evolutionary pressures that resulted in this distinct species with its superior santalol profile.
Which Sandalwood is right for me?
Choose Hawaiian Sandalwood when you're seeking maximum therapeutic potency for skin healing, anxiety relief, or deep meditation work, or when you want the closest alternative to rare East Indian Sandalwood. Australian Sandalwood remains an excellent choice for everyday aromatherapy, budget-conscious applications, or when you prefer a lighter, more austere woody scent. Both varieties offer genuine therapeutic benefits, but Hawaiian Sandalwood delivers the richest, most complex sandalwood experience available today.
