Sandalwood FO?

[Gerry]

I have a sandalwood FO that I get from Candora Soap, and it smells exactly like wet, very rich organic dirt. It reminds me a tiny bit of good dark patchouli, but still very different and goes extremely well with it. That's the best way I can describe it because in all honesty, I don't think I've ever smelled real sandalwood before (EO). It behaves perfectly in CP soap and sticks like crazy.

Anyway, Candora Soap isn't really a wholesaler, and the biggest quantity they sell is 475 mL (16oz) for $47.00 Canadian. Ouch! I've tried all the other shops for FOs labeled "Sandalwood" here in Canada, including NDA, Canwax, Voyager, and Blue Saffire. They are nothing like the sandalwood from Candora, and I mean not even close.

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a FO of perhaps a different name that maybe NDA or other Canadian supplier stocks that has this type of scent to substitute? I'm getting a bit tired of spending nearly $100 per liter for this...

 

[kchaystack]

We had a user called not_ally who was out sandalwood expert. Here is a link to her post and her review of various FO's. She has not been around in so long, I am hoping she is ok. I really miss her.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=55424

 

[Gerry]

Thanks for the link! But I'm afraid I might be very hard to help because as I said, I have no idea what real sandalwood smells like, so what I like so much may be nothing like what people are looking for to substitute for sandalwood EO.

I should also mention that this sandalwood has zero vanilla content, and does not seem to DC. Flashpoint is listed at 200F. It's not really sweet like cedarwood and has no grassy edge, but a rather simple one-note scent - deep, dark earthy smell, like wet dirt.

 

[dixiedragon]

I've smelled real sandalwood - I have a teensy vial of sandalwood EO I got from Camden Grey - and it doesn't smell like dirt to me at all. To me it is woodsy, slightly sweet, slightly incense-y.

Maybe look for a dirt FO?

I clicked around on Saffire Blue's site and they seem to run about $75 CA per liter. So $100 CA for a liter is not totally unreasonable. Especially for a scent like sandalwood. You'll notice that many of the EOs that are expensive - patchouli, jasmine and sandalwood leap to mine - even the FO versions are pricey. I assume that they are using some portion of the EO to make their FO as realistic as possible, which is going to drive up the price.

You may also want to try to figure out who supplies Candora with their scents. They may have other clients who sell in higher quantities, or they may sell direct.

 

[joellcox]

The Indian Sandalwood FO from Nature's Garden smells nice, it's woody and fragrant. That said, I have no idea whether it smells like true sandalwood.

 

[shunt2011]

I too have used Indian Sandalwood from NG and Sultry Sandalwood from I think Fragrance Lab. I think I personally like the NG version but both are nice. I have a few customers that like it.

 

[Gerry]

Hmmm... I wish I knew what sandalwood really smelled like. NDA has a 5 ml sample of real Sandalwood for a great price of $60! :shock:

Or perhaps I could spring for an entire litre for only $4,800 and make some soap! Umm... would there be a market for $150 a bar soaps you think? haha!

The more I think about it, the more I think I might like this scent because it's something from my childhood. The only place I could have smelled such scents as a child was perhaps when I was dragged to Catholic mass around 5 to 7 years old...?? I wish scents were easier to describe!

 

[kumudini]

I used one from Oregon Trail Soaps, it has similarities to real sandalwood but smells very artificial, no sweetness to it. I would agree with DD abou the scent description of the real thing. It doesn't smell like dirt at all. FWIW, bulk natural oils a.k.a jedwards has an FO it claims to be an exact replica of the real sandalwood. Priced at 80 some usd per pound. Have to try to find out.
But I guess you are on the lookout for something else.

ETA: I got myself a small vial of 10gm for about 15USD on my most recent trip to India. This was not the best quality available there, but buying from an authorized seller, I was confident that the quality would be decent. It didn't disappoint.

 

[snappyllama]

I've only tried a few Sandalwood FOs, but liked the Indian Sandalwood the best. It's a sweet one... just not as much woodsy depth as the real deal. the price is nice though!

 

[cmzaha]

I use Oakmoss Sandalwood for WSP mixed with NG's Indian Sandalwood and some Atlas Cedarwood. I did not find the Indian Sandalwood stuck well enough for me.

 

[IrishLass]

We had a user called not_ally who was out sandalwood expert. Here is a link to her post and her review of various FO's. She has not been around in so long, I am hoping she is ok. I really miss her.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=55424

I miss not_ally, too. I was just reading over on the ScentReviewBoard and noticed that she posted a follow-up this past spring on May 15, 2016 to her 2015 sandalwood testing trials. In her update on her soap made with the sandalwood from Gemlite, she said Gemlite's version was still her best in class with good, true sandalwood notes. She said it was also still the best deal, price-wise, too: http://soapscentreview.obisoap.ca/viewtopic.php?f=504&t=8410

I think I may need to buy this sandalwood.


IrishLass

 

[amd]

I found one at candlesupply.com that is "perfect" IMO. I haven't soaped with it yet because I'm too busy sniffing the bottle...