Unfortunately in today’s world, authentic and high-quality sandalwood powder is often hard to come by. One might think that with all of the benefits it provides that it would be more widely available, but with the price currently so high, many counterfeit sandalwood products have been released.
It makes sense, being as how sandalwood is used in so many different products, such as incense, soaps, cosmetics, and even jewelry.
However, we don’t want our readers to get caught-out buying fake sandalwood powder, so we put this guide together for you.
Table of Contents
Types of Sandalwood Powder
Before we talk about the different types of sandalwood powder, it’s important to note that sandalwood is referenced by many names including Australian sandalwood, chandan, East Indian sandalwood, Coast sandalwood, red sandalwood, Sandal, Santalum album, Santalum ellipticum, yellow sandalwood, white sandalwood, and white saunders.
Many of these names mean the same thing, but a few, such as red sandalwood, are a different species.
Indian Sandalwood
The most common, as well as the most popular type of sandalwood is likely Indian sandalwood. Quality Indian sandalwood often has a white or yellow color and has a strong, yet humble aroma.
If you’re looking for an ultra high-quality Indian sandalwood, look for the name ‘Old Mountain Sandalwood’.
Australian Sandalwood
Another popular type of sandalwood is Australian sandalwood. While it’s aroma isn’t typically as strong as it’s Indian counterpart, Australian sandalwood has proven to be a popular choice among aromatherapists, as well as incense producers.
Unfortunately, this type of sandalwood powder is generally more expensive then Indian sandalwood.
Coastal Sandalwood
There is another, less common type of sandalwood known as coastal sandalwood. Strangely enough, this variety of sandalwood originates from Hawaii and has a bold, enticing fragrance.
Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult to find.
How to Identify Fake Sandalwood Powder
While experienced users can clearly tell the difference between real and fake sandalwood powder, often just by look and smell, a beginner may not have that same ability.
Don’t fret!
Below are some guidelines to help you purchase authentic sandalwood powder.
- Texture of the powder is unrefined.
- An unusually low price.
- Misspelled words or ingredients.
- Missing contact information.
- Check whether the manufacturer’s address is real.
- Bar code numbers which aren’t verifiable online.
- Low quality logos.
It’s also important to keep in mind that sandalwood powder is a natural product and it’s quality may vary from supplier to supplier, or harvest to harvest. Even if you find a good sandalwood powder supplier, it’s tough to say whether it will be the same quality a year down the road, so look at recent reviews and see which sandalwood powder people are currently raving about!
How to Identify Original Red Sandalwood Powder
Red sandalwood is a little harder to identify whether it is original or counterfeit. It doesn’t have the same distinguishing scent as the other types of sandalwood described above. When it comes to identifying original red sandalwood, you are best buying from a reputed supplier.
The good news is that red sandalwood isn’t counterfeited as often as it’s more expensive counterparts.
