Sandalwood Oil Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Sandalwood Oil Market is projected to expand from USD 99.98 Million in 2025 to USD 157.69 Million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 7.89%. Extracted chiefly via steam distillation from the heartwood of mature Santalum trees, this highly prized essential oil is underpinned by persistent demand for natural fragrance components within the personal care industry and its integral function in Asian religious and cultural observances. Additionally, the growing consumer inclination toward therapeutic aromatherapy acts as a strong catalyst for sustained usage, creating a stable foundation of demand that operates independently of fleeting cosmetic fads.

However, market growth faces significant hurdles due to raw material scarcity resulting from historical over-harvesting, a situation that has triggered stringent conservation mandates and driven up global costs. These supply limitations compel the industry to manage intricate sustainability compliance requirements while battling the widespread presence of adulterated products. For example, the Forest Products Commission of Western Australia enforced a strict harvest quota of up to 2,500 tonnes of wild sandalwood in 2024 to safeguard the resource's long-term future. While necessary for conservation, such restrictions inevitably curtail the quantity of authentic oil available to satisfy escalating international needs.

Market Drivers

The surging demand for natural ingredients within the personal care and cosmetic sectors serves as a primary driver of market value, with leading beauty brands increasingly prioritizing authentic Santalum album for its exceptional fixative qualities. This momentum is sustained by a discerning consumer base that favors premium botanical formulations over synthetic alternatives, thereby boosting revenues for established manufacturers. This financial success is evident in state-owned enterprises; for instance, The New Indian Express reported in April 2025 that Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) achieved a record net profit of Rs 415.11 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year, a result largely driven by increased sales of their sandalwood-infused products. Furthermore, Eximpedia data from April 2025 indicates that India completed 3,652 sandalwood shipments between March 2023 and February 2024, highlighting robust international demand despite elevated raw material costs.

Simultaneously, the consumer pivot toward ethically sourced and sustainable materials is reshaping the supply chain, compelling a strategic shift from wild-harvested timber to certified plantation resources. With natural Asian reserves severely depleted by over-exploitation, manufacturers are increasingly relying on managed estates to guarantee regulatory compliance and supply consistency for their clean beauty collections. This dependence on transparent sourcing is reflected in the strategies of major industry players who are turning to international markets to address domestic shortages. As noted by The New Indian Express in October 2025, KSDL has begun importing approximately 5,000 kg of sandalwood oil annually from Australian plantations, confirming the market's definitive transition toward cultivated sustainability and traceability.

Market Challenges

The principal obstacle restricting the Global Sandalwood Oil Market is the acute shortage of raw materials resulting from past over-harvesting, which has necessitated rigorous conservation laws and caused global prices to spike. This supply constraint directly affects the market by capping the amount of authentic oil available for commercial use, forcing manufacturers to function within strict quota limits. As a result, the industry's inability to scale production in response to growing consumer interest prevents it from fully leveraging demand in the personal care and aromatherapy sectors. Additionally, the prohibitive cost of raw wood compels companies to market sandalwood oil strictly as a luxury niche item, effectively excluding it from mass-market segments and limiting revenue opportunities to premium categories.

Moreover, this scarcity engenders a volatile pricing landscape that makes long-term supply chain planning difficult for major fragrance houses. The disparity between restricted supply and persistent demand inflates the unit value of exports while simultaneously stifling overall volumetric growth. Data from the Spices Board India released in 2024 reveals that in the fiscal year 2023-24, the export value of spice oils and oleoresins - a category including high-value sandalwood extracts - totaled USD 498.01 million, demonstrating that the sector relies heavily on high valuations rather than increased volume due to resource limits. This dynamic forces the industry to prioritize value retention over broad market penetration, thereby retarding the general trajectory of market expansion.

Market Trends

The incorporation of sandalwood oil into clinical dermatological and hair care formulations is upgrading its status from a conventional fragrance fixative to a recognized bioactive therapeutic agent. Manufacturers are heavily investing in pharmacological studies to confirm the oil's effectiveness in treating complex inflammatory skin disorders and aiding wound recovery, effectively repositioning it for the medical dermatology market. This strategic shift enables companies to offer medically graded products that secure higher profit margins compared to standard cosmetics. Recent scientific progress supports this trend; in January 2024, the American Chemical Society's 'ACS Omega' journal reported that a newly developed sandalwood oil nanoemulsion significantly accelerated wound healing in burn models while maintaining an optimal physiological pH of 5.58, confirming its suitability for advanced topical treatments.

In parallel, the rise of bio-synthetic and lab-created market segments is structurally transforming the industry by offering a consistent supply alternative to resource-limited natural wood. With conservation quotas restricting the availability of wild-harvested oil, biotechnology companies are employing microbial fermentation to synthesize nature-identical santalol, ensuring price stability and volume security for industrial mass-market uses.

This diversification is crucial for bridging the growing gap between supply and demand; according to the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) in its 'Biomolecules' journal (August 2024), annual global consumption of Indian sandalwood stands at roughly 4,000 tonnes, a figure that vastly outstrips current sustainable natural extraction capacities. Consequently, reliance on biosynthetic alternatives ensures that authentic oil remains reserved for the ultra-premium luxury tier.

Key Players Profiled in the Sandalwood Oil Market

• Eden Botanicals, LLC
• Blossom Kochhar Beauty Products Pvt. Ltd.
• Khadi Natural
• Mercer International Inc.
• BASF SE
• PerfumersWorld Ltd.
• Quintis (Australia) Pty Ltd.
• Plant Therapy, Inc.
• Kanta Enterprises Private Limited

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Sandalwood Oil Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Sandalwood Oil Market, by Type:

• East Indian Sandalwood Oil
• Australian Sandalwood Oil
• Others

Sandalwood Oil Market, by End-Use:

• Cosmetics
• Personal Care
• Pharmaceuticals
• Others

Sandalwood Oil Market, by Distribution Channel:

• Online
• Offline

Sandalwood Oil Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Sandalwood Oil Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.