Sandalwood: Side Effects, Dangers and Contraindications

Does sandalwood cause side effects? For traditional use as a paste or powder on the skin, very rarely. For concentrated essential oil, occasionally, in the form of skin reactions. This article details what the reference safety review shows on the subject. For sandalwood's traditional uses, see our sandalwood page; general precautions are covered in sandalwood dangers.

What the reference safety review shows

The most-cited review on the subject is by Burdock and Carabin, published in 2008 in Food and Chemical Toxicology (vol. 46, no. 2, p. 421-432, available on Google Scholar). This safety review concludes that vetiver/">sandalwood oil has low acute oral and dermal toxicity in animals, and is not mutagenic in standard tests. It does, however, note occasional cases of skin irritation or sensitization reported in the literature in humans, despite a long history of traditional use with no major documented adverse effect at scale.

Skin use: the most useful precaution

Form	Main risk	Precaution
Traditional diluted paste or powder	Very low	Patch test on the inner elbow before applying to the face
Pure essential oil	Contact dermatitis, sensitization	Always dilute in a carrier oil, never pure on the skin
Already irritated or broken skin	Worsening of irritation	Avoid until fully healed

As with any essential oil, concentration changes everything: what is harmless in a diluted traditional paste can sensitize the skin in pure, repeated form. A prior patch test, on a small area, remains the sensible rule before any regular use, particularly on the face.

Internal use: great caution is required

Ingesting sandalwood essential oil, unlike skin or aromatic use, is not recommended in self-medication. Available safety data mainly concern skin and inhalation use; internal use of concentrated essential oil falls outside the traditional framework (paste, powder diluted in a drink) and should only be considered, if at all, under the supervision of a professional trained in aromatherapy.

Populations to watch

• Sensitive or allergy-prone skin: higher risk of contact dermatitis with pure or lightly diluted essential oil.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women: as a general precaution, avoid essential oil for internal use and limit skin use to professional advice — see sandalwood and pregnancy.
• Young children: thinner, more permeable skin, so even greater dilution is recommended if skin use is considered.

Sandalwood is sometimes compared with other aromatic herbs with similar properties, as in our article sandalwood vs. vetiver, useful for choosing based on skin type or desired effect.

Precautions

Sandalwood remains, overall, one of the best-tolerated herbs in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia, particularly as a traditional paste or powder. Caution mainly concerns concentrated essential oil: always diluted, never used internally without professional advice, and patch-tested before repeated application. See our safety and precautions guide.