alpha-Santalol

What alpha-Santalol smells like

alpha-Santalol is the main odorant of sandalwood oil. A 2012 study in Molecules describes the (Z)-isomer as having a unique woody odour, and finds that the E-isomers of related compounds are odourless, fresh or fatty — the woody character depends on the side chain's geometry. Parchem lists woody sandalwood. 'Creamy' and 'milky' appear in general references, not in primary odour studies.

Leading note

Woody sandalwood

Supporting facets

Soft

Faint facets

Creamy

Character

Soft, warm, tenacious

• sandalwood
• creamy
• soft
• woody

What makes alpha-Santalol distinctive

The molecule behind sandalwood, whose smell depends on a single double bond's shape.

How alpha-Santalol is used

Used in fine fragrance as a natural or biotech sandalwood note, and as the reference for synthetic sandalwoods.

Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).

How alpha-Santalol differs from similar materials

Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album)*

Sandalwood oil is fuller and creamier; alpha-santalol is its main woody constituent. (compared directly by a cited source)

Polysantol

Polysantol is a synthetic described as powerful, diffusive and creamy-milky; alpha-santalol is the natural woody odorant.

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Availability and price follow sandalwood supply. Check the sustainability and origin of the source oil.

Identity and classification

Type

Natural isolate

Origin

Natural

Odour family

Woody

Note position

Base note

Physical form at room temperature

Viscous liquid

CAS number

115-71-9

Molecular formula

C15H24O

Molecular weight

220.35 g/mol

IUPAC name

(Z)-5-[(1S,3R,6R)-2,3-dimethyl-3-tricyclo[2.2.1.02,6]heptanyl]-2-methylpent-2-en-1-ol

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 11085337, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (114 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (31.6% of reports). 78 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

• Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album)

  Essential oil · Woody / Musky — woody, creamy, milky, sweet

• Australian Sandalwood Oil

  Essential oil · Woody / Resinous — woody, creamy, resinous, dry

• Sandalore

  Aroma chemical · Woody / Musky — sandalwood, warm, soft, woody

• Rose Oil (Rosa damascena)

  Essential oil · Floral / Fruity — rose, honeyed, spicy, fresh

Used in formulas and accords

Not currently used in any published formula.

The Formula & Accord Library lists alpha-Santalol here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.

Further reading

• Sandalwood in Perfumery: Species, Supply and Synthetics

  Sandalwood oils by species, supply and sustainability, the sandalwood aroma chemicals, how sandalwood is used, and what to record.

• Essential Oils, Absolutes, Resinoids and Isolates: Natural Material Types Explained

  How essential oils, absolutes, concretes, resinoids, CO2 extracts and isolates are made, how they differ in a formula, and what to record for each.

• Woody Notes in Perfumery: Naturals and Aroma Chemicals

  A map of woody materials — cedarwoods, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, smoky woods and woody aroma chemicals — and how to build a woody base.

Questions about alpha-Santalol

Sources

• PubChem — compound 11085337, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• Molecules (2012) — alpha-santalol derivatives and odour — published literature.
• Wikipedia — alpha-Santalol — published perfumery reference.
• Parchem — alpha santalol — distributor's description.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.