Scent Library
Santal
Creamy, soft, woody
Santal is a warm, creamy, soft woody scent and the fragrance world's term for a sandalwood-style accord. Its main molecule, santalol, is heavy and slow to evaporate, so santal sits at the base of a blend and stays present long after brighter notes fade. In Sero's Renew it grounds the eucalyptus and juniper. "Santal" usually means a synthetic sandalwood accord, not sandalwood essential oil.
The science
Santalol, the main molecule in santal, is heavy and slow to evaporate, so it sits at the base of a blend and keeps a scent present long after the brighter notes have burned off. This is why woods are used as fixatives.
Related notes
Frequently asked questions
Is santal the same as sandalwood?+
Santal is the fragrance term for a sandalwood-style scent. True sandalwood oil is costly and ecologically strained, so most santal is a synthetic accord built to smell like sandalwood with consistent quality. Ours is synthetic.
What does santal smell like?+
Creamy, soft, and woody, with a warm, slightly milky smoothness. It is rounder and less sharp than cedar or pine.
Is santal a top or base note?+
A base note. Santalol molecules are heavy and evaporate slowly, so santal lasts longest in a burn and anchors the other notes.
Is a santal candle safe for pets?+
Our santal is a synthetic accord, so there is no sandalwood essential oil and none of the associated load to manage.
What scents pair well with santal?+
Woods and resins like cypress and smoked oud, and fresh tops like eucalyptus and juniper, which is exactly how we use it in Renew.
Why does santal last longer than other notes?+
Because it is a base note. Its large molecules vaporize slowly, so it keeps releasing scent after lighter top notes have burned off.