ÇaFleureBon Behind the Bottle: Quintis Sandalwood + A Sustainable Draw

quintis sandalwood

Quintis mouillettes photo via Quintis

On October 28, 2021, we announced “The Quintis Sandalwood Reimagined Competition.” Quintis Sandalwood, in partnership with the American Society of Perfumers (our Contributing Editor Sherri Sebastian of Notes from the Lab is a Vice President) was launching a global competition for perfumers of all experience, inviting them to reimagine the ancient botanical of Indian sandalwood within a fragrance, using it as their muse. I personally emailed 50 perfumers and there was a lot of excitement. I wanted to learn more about Quintis, so join me as we go Behind the Sustainable Sandalwood Bottle with Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer of Quintis.

Vanessa Ligovich CMO

  Vanessa Ligovich CMO

Michelyn Camen: Who is Quintis and what is your mission?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: Quintis Sandalwood is the world leader in the supply of premium and sustainable Indian sandalwood raw materials. Many may not know that rampant illegal poaching and harvesting of Indian sandalwood in the 1980s landed Indian sandalwood on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s vulnerable species list in 1998.   Quintis saw an opportunity to ensure the survival of a species and create an ethical and sustainable supply of Indian sandalwood. Establishing the first plantation in 1999, Quintis now owns and manages one of the largest Indian sandalwood estates in the world, spanning over 12,000 hectares across northern Australia and home to more than 5.5 million trees. We’re very proud of the work we have done over the past 20 years. Sadly, illegal harvesting in other markets continues however we provide a sustainable alternative.  Our mission is to continue producing a high quality, reliable and fully traceable supply of Indian sandalwood available for decades to come.”

Quintis sandalwood plantation

Quintis Sandalwood Plantation

 

Does Quintis sandalwood have unique qualities and components that differ from other sandalwood suppliers?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: Yes definitely.  We have the world’s largest Indian sandalwood plantation estate.  This is important for a few reasons – it means we can meet customer requirements for volume, and we can ensure consistency and reliability of supply.  Our customers don’t want to be reformulating regularly so having an ingredient they can rely on is important, particularly for fragrance brands. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years, so we have a lot of experience.  We know what we need to do to grow the trees for the best quality heartwood, and how to distil and blend the oil at our onsite lab to give clients a product that meets their unique olfactory requirements.  Supporting this experience is the calibre of the people we have working for us – we have some of the best forestry, research and development, irrigation and chemistry experts in the world.  People that bring cutting edge solutions to the end products we develop.

sustainable sandalwood

photo via Quintis

What are some of your sustainable initiatives?

 Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Quintis. We have done some really good work up until now in this area however we recognized there was still a lot to do.  As a result, we have developed a robust sustainability plan and are holding ourselves to some fairly ambitious goals over the next 10 years to ensure we are doing the best we can for the planet and the communities in which we operate. We do have a few initiatives that we are particularly proud of.  Towards the end of 2021 we introduced new steam distillation technology which has reduced water and energy use by 75%. This technology hasn’t really been seen in the industry before and is something we built ourselves. We commenced what we call our Biochar project which looks at creating biochar by ‘baking’ host trees and waste biomass in a pyrolysis kiln.  Biochar is a carbon-rich material that is inserted into the soil, removing carbon dioxide that could otherwise have been emitted into the atmosphere and storing it underground where it does not contribute to global warming.  It also benefits our plantations by enhancing the soil structure and raising productivity. Most recently Quintis commenced the establishment of a new plantation.  Using a previous plantation site, we have planted new sandalwood seedlings and are carefully tending to them as they grow. It’s a really exciting time for the business – there is a great synergy between the growing, thriving sandalwood trees with a promising future ahead of them, and Quintis.  We are also growing and thriving, and the promise of Indian sandalwood as an industry is huge.  Demand is growing rapidly as people really begin to understand the benefits of this ingredient and can see that there is a reliable and sustainable source.

photo Quintis 

What are the main uses of Quintis sandalwood?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: There are many different uses for sandalwood across a range of industries.  People are often surprised when I tell them just how many applications for sandalwood there are!  Sandalwood is most commonly known for its creamy, woody scent.  This is well ecognized in the fragrance industry, however perfumers also covet the ingredient for its superior fixative properties and strength as a base note.  Other industries where Indian sandalwood is used include personal care, aromatherapy, incense, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. We export our products (oil, powder, chips and logs) globally to over 70 markets and touch all of these industries.

Quintis Sandalwood

Quintis Sandalwood is the world leader in the supply of premium and sustainable Indian sandalwood raw materials

Can you explain the difference between the sandalwoods and their scent profiles?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: Belonging to the genus Santalum, there are over 15 different sandalwood species around the world. Indian sandalwood (Santalum album) and Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) are considered two of the most popular varieties. Indian sandalwood is considered the gold standard and most superior of the species due to its olfactory profile and therapeutic benefits.  It has a soft woody base and a nuttiness sustained throughout the whole chord with a dry-down that is tenacious, sweet, and woody.  This gives formulas depth, complexity and longevity. On the other hand, Australian sandalwood offers a different olfactory profile with a greener slightly herbal fresh lift, it has woody, sweet, and lactonic characteristics, with a tenacious dry-down true to sandalwood character.

therapeutic benefits of sandalwood

Photo via Quintis website

Does your sandalwood have therapeutic properties?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: Alpha-santalol is said to hold most of the therapeutic benefits of sandalwood.  Studies show that it acts upon the body’s regulatory systems to reduce anxiety and increase relaxation, while its antioxidant properties address skin inflammation. The functional benefits of the oil are really fascinating.  Research indicates that due to its high solubility levels, when sandalwood is inhaled its fragrance molecules can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and interact with receptor types in the brain such as GABA that are said to reduce anxiety.  The topical application of the oil has been shown to significantly decrease bodily arousal, reducing eye-blink rate, pulse rate and blood pressure.

 Quintis sandalwood competition is for global perfumers

Tell us more about the Quintis worldwide competition for professional perfumers/ How were the judges selected and who are they?

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer: Quintis, in partnership with the prestigious American Society of Perfumers, launched ‘Sandalwood Reimagined’ a global competition for perfumers of all experience levels to reimagine Indian sandalwood within a fragrance.  There were no commercial constraints such as budget – perfumers were given free creative reign to develop an evocative fragrance inspired by this iconic ingredient. As part of the competition, perfumers created an Eau de Toilette supplied as a base, featuring a minimum of 1% Quintis plantation-grown Indian sandalwood oil. Along with the perfume creation, all entries were accompanied with a Statement of Creative Intent, providing an outline of the nature and ingredients of the base formulated.

An independent panel of fragrance masters was chosen by the American Society of Perfumers, who have collectively worked with major fragrance companies like Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF, Mane, Symrise and Takasago, and have created fragrances for iconic brands like Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, Coty, DKNY, and Maesa. The judges were responsible for deciding the top 10 finalists by evaluating blind, judging creations on blotters and skin.

Vanessa Ligovich, Chief Marketing Officer of Quintis Sandalwood

Quintis will announce the winners at the World Perfumery Congress in Miami on 1 July 2022.You can learn more about the Finalists here and the World Perfumery Congress here

Indian sandalwood oil

Indian sandalwood oil

Thanks to Quintis we have 10 ml of Indian sandalwood oil  for one registered reader worldwide. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you find most interesting about Quintis Sandalwood and what you learned and where you live (Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Syria are excluded). Draw closes 6/29/2022

Quintis will be at BOOTH 200

LIKE Behind the Bottle Q and A on Facebook and your comment will count twice. Please leave that in your comment. Follow the link here

 Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @quintissandalwood @americansocietyofperfumers #worldperfumerycongress

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like ÇaFleureBon and use our blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

÷ 1 = 2

28 comments

  • lavienrose13 says:

    Nice to go further and read the descriptions of the proposed perfumes for the Quintis contest. I already have my favorite ones and hope to discover them one day.
    Sandalwood is a gorgeous note, which needs to be re-interpreted far from the strong wood or too creamy-fig interpretations we often smell. My sandalwood holly grail is L’arbre de IUNX, but quite difficult to get now the brand has stopped. I would love to discover the Quintis Sandalwood. From France.

  • The functional benefits of the oil are really fascinating. Research indicates that due to its high solubility levels, when sandalwood is inhaled its fragrance molecules can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and interact with receptor types in the brain such as GABA that are said to reduce anxiety. The topical application of the oil has been shown to significantly decrease bodily arousal, reducing eye-blink rate, pulse rate and blood pressure. I was really fascinated to learn about benefits of Sandalwood oil I am a fan of Sandalwood in perfumery. Thanks a million from the UK

  • People are often surprised when I tell them just how many applications for sandalwood there are! Sandalwood is most commonly known for its creamy, woody scent. This is well ecognized in the fragrance industry, however perfumers also covet the ingredient for its superior fixative properties and strength as a base note. Other industries where Indian sandalwood is used include personal care, aromatherapy, incense, and Traditional Chinese medical. I was fascinated to learn of different industries using Sandalwood. Thanks a lot from the United Kingdom

  • It is amazing to read about Quintis, congrats by the way, and his goal to produce and create sustainable Santalum album plantations in India and Santalum spicatum in Australia. We must remember how important is the suppliers of the best raw materials in perfumery and nowadays to be the best implies to be sustainable over time and ethically sourced. Liked to learn, besides the medicinal benefits and properties of sandalwood the differences between the “soft woody base and a nuttiness” indian one and the “greener slightly herbal fresh lift” of the australian . I am sure that the Quintis worldwide competition will show us the Sandalwood bold and versatile personality. I live in Spain, EU.

  • What I found most interesting was to find out there were over 15 different sandalwood varieties. US

  • NituNicolae says:

    I had no idea there were so many variates of sandawood. The more you know! Although this is not a perfume but more of an essential oil, I would still be very happy to get the opportunity to smelling this! Thank you. Romania, EU.

  • I love real sandalwood and I’m delighted to see that there is an effort to grow the wood sustainably. It’s such an important ingredient in so many fragrance compositions. I’m excited to see what the finalists came up with! However, I would love to sample the real unadulterated oil from Quintis. They are doing important work. I’m in MD, USA.

  • I love sandalwood, but had no idea there were so many varieties and so many uses for it. Such a beautiful scent. Shame it was over harvested years ago. In maryland.

  • I find the notes of the fragrance the most interesting. I learned that Quintis Sandalwood is the world leader in the supply of premium and sustainable Indian sandalwood raw materials. I live in Poland, EU. I liked Behind the Bottle Q and A on Facebook.

  • I did not know that sandalwood has that many variety and so many use. I very like perfumes with sandalwood note. I never seen on any image that many sandalwood before, I’m glad that they planted so many. I’m following Behind the Bottle Q and A on facebook. Thank you for the draw. I live in Europe, Serbia.

  • Other industries where Indian sandalwood is used include personal care, aromatherapy, incense, and Traditional Chinese medical. I enjoyed learning about the different industries using sandalwood – I was aware of its use in incense and perfumes but not in traditional Chinese medicine. Thanks a lot for the draw. From USA.

  • Southirina says:

    LIKE Behind the Bottle Q and A on Facebook – done.

    First of all, I would love to work for Quintis.
    I love everything about this company: the fact that they create a sandalwood forest, the reasons they did this, all the sustainable initiatives and the main vision about sandalwood, about the planet, about the industries. Chapeau!
    Hugs from Romania

  • Claumarchini says:

    Thank you very much for this extremely interesting article! I am always so glad when I read about companies that put sustainability before money and revenue. I didn’t know they story behind Quintis, I love sandalwood and didn’t know it was considered endangered! Very interesting also to read about the new distillation technology that allows to save energy and water, it is so important nowadays. Looking forward to reading about the winner of the competition! Greetings from Italy.
    PS I put like on the FB post too!

  • Great read and in-depth detail about Sandalwood and the efforts for its survival. So there are 15 different sandalwood species of which Indian sandalwood and Australian sandalwood are considered the best. I would love to discover the Quintis Sandalwood creation and I hope it will smell like Indian Sandalwood.
    Pakistan

  • I have always wanted to try sandalwood oil, but not sure where to purchase it from. Especially a quality oil. I love all sandalwood fragrances. Great review! Thanks for the draw also.
    I liked the Q&A!
    US

  • Sandalwood note is one of my favorite of all, and I didnt know there was so much richness in the oil sandalwood industry. I love that even though Quintis have the largest indian sandalwood production, it is sustainability that is the main focus, What I also learn is that there are 15 species of sandalwood species around the world.
    USA here

  • So can I just say that I want to work at the Quintis sandalwood plantation? I’ll pull weeds, water, plant…anything! I love that such a place exists…! I am in the US

  • Starlit12 says:

    I knew that sandalwood was valuable, but reading about the many kinds of it and its multiple health benefits was lovely.
    I will make sure to burn more sandalwood oil and be aware of the relaxing properties when I use fragrances which contain this note.
    I live in Denmark.

  • That is so cool. This is the first I’ve heard of it, and I am so glad they are providing sustainable sandalwood! The world needs sandalwood. I liked behind the bottle Qand A on Facebook. And I live in the US.

  • Great to have a sustainable and reliable source of sandalwood. Interesting that they could reduce water and energy use and use biochar. Have not heard about the therapeutic effects! I have never had a sample of raw material so this sandalwood oil would be so cool! I am from CA, USA.

  • I absolutely looove sandalwood and used to wear the pure essential oil until I learned it was endengered. How wonderful that this brand is sustainable and giving the industry an alternative source! In US

  • foreverscents says:

    It was a pleasure to read about Quintis sandalwood and its incentives to grow the trees sustainably. I had heard about sandalwood poachers and about sandalwood being vulnerable species. It is so heartening to know that there are companies like Quintis that put the environment first, and not profits. It was also very interesting to read about the therapeutic properties of sandalwood.
    I live in the USA.

  • This was so refreshing to read. I’m impressed and fascinated with Quintis sustainability practices. Sandalwood is one of my favorite materials and I make sure I only purchase sustainable ones. It was originally going to be part of Ever Present and I switched it because I was concerned about supply. So, so happy to read this article.

  • Regis Monkton says:

    I enjoy sandalwood, and I learned a lot from reading this article. I didn’t know that sandalwood was a target of poaching. I think that it’s interesting in regards to Quintis’ sandalwood sustainability projects. Also, I didn’t know that sandalwood was that beneficial to a person’s health. I live in the U.S.A. I liked the post for this on Instagram (@regismonkton).

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thank you for the great writeup. I remember reading the contest announcement and thought it was intersting.

    I did not realize that Quintis has 12000 hectares devoted to Indian Sandalwood. The scale of that just boggles my mind.

    The process of choosing perfumers to do this task is also quite interesting. I enjoyed reading about the perfumes mades by Cedric Graz (an intern) and Elodie Durand. Fingers crossed for them.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • Michelyn & Quintis!! ❤️❤️❤️ LOVE this review, project, everything!!! Thank you for such an educational & inspirational article! The submissions to the Sandalwood Reimagined competition were available to experience at the Quintis booth; they are extraordinary and show the width and depth of expression possible with sandalwood in perfumery. ❤️ Every finalist gets a huge Bravo from me! The Quintis team is kind, brilliant, and excellent! No need to include me in the draw, just wanted to say Cheers! ❤️❤️❤️