Sandalwood has been used for over 4 millennia in India and the Near East. It has a calming and stabilizing effect on the mind, body, and spirit, which is why it has been used in meditation by traditional Hindus and Buddhists for centuries. The wood itself has been used to carve images of the gods in the Near and Far East, as well as timber for temples. Sandalwood oil has been widely used as a traditional treatment for common colds, bronchitis, skin disorders, heart ailments, general weakness, fever, infection of the urinary tract, inflammation of the mouth and pharynx, liver and gallbladder complaints and other maladies.
Aloeswood or Agarwood has an unusual formation process. This prized wood is from the dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a certain type of mold. Prior to infection the heartwood is relatively light and pale colored, however as the infection progresses the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. This resin embedded wood is commonly called Aloeswood, Agarwood, or Oud. This resulting wood embedded with its unique aroma is prized in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes. One of the main reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of Agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource. Many of the varieties of Agar trees are now threatened, but sustainable farming practices are now also being introduced.
The odor of Agarwood is considered to be complex and pleasing, with few or no similar natural analogues. As a result, Agarwood and its essential oil gained great cultural and religious significance in ancient civilizations around the world. It is mentioned throughout one of the world's oldest written texts, such as in the third century AD in China and the Sanskrit Vedas from India.