Sandalwood vs Palo Santo: Scent, Tradition and How to Choose

Two woods, two very different moods. Both have been burned for centuries: palo santo in South American smoke cleansing traditions, sandalwood in temples and meditation halls across Asia. If you are deciding where to start, here is how they compare.

What is palo santo?

Palo santo, Spanish for “holy wood”, is the wood of Bursera graveolens, a tree from the dry forests of South America. When lit, it gives off a bright, citrusy, lightly smoky scent that many people connect with smoke cleansing rituals and with marking a fresh start in a room. It smolders for a short while, goes out on its own and can be relit many times.

Palo Santo Wood Incense comes in four sizes, from a 30 g starter pack to a 100 g pack.

What is sandalwood?

Sandalwood is the classic: a creamy, soft, deeply woody scent that has been part of meditation and temple incense for generations. It lingers longer than palo santo and fills a room more evenly. Think of it less as a ritual gesture and more as an atmosphere.

Sandalwood Wood Incense suits evenings, reading corners and slow, quiet hours.

Quick comparison

• Scent: palo santo is citrus peel and resin, brighter; sandalwood is creamy wood, deeper.
• Character: palo santo feels like opening a window; sandalwood feels like a warm blanket.
• Best moments: palo santo for new beginnings and smoke cleansing rituals; sandalwood for calm evenings and meditation.
• Presence: sandalwood lingers longer; palo santo is lighter in the air.

How to choose

Ask what the moment calls for. Starting something new, such as a new home, a new season or the quiet hour after guests leave? Palo santo. Winding down, journaling or reading late into the evening? Sandalwood. Many people keep both and alternate.

Burn safely, every time

Open a window first. Light the wood, let it catch, then gently blow out the flame and let it smolder. Rest the stick in a heat-proof holder, keep it away from children, pets and anything flammable, and never leave burning wood unattended. If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, ask your doctor before burning incense.

Where to go next

To explore beyond these two woods, our Agarwood Wood Incense brings a deep, resinous note, and the Anatolian Sage Ritual Kit pairs Anatolian sage bundles with a seashell holder for herb-based smoke cleansing rituals.