As regular listeners will know, one of Karen’s favorite materials is sandalwood, that’s why she’s genuinely excited to welcome Sophie and Vanessa from Quintis on the show this week.  Certain varieties of sandalwood become endangered over the years, so, 30 years ago, Quintis decided to create new plantations so that sandalwood could thrive.  In this interview with Karen, the ladies talk about all things sandalwood from the therapeutic benefits, the growing and harvesting procedures and why, with the right approach, sandalwood will never be endangered again.   KEY TAKEAWAYS As well as producing an incredible scent, sandalwood also has some amazing therapeutic benefits, such as anti-aging. Vanessa breaks down these benefits and the research behind them. Vanessa outlines the history of sandalwood, its importance as an export for Australia and why, 30 years ago, Quintis decided to create plantations which, today, total over 4 million trees. Sophie discusses the importance of having strong relationships with the team that grow and harvest the sandalwood and how this creates transparency and trust with their clients.  Sandalwood was once endangered and Quintis are determined to make sure that never happens again. Sophie discusses the company's approach to making sure that sandalwood will be sustainable for the future.  BEST MOMENTS  “Sandalwood has the same effect on the brain as meditation. It has the ability to calm you and reduce anxiety.” “You have to make sure you are honest with your clients so they can be honest with their customers.” “Sandalwood  has an incredible ability to adapt to the other ingredients it blends with to give a wide range of scents.”   EPISODE LINKS Quintis Website Quintis Instagram VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.  Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email