Herb & supplement monograph

White Sandalwood Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how White Sandalwood interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug White Sandalwood is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what White Sandalwood is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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White Sandalwood Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant White Sandalwood drug interaction appears low for most people, with one exception worth knowing about. Only a single interaction has been reported, it is rated moderate rather than major, and no minor or major interactions appear in the profile.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one combination that deserves real attention is lithium. White sandalwood is thought to act as a mild diuretic, and anything that changes how much urine the body makes can slow how quickly lithium leaves the body. Because lithium levels sit in a narrow safe range, even a modest rise could matter, and a lithium dose adjustment might be needed. Anyone taking lithium should talk with their prescriber before using this supplement.

What the rest of the list means

For everyone else, White Sandalwood has a remarkably short interaction record compared with many herbal products. Keep in mind that even the lithium concern rests partly on a predicted mechanism rather than firm proof of harm, so it signals caution and monitoring rather than a confirmed danger.

Check your medications against White Sandalwood

Based on HelloPharmacist’s White Sandalwood interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with White Sandalwood

1 medication has a known interaction with White Sandalwood, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against White Sandalwood using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our White Sandalwood interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Lithium Carbonate (prescription Drug)Eskalith, Lithium Carbonate

Moderate Lithium

Theoretically, taking white sandalwood might reduce lithium excretion and increase serum levels of lithium.

Read the full White Sandalwood + Lithium Carbonate (prescription Drug) interaction Lithium Carbonate (prescription Drug) drug page: uses, dosage & side effects

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact White Sandalwood combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs White Sandalwood affects

Every type of medication (drug category) White Sandalwood is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category White Sandalwood interacts with

Lithium

Theoretically, taking white sandalwood might reduce lithium excretion and increase serum levels of lithium.
White sandalwood is thought to have diuretic properties, which may reduce lithium excretion. The dose of lithium might need to be decreased.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Monograph

White Sandalwood: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

White sandalwood is a fragrant wood from the Santalum album tree, used for centuries in perfumes, incense, skincare, and traditional medicine. Most of its popular uses—like relaxation and skin care—are based on tradition and lab studies rather than strong human research. Use it cautiously, especially on the skin or by mouth, and talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it as a remedy.

Scientific name: Santalum album
Family: Santalaceae
Part used: Heartwood and essential oil
Common forms: Essential oil, powder, paste, incense, skincare products, and occasionally capsules or tablets

People commonly use it for

Relaxation and stress relief
Skin soothing and cosmetics
Aromatherapy and meditation
Traditional remedy for urinary discomfort
Fragrance and perfumes

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally used in fragrance and skincare, but oral use is not well studied and may not be safe.

PregnancyLikely Unsafe

When used orally in medicinal amounts; sandalwood is reported to have abortifacient effects; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using amounts greater than those found in foods.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

White sandalwood comes from the heartwood of the Santalum album tree, an evergreen native to India and other parts of South Asia. The wood and the oil pressed from it have a rich, warm, woody scent that has been prized for thousands of years.

It is best known as an ingredient in incense, perfumes, soaps, and skincare products. In traditional systems such as Ayurveda, sandalwood paste and oil have also been used for the skin and as a folk remedy for a range of complaints. Today many people use it mainly for its pleasant aroma in aromatherapy and relaxation practices.

How it works

The main active compounds in sandalwood oil are called santalols (mostly alpha- and beta-santalol). These give the oil its scent and are thought to be responsible for many of its proposed effects.

Laboratory and animal studies suggest santalols may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, and the aroma may influence the nervous system in ways that could affect mood. However, these findings are early and do not prove that sandalwood works the same way in people. More human research is needed.

Effectiveness

Does White Sandalwood work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 13 uses evaluated

13 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For White Sandalwood, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 13 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Angina