Sandalwood alpha-santalol. Molecular model of the sesquiterpene alcohol alpha-santalol found in the oil of the sandalwood tree (Santalum sp.). The oil is sweet-smelling and has long been used as a perfume and as an incense fragrance. It is used also for a wide range of medicinal purposes, including use as an antiseptic (preventing infections), diuretic (increasing flow of urine), sedative, tonic, emollient (skin care) and expectorant (increasing coughing). Atoms are colour-coded: carbon (grey), hydrogen (white) and oxygen (red).