It has been over 100 years since the Mysore Sandal Soap was made. The soap was first launched in the market two years later on May 10^th, 1918. 100 years ago, the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar, and Diwan M Visvesvaraya, set up the Government Sandalwood Oil factory in Mysore to extract sandalwood oil, which led to the beginning of the legendary Mysore Sandal Soap.

In the year 1980, the Government Soap Factory was converted into a Public Sector Enterprise and the Company was incorporated on 9 July 1980 and renamed as Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited. Currently, the state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) own a proprietary tag on the product. KSDL is lending the right to use the brand name and prevent unauthorized use by other manufacturers.

“The idea for sandalwood soaps came into being two years later when the Maharaja was gifted a rare gift pack of soaps made using sandalwood oil produced in India.” The Mysore Sandal Soap has been an Indian household basic and has been duplicated by many companies since the time it was pioneered.

The organic and vegetarian bath product has no equivalent in the market and is, perhaps, the only beauty product that embodies the concept of ‘Make In India’ in its essence. In 2006 Mysore Sandal Soap said to be the only soap in the world that contains natural sandalwood oil, got the Geographical Indications (GI) tag.

In 2012, KSDL launched the costliest soap ever, a super-premium soap called the Millennium. A 150 gm bar is priced at Rs 720 and it was reported to be the costliest indigenously produced soap with each bar containing 3 per cent pure sandalwood oil.

“It is essential to note that sandalwood oil products come with a lot of benefits, other than the pleasant fragrance. A non-sticky antiseptic, that helps heal wounds and irritated skin, sandalwood is known to soothe and cool inflamed skin. This makes it excellent for all skin types. Moreover, it is a relaxing antispasmodic that is frequently used in Ayurveda.”