If we were to talk about the best ayurvedic plants there are, we couldn’t miss out on Sandalwood. This tree has been used for the most esoteric purposes for over centuries. It is one of the oldest, magical trees, that has a long tradition in many Eastern countries like India. In fact, it is one of the most popular scents in India.
Sandalwood’s scientific name is Santalum album. It has an exquisite aroma, spicy and woody, that has been attributed to many different benefits for health and even as a cosmetical. No matter if you use it as an incense, as an essential oil for aromatherapy, or even within a fragrance, there is no doubt that sandalwood is one of the most magical scents you’ll ever find.
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What is Sandalwood?
Sandalwood is an Indian tree called Santalum album that is known as a sacred tree. It is widely used for spiritual and cosmetic purposes, thanks to its therapeutic properties, exquisite aroma, and all of the history hidden within.
Its essential oil is of great value and a common part of many of the world’s most famous cosmetics. Its sweet, sensual and exotic aroma is obtained from the distillation of its wood. To obtain the essential oil, the sandalwood tree has to grow for at least 40 to 80 years and, just like wine, the older the tree, the better the quality of the essential oil.
A delight for soul and mind
Sandalwood can be used in many different ways, whether is in grains, in smoke, in drops, or oil, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of sandalwood and its properties. Let’s check some of the best benefits that are attributed to sandalwood.
It is said that sandalwood’s aroma is a powerful aphrodisiac, that encourages good, trustful relationships. Besides, it is also said to promote optimism and a good mood, removing all of the selfishness, envy, and cruelty.
According to different therapists, sandalwood is one of the most perfect scents to add to our environment of work, our meditation, or even in the place we’ve destined to use for exercise.
For people that are going through a mourning period, or that feel trapped in a situation of the past that’s holding them back, sandalwood might be the perfect choice to feel better and release all of the hard, painful feelings there might be. Using it as an incense, with the help of a diffuser, or even for aromatherapy in a relaxing massage, could help you relieve stress and negative thoughts from your mind.
Some use sandalwood as a part of freeing rituals, to heal any mental wounds and fill their body and soul with good energy. It is also one of the most preferred scents for aligning the chakras and other mystical ceremonials. It is also ideal to enhance our mental capacities when studying and to give a fresh touch to any space.
Some say it helps to calm anxiety, panic, and depression feelings, as it is a euphoric scent. Besides, it is ideal for repelling moths, which makes it the perfect scent to leave in your bags or even in your closet.
Medicinal benefits of Sandalwood
Sandalwood is not only a scent that can be used spiritually to take advantage of its relaxing, stimulating aroma, but it has also been attributed to many health benefits you might want to check out.
One of the best benefits of sandalwood is that it promotes good rest and improves the quality of sleep. We could also highlight that it is a powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory component, that also has astringent, invigorating, moisturizing, decongesting, and rejuvenating properties.
It is also important to mention that sandalwood is one of the best allies you can get to obtain beautiful skin since it helps to soften dry and cracked skin while improving the texture and appearance of every type of skin. Since it has rejuvenating properties, and acts on free radicals that are responsible for wrinkles, and helps regenerate areas of the skin that have scars and stretch marks, it is a great moisturizing and one of the best options for clear, impeccable skin.
Not only it is extremely good to clear and toning up the skin, but it is also great at preventing infections in eczemas, wounds, and other conditions, thanks to its antiseptic properties. It also relieves skin irritation and inflammation.
If you’re one of those that struggle when having short hair and want it to grow as fast as possible, sandalwood might be the perfect solution for you. As it has been proven, sandalwood essential oil has an excellent role in increasing the time of growth of hair cells, making them grow faster and stronger.
Sandalwood also has fungicidal properties. If you thought that sandalwood only had antiseptic and disinfectant, then think again, because sandalwood essential oil is one of the best natural fungicides there is, with a very effective ratio of action against all kinds of fungus.
Now, people that are always struggling with respiratory problems, or even those who are passing through a simple cold, will find in sandalwood an excellent expectorant. With just a few drops in a bowl with boiling water, you’ll be able to expel all the mucus.
Another one of the greatest benefits of sandalwood is its effect on the digestive system. It is a great agent to relax not only the stomach but all of the digestive system, which helps to process the food that is digested more simply.
Last, but not least, we could highlight that sandalwood essential oil is excellent to reinforce memory. While it contributes to the relaxation and elimination of every tension that may be on your mind, it helps you keep fresh and achieve a higher level of concentration.
How to use Sandalwood?
If you want to use it for aromatherapy, you’ll need to place a candle burner and a bowl with warm water, where you’ll add 5 drops of sandalwood oil. Instead, if you want to do massage and reflexology sessions, you should use a neutral cream and add a few drops of essential oil, or, if you prefer, buy a sandalwood cream at a pharmacy.
Red sandalwood for a flawless skin
Before we get into details of how to use red sandalwood for amazing skin, we should understand what is exactly red sandalwood. Also known as Rakta Chandana, this ayurvedic herb was a part of beauty regimes and skin-care since the times of our ancestors. Red sandalwood can be used in the form of a paste or the form of a powder, though the latter is more common and easy to apply.
It is a little bit more coarse than regular sandalwood, but works a lot better, helping you to get rid of the blemishes and other pigmentations, while it helps you even your skin tone.
Using red sandalwood regularly might help you obtain that fresh, clean look you’ve always looked for. Many combinations can help you to get flawless skin with red sandalwood.
One of them is a mixture of red sandalwood and rose water. Just using 1 tablespoon of red sandalwood powder and combining it with one tablespoon of rose water, one tablespoon of honey, and a pinch of turmeric, you’ll get a mask that could help you treating acne and pimple scars. The application mode is just as easy as the preparation, just apply it on your face or in the affected area, leave it until it dries, and then rinse off with warm water.
If you have oily skin, might be best to simply use a tablespoon of red sandalwood powder with a few drops of lemon juice, which will turn into a smooth paste that will help you control the excess sebum produced by your skin, while it also tightens your pores. After you have the paste, apply it to your skin, let it rest for 15 minutes, and rinse off with cold water. One thing you should remember is that lemon juice is acid, and this could dry your skin. To avoid this, apply some moisturizer after you rinse off the mask.
Now, this one is for those who have a dry type of skin. You’ll just need half a cucumber and one tablespoon of red sandalwood powder. Cucumber will help your skin looking cool, fresh, and healthy, and when is combined with red sandalwood, it helps you get rid of the bad sunburns and other imperfections. To prepare it, you’ll need to peel the cucumber and smash it until you obtain a smooth paste, and then mix two tablespoons of this paste with the red sandalwood powder. Apply it to your face, let it rest for 15 minutes, and rinse off.
This is how, no matter what type of skin you have, you’ll be able to use red sandalwood to have clear, soft, and flawless skin without much effort. While there is no strong evidence that red sandalwood has side effects, you should be careful and stop using it immediately if you see any redness or reactions caused in your skin after applying one of the masks.
Sandalwood incense
We already know incense is an important part of many cultures, often being considered sacred, and used as an offering. As a curious fact, we could mention that incense was born in Japan, where it was first used in the Sengoku period. In these times, there was an incense ceremony that begun to be held amongst the upper class and aristocrats, and that had the objective to prepare and purify Samurai’s soul. Today, the goal is much simpler: to improve mental well-being and get the mind some rest.
Now, you should know that there are three different types of incense: in sticks, in cones, and spirals. While incense sticks help the aroma diffuse slowly, making the room impregnate without you even noticing, cones and spirals have a quick diffusion time, making them advisable for large rooms.
Using incense is easy, you just need to light the end of the incense and let the aroma impregnate every corner of the room. As you can imagine, sandalwood incense has an exquisite aroma and gives you an extremely calming sensation, which makes it one of the most popular incense.
It is especially appreciated in aromatherapy, where combined with scents such as lavender, vetiver, or bergamot, provides a revitalizing, musky, and fresh aroma that takes out all of the stress and promotes a state of complete and deep relaxation.
We could also mention that Sandalwood has been used for healing rituals since ancient times, and it has an important meaning in Hindu and Buddhist ritual cultures, where sandalwood incense is burned.
Perfumes that contain sandalwood
There is an incredible amount of perfumes that contain sandalwood since it is an exquisite, fresh, woody scent that highlights the citrus tones of bergamot, orange, and lemon, as well as it blends in so well with the sweet notes of vanilla, amber, tonka bean, and jasmine. It is one of the most valuable fragrances in perfumery, so let’s talk about some of the best perfumes that use sandalwood to stand out.
Coco, by Chanel
It is impossible to talk about perfumes with sandalwood without even mentioning this masterpiece of perfumery. Coco Chanel is one of the most famous perfumes by Chanel, and it is no surprise: its exquisite notes of Bulgarian rose, mimosa, cloves, lava, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, civet, and vanilla are captivating every woman’s heart since 1984.
This one is a sweet, delicate, yet spicy fragrance that leaves an exquisite trail and it is one of the most recognizable perfumes you’ll ever find, being able to feel its delicious scent filling an entire room just within seconds.
Addict, by Christian Dior
We couldn’t stop mentioning the giant of perfumes, Christian Dior. Sandalwood perfumes by Christian Dior are probably the ones that gained the brand so much recognition. The fragrance Addict is one of the definitive proofs of it. Belonging to the Floral-Fruity olfactory family, and launched in 2012, this perfume is a true explosion of aromas and sensations.
Addict is an exquisite, delicious perfume that contains notes of bergamot, musk, grapefruit, wood, and sandalwood, and has a citrus, sweet aroma. The intensity of this fragrance makes sandalwood the star of the perfume, that blending with the citrus and fruity notes, gives it a fresh aroma that you won’t forget easily.
The Mon, by Guerlain
As a feminine and exotic fragrance, we could describe The Mon, by Guerlain. It was launched in 2017 and it belongs to the Oriental-Woody olfactory family. The Mon is an invitation to bring all the sweet, feminine part in you. It leaves an exquisite trail and it is not too strong, so it will fill the room with the aroma without getting too unpleasant.
This is a delicious, sweet fragrance, that contains notes of lavender, iris, sandalwood, rose, coumarin, benzoin, licorice, patchouli, and jasmine. While many think it is too sweet, and the sandalwood doesn’t quite stand out, but the truth is that this fragrance has managed to earn a perfect balance between sweet and woody aromas, giving it a chance of letting every scent in the perfume slowly fill your senses, one by one.
Sandalwood is, without a doubt, one of the greatest scents, and if you think about all of the benefits it has, you’ll surely want to run as soon as possible to get some. No matter if it is for your skin, for your mental health, for aromatizing your house, or for any other health problem you might have, sandalwood becomes one of the greatest solutions.
