{"id":1853,"date":"2016-12-13T05:21:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T05:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentialoilsanctuary.com\/?p=1853"},"modified":"2018-09-19T21:27:09","modified_gmt":"2018-09-19T21:27:09","slug":"6-benefits-uses-sandalwood-essential-oil-plus-recipes-application-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentialoilsanctuary.com\/6-benefits-uses-sandalwood-essential-oil-plus-recipes-application-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Benefits & Uses of Sandalwood Essential Oil (Plus Recipes & Application Tips)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sandalwood\"<\/h3>\n

Sandalwood Essential Oil: Calmness, Clarity, and Exotic Sensuality<\/h3>\n

Sandalwood essential oil has been prized for thousands of years for its many benefits, including improving focus, calming the nerves, and creating a romantic ambiance. If you don\u2019t have sandalwood essential oil in your oil kit yet, you\u2019ll want to once you realize what a multitasker it is.<\/p>\n

How is sandalwood essential oil produced?<\/h1>\n

Originally, sandalwood essential oil came only from the Indian sandalwood tree, Santalum album. However, it has been difficult for India to maintain sustainable growth of this species, and it is near extinction in its native locale. While the most aromatic and efficacious sandalwood still comes from India, it is now also grown in Australia and Hawaii, as variations of the Indian species.<\/p>\n

The Indian sandalwood tree is an evergreen with small purple flowers. A parasitic plant, its roots invade other trees as it grows. It takes between 40 and 80 years for a tree to mature enough to produce root wood for harvest, with trees in the 80-year range producing both more scent and a higher volume of the valuable yellow-gold oil.<\/p>\n

Unlike many other woods that are only fragrant when first harvested, sandalwood can retain its exotic aroma for decades. The wood of the sandalwood tree\u2019s roots is cut into fine shavings, from which the essential oil is made via steam distillation.<\/p>\n

Sandalwood essential oil contains two molecules in particular that give it its warm, woody smell and amazing health benefits: alpha- and beta-santalol. When you purchase sandalwood essential oil, look for one with a high percentage (about 80 percent) of santalol. Sandalwood essential oil from Mysore, India, is the best in the world.<\/p>\n

What is the history of sandalwood essential oil?<\/h1>\n

Sandalwood and sandalwood essential oil have been used for more than 4,000 years. The Ancient Greeks and Romans used sandalwood in their temple construction, and the Ancient Egyptians embalmed their dead with sandalwood essential oil.<\/p>\n

Sandalwood has long been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. In fact, the sandalwood tree is holy in India and nearby Eastern nations, and it is a sacred part of many Hindu religious traditions, from birth to marriage to death.<\/p>\n

Sandalwood essential oil is used today as a key ingredient in incense, candles, cosmetics, perfume, and after shave tonics. Sandalwood is considered a unisex scent; when combined with other aromas, it can be quite feminine, but on its own or blended with certain grasses, woods, and citruses, it takes on more of a masculine note. Because of its scarcity, Indian sandalwood oil has become more expensive, but its devotees find the increased price worth it because of the oil\u2019s versatility and unique, earthy scent that lingers on the air.<\/p>\n

What are the health benefits of sandalwood essential oil?<\/h1>\n

As noted above, sandalwood essential oil can perform numerous roles. On the skin, sandalwood essential oil is astringent, tightening pores without drying the skin. This makes it popular in toners and after shave products. Its natural antioxidant properties also help sandalwood essential oil protect the skin from aging and damage. You can add five or six drops to your facial or body lotion for this benefit.<\/p>\n

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Sandalwood essential oil is also antiseptic and antiviral. When used on the skin, it reduces irritation, helps heal wounds, kills germs, prevents infection, and mitigates sores and pimples. It can relieve the itching associated with bug bites and eczema, and sandalwood essential oil even repels many insects. Studies have also demonstrated that sandalwood can be as effective as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) at quelling certain types of inflammation, due to its inherent anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n

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Gargling with a few drops of sandalwood essential oil or inhaling it in a steam bath can help treat coughs, sore throats, asthma, and bronchitis. Sandalwood essential oil is a natural expectorant and can help the body rid itself of excess mucosal secretions.<\/p>\n

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One of the most popular uses of sandalwood essential oil is to calm and focus the mind. Sandalwood has harmonizing elements to it, as well as those contributing to mental clarity. It is relaxing without causing drowsiness, so users can be present but tranquil at the same time. It improves mental clarity and cognitive function and can boost memory too. Therefore, sandalwood essential oil is frequently used for incense and other aromatherapy applications during meditation, prayer, yoga, journaling, and religious or spiritual rites.<\/p>\n

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The aroma of sandalwood essential oil can decrease nervous tension and exhaustion and help insomniacs sleep better. The use of essential oils and aromatherapy is a new area of medical research, but early studies show that sandalwood is effective at lowering anxiety.<\/p>\n

One thing many people notice about sandalwood is its exotic, sensual aroma. Sandalwood essential oil is also a natural aphrodisiac. For this reason, it is a popular ingredient in massage oil blends.<\/p>\n

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Some ways that you can include the calming effects of sandalwood essential oil in your daily routine are:<\/p>\n