What is Sandalwood?

Sandalwood is an evergreen tree native to India, Philippines, China, Australia, and Indonesia. In botanical terms, Sandalwood is also known as Santalnum album. It is also known as “East Indian sandalwood, santal oil, white or yellow sandalwood oil, or white Saunders oil. It belongs to the family of Santalaceae. It has small flowers which contain many short stalks. Sandalwood belongs to the class of aromatic woods, which are knowns as perfume trees. Famous aromatic wood trees are cedar, cinnamon wood, and rosewood. Sandalwood trees grow about 8 to 12 meters in height and 2.5 meters in girth.

Sandalwood Oil

The Sandalwood tree has leathery leaves in pairs. The roots and trees have a yellow aromatic oil, which is known as sandalwood oil. The smell of sandalwood oil is so refreshing, and it persists in the articles, such as furniture or boxes, for years. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the heartwood by the process of steam distillation. The average yield of oil is almost from 3.0% to 6.0%. The sandalwood oil smell is very famous because of its sweet, powerful, and lasting odor. The sandalwood trees grow slowly and almost take 30 years for the heartwood to become frugally beneficial in India.

Uses of Sandalwood

Sandalwood in any form, be it solid or in oily form, has numerous uses in our daily lives. It plays a vital role in healing many skin conditions. Some of them are:

• Sandalwood in self-care products like fragrances, body lotions, massage products, hair care products, sunscreen, shampoo, and acne medications.
• Sandalwood oil is used as a fragrance in incense, perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps.
• Sandalwood in cleaning products, like in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners.
• Sandalwood in pest control products.
• Sandalwood in aromatherapy. Using sandalwood oil in aromatherapy helps to promote calmness, lower stress, and improves sleep quality.
• Sandalwood can also be used to enhance flavors in foods.

Health Benefits of Sandalwood

Sandalwood has various health benefits. It can be used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, antiphlogistic, carminative, disinfectant, diuretic, hypotensive, and memory-enhancing properties.

• It is a great antiseptic agent and is safe to use internally and externally. It is used to treat acne, sores, boils, and pimple infections.
• It is a strong anti-inflammatory agent. It has a very cool soothing effect and provides instant relief to the inflammation in the gastrointestinal, brain, nervous, circulatory, and excretory systems.
• It is a great natural relaxant and has a wonderful sedative effect against spasms. It is very effective in treating cramps, aches, and colds.
• Sandalwood oil is amazing to lower blood pressure as it contains hypotensive agents. It can be applied externally and will still help to lower hypertension.
• Sandalwood fortifies dental health as it has astringent properties. It helps to stop bleeding gums, healing minor wounds, and cleansing of mouth.