Sandalwood is a fragrant wood that comes from Australia and India. Unlike other fragrant woods, sandalwood can retain its fragrance for many years. In fact, it can last for several decades if it’s properly stored. It is a popular source of essential oil that has a bright and fresh smell. But aside from extracting essential oil from it, the wood itself can also be used.
Sandalwood is popularly used in the present time as an incense. When you burn sandalwood, it will produce a very strong and pleasant aroma, which makes it an ideal wood for incense. Using it as an incense has just recently become popular all over the world, but did you know that it has been used in that manner for thousands of years? It has been long recognized by the Eastern culture and is often used in religious ceremonies.
One of the religions that use sandalwood for incense is Hinduism. They grind sandalwood into incense paste and burn them. This tradition is their way of offering to deities as well as cleansing of air and atmosphere. Aside from Hindus, another religion that uses sandalwood for incense is Buddhism. For them, burning sandalwood incense transforms desires and promotes human mindfulness.
If sandalwood incense is used in the Eastern culture for religious ceremonies, in the Western culture, it is used for relaxation purposes and to create a pleasant aroma throughout the home. In addition to releasing an amazing aroma and giving people relaxation, using sandalwood for incense has a lot of other benefits, and here are some of those.
Relieves Anxiety
The scent being released by sandalwood incense is known to lower the levels of anxiety as well as stress. So if you’re feeling tensed or on edge, burning sandalwood incense can help you relieve your anxiety. Based on a study, sandalwood incense was tested on women undergoing breast biopsies and they found out that the aroma helped these women to calm down.
Enhances Sleep Quality
Burning sandalwood incense is also great for people who suffer from sleeping problems like insomnia. It’s because the aroma of sandalwood is a great sedative. It can calm down your worried mind, helping you get a night of better sleep.
Aside from people who suffer from sleep disorders, it is also great for those who had a long and busy day. There are times when we find it difficult to sleep no matter how tired we are. Since sandalwood has been honored for its relaxing odor, burning an incense stick before going to bed can set your mood for a comfortable and relaxing sleep.
Lowers Blood Pressure
The aroma given out by burning sandalwood incense can also lower systolic blood pressure especially when you’re feeling worked up from stress. It can help you calm down, protecting you against heart diseases such as stroke, heart attack, and others. However, is not an alternative medicine you can use to cure high blood pressure, but it can help lower your blood pressure naturally.
Heals Wound
Healing wounds is a surprising benefit people can get from burning sandalwood incense. It can heal wounds because it activates certain olfactory receptors that impact other processes in the body such as stimulating keratinocytes to make keratin, which makes up the outermost layer of the skin. Since sandalwood incense can increase the production of keratin, it helps in healing wounds faster.
Acts as a Natural Air Freshener
Sandalwood has a fragrant smell and burning sandalwood incense can make your home smell amazing. It can help you get rid of unpleasant odors at home. Since sandalwood is a natural product, it is safer to use compared to air fresheners bought in stores because it does not add harsh chemicals to the environment.
Safety Tip
If you decide to burn sandalwood incense in your home, make sure that the room has good ventilation. Though sandalwood incense can benefit your health and mind, it still releases smoke that can add to indoor pollution. It can be dangerous for people who spend most of their time indoors, that’s why it’s also important to burn incense in moderation. When burning sandalwood incense, it’s better to open the windows and turn on fans. Also, do not inhale the smoke directly. As much as possible, burn the incense stick in an open and airy spot.
Sandalwood incense has great benefits making it a major export product of India and an important part of the economy. It remains popular all over the world and is still used the same way as it has been for thousands of years. It is also one of the best and most popular fragrant aromas for incense in the present time. So if you’re feeling stressed and anxious, or you simply want to have a bit of relaxation, burning some sandalwood incense might help you.