Sandalwood is a class of woods and a great source of balsamic fragrance. It has a very strong and pleasant scent which makes it ideal for incense. One of its main constituents is santalol, which is responsible for its exquisite aroma and unlike any other, it can last for years.
Traditionally, sandalwood incense hasbeen a vital part of eastern culture and religious ceremonies for centuries. Hindus grind it into an incense paste and then burn it as a way of offering to deities and cleaning of air and atmosphere. Whereas, for Buddhists, burning sandalwood incense promotes human mindfulness.
Sandalwood incense sticks are hand-rolled from pure Indian sandalwood as well as natural herbs from Tibet, oils, and other ingredients per traditional scriptural methods and formulas.
Recently, sandalwood has also become really popular all around the world. In the west, it is used mainly for relaxation purposes.
Guidelines for Using Sandalwood Incense
- Burn the incense stick and put it on the bed of ash in a horizontal manner, preferably in an incense burner.
- You can also sprinkle powdered incense on the stick to enhance its effect.
- Always light it in moderate quantities to prevent overheating.
- Don’t leave it unattended.
A Non-toxic and Better Alternative than Chemical Sprays
Lucky for you, sandalwood incense sticks are kinder to your lungs, unlike chemical sprays. Sandalwood sticks aren’t habit-forming. They are non-toxic and don’t contain any narcotic ingredient. It is safe to say that sandalwood is environment friendly and completely safe for inhalation.
Benefits of Sandalwood Incense
Sandalwood incense has many benefits; it has great calming properties and it is quite useful for people suffering from insomnia. It has a sedative effect that relaxes your nerves. It’ is also really helpful on days when you are unable to fall asleep, no matter how tired you are. Just light up an incense stick and let it do its magic.
It also helps lowerblood pressure. Sandalwood incense gives off an aroma that helps lower the systolic blood pressure. It helps you calm yourself down and protects you from stroke and other heart-related diseases.
Sandalwood Oil – An Exotic Sandalwood Blend
In addition to being a single ingredient in its incense, sandalwood oil is one of the poshest oils and extremely popular in the world of aromatherapy due to its rich, sweet aroma and versatility.
It’s a great natural remedy to calm your mind and body. It makes a perfect addition to natural perfumes, cosmetics, body care or any product where a touch of sweetness is desired. But, its value goes beyond smell which you’ll understand by the time you get to the end of this article.
How Is It Made?
Sandalwood oil is processed by steam distillation of chips and billets cut from the heartwood of disparate species of sandalwood, primarily, santalum album and santalumspicatum, also known as Indian sandalwood and Australian sandalwood. The Australian sandalwood is unique because it doesn’t require the removal of sapwood before distillation, unlike the Indian one. However, Indian sandalwood is considered slightly more effective and purer than the Australian one.
Benefits of Sandalwood Oil
The two main benefits of sandalwood oil are that it is anti-inflammatory and that it helps reduce pain.
Anti-inflammatory
Sandalwood is good for treating pain and inflammation. Higher levels of inflammation can accelerate many chronic diseases that cause premature death and disability. It is also responsible for the rapid aging of your body; hence it is necessary to have it controlled. The collection of signals responsible for inflammation is known as cytokines.
A study conducted in 2014 shows that sandalwood’s active compounds (santalols) decrease the collection of chemical signals that generate inflammation in your body. Santalols are believed to act in a manner similar to NSAID medications but without the potential side effects, makingsandalwood all the more ideal for medicinal usage.
Can sandalwood oil relieve pain?
You are bound to get sore muscles after a long day at work or even after a workout or gym session, but you need not let this derail the rest of your day. Sandalwood oil is used around the globe to alleviate headaches, muscle spasms, tension, and inflammation.
In addition to this, Sandalwood oil is surprisingly helpful in healing wounds. It tends to activate specific olfactory receptors that impact other body processes such as stimulating keratinocytes to make keratin, which is the outermost layer of the skin. Since it accelerates the production of keratin, it ultimately fastens the healing of wounds.
Medical Benefits of Sandalwood Oil
Apart from reducing pain and inflammation, sandalwood oil has many medicinal uses and health benefits.
Improves skin conditions
According to a scientific review published in 2017, sandalwood oil is pretty effective in improving acne, eczema, psoriasis, common warts, and molluscumcontagiosum.
Treats urinary tract infections
Though there isn’t any clinical trial to back this up but the German Commission E for the treatment of the lower urinary tract infections approves the internal use of sandalwood oil and its monogram advises using a quarter teaspoon (1-1.5 grams) of sandalwood essential oil for treating urinary tract infections. It is to be noted that this treatment is only meant to be six weeks long, and it should strictly occur under a doctor’s supervision.
Anti-Cancer effects
The studies conducted using an animal model state that sandalwood oil and alpha-Santalol, which is one of its active components, act as a chemopreventive agent.
Meanwhile,lab research indicates that alpha-santalol is also responsible for reducing tumor incidence and multiplicity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.
Anti-aging
Suns UV rays cause your skin to form wrinkles and become saggy. Protecting your skin against the extreme climatic conditions and increased pollution can be difficult. If you are looking to protect your skin from all this, it’s time to consider sandalwood oil. This essential oil is beneficial in treating skin conditions as well as maintaining a healthy one.
You can add a few drops of this oil to an unscented lotion and then apply it directly to your face to help treat skin flaking, acne or any other minor skin condition.
Helps lower the levels of anxiety
Everyone has one of those days when you feel like you’re over the edge and your mind’s a total mess, and you just wish to find a way to help relax your mind. Well, in that case, sandalwood oil and its incense might be what you are looking for. Sandalwood is well-known for its calming effects on your brain and its role in promoting mental clarity.
According to a pilot study, receiving an aromatherapy massage with sandalwood oil subjectively reduced anxiety in people undergoing palliative care. Inhale a few drops of sandalwood oil before relaxing or a yoga class to set the mood. You can also use it before journaling to enhance your ability to relax.
Conclusion
In light of the provided facts, it’s safe to say that sandalwood oil and its incense sticks are a must-have for your shelves. Sandalwood incense and its oil serve tremendous health and psychological benefits, and their sweet, woody scent could leave you hooked.