Have you ever just sat and thought about the “things” we use in our daily lives, and how our lives would be different without them? Like, how different would your life be without fingernail clippers? Or what your world would be like without combs and brushes?

The truth is, our lives are greatly impacted by the “things” we use in our daily routines, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things. There are also “things” that not too many people know about that you should incorporate into your daily routines…these little discoveries can be called “hidden gems.”

A little known hidden gem that not too many people know about, is sandalwood. Sandalwood is a class of wood derived from the root Santalum. It’s a wood commonly known for retaining its fragrance for many years. This fragrant wood has several benefits and uses as well, and incorporating it into your daily life will improve your life significantly.

Sandalwood is more commonly used in oil and powder form, as well as incense. This fragrant wood can fill up your entire home with strong scents of the outdoors, mixed with jasmine, and other sweet smelling fragrances. Sandalwood being used in oil and powder form… well, the possibilities are endless!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with sandalwood, but want to get acquainted with the fragrant wood, we’re going to take a look at the many uses of sandalwood oil and how it can be incorporated into your daily lives.

Acne Skin Care

For those of us troubled with stubborn acne, sandalwood can be used as an astringent to help you in your fight against acne. The way it works is that sandalwood causes your skin proteins to solidify, which in turn, causes your pores to minimize. The shrinking of your pores makes your skin less prone to breaking out.

For most people, pimples and redness are very common when it comes to acne. When you do experience a break out, what’s the first thing you do? Run to the drug store and grab your Neutrogena soaps and Clean and Clear astringents. Some people have even taken toothpaste and put it on their pimples and problem areas. How has that worked out for you? If it hasn’t worked out too well for you, then it might be time to try something else.

The toothpaste remedy was a good idea in the aspect of using a paste. The next time you have a breakout, consider making a sandalwood paste mask. The form of sandalwood for your mask will be dependent upon if you have oily or dry skin. If you have oily skin, you’ll want to use sandalwood powder. If your skin is dry, you’ll want to use sandalwood oil; all other ingredients are the same

When creating this face mask, just remember with the sandalwood oil (and any essential oil), you want to always pair it with something; don’t ever just rub the oil alone onto your skin, because it can burn the skin.

For this mask, you’ll make a paste by using a tablespoon of gram flour (a type of flour commonly used in Indian cooking), a teaspoon of rose water, a teaspoon of turmeric, and finally, a tablespoon of your sandalwood oil or powder. You will then mix all the ingredients together, and apply it to your face. Let it dry on your face anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash it off your face. You’ll be on your way to a radiant and glowing face in no time!

Libido Booster

You can look at sandalwood as a natural aphrodisiac, if you will. I’m not saying that you need it, but if you do, why not give it a shot? There are many ways you can make use of this lovely oil as a romance builder!

Using sandalwood as a libido booster works for both men and women.You can add a few drops of sandalwood to your lotions or massage oils to turn up the romance. If you choose to go that route, try adding your sandalwood drops to unscented lotions and oils. With sandalwood already being quite fragrant, the scent of that, plus your vanilla sky lotion, might not be a good combination.

If a male suffers from impotence, sandalwood can also improve circulation. You can inhale the sandalwood from the bottle, or light some sandalwood incense. When you mix the oil with a lotion or carrier oil, try massaging the legs and abdominal area.

Expectorant

A cough, sneeze, or sniffle are a few of the first signs that sickness is coming. Sandalwood essential oil can be a great remedy for many of those cold and flu symptoms. This oil is great for upper respiratory infections, and aids in mucus build up.

One key thing to remember with sandalwood (and any essential oil), is that a little goes a long way. You have to remember that these oils are very potent, so you don’t have to use the entire bottle. With the use of sandalwood as an expectorant, you can boil water and pour the hot water in a bowl. Add 2-3 drops of sandalwood oil into the hot water and take deep breaths in and out. Add this oil to your recovery routine, you’ll be feeling better in no time!

Spread the Word

We’ve already established that sandalwood is a hidden gem that not too many people know about. Well, you can’t just leave people in the dark, especially with this oil being so beneficial; you’d be doing the world a disservice by not sharing the good news. A great way to share your knowledge about sandalwood is to showcase its qualities through your own personal blog posts.

You’ll need to get a domain name, figure out what exactly you want your blog’s content to be about, and then you can spread the word. We’ve always been told as children that sharing is caring, and sharing your blog would make your mom and dad quite proud.