Sandalwood

Also known as: East Indian sandalwood, santal, saunders and sandalwood Mysore. Sandalwood oil is native to India and obtained via steam distillation from the from Santalum album of the Santalaceae family. 

Sandalwood has been used for centuries as a fragrance for toiletries, especially men’s toiletries.  The scent is exotic and seems to stay in the air.  The hue of sandalwood oil is a very light, golden yellow.  The best sandalwood oil is from Mysore, in India.

Once sandalwood was used for making furniture, caskets, and building temples but as the tree is nearly extinct, it is now a protected species.  Because of the threat of total extinction, this oil is now very well controlled in India and can be used only for oil making, and as a result, the price of sandalwood oil has increased exponentially and become one of the most expensive essential oils on the market.

Home Remedies using Sandalwood Essential Oil:

Sandalwood is much in demand as incense and has a calming effect during meditation. Swahra yoga recommends it for the union of the senses and Tantric yoga for the awakening of sexual energy.

Benefits of Sandalwood Essential Oil:

It is costly, but it has some extremely beneficial uses.  It works well on chest ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and coughing. 

It works well at relieving cystitis, and is great for the skin.  It is also beneficial in aromatherapy for calming clarifying the mind and emotions.

The therapeutic properties of sandalwood oil are bringing down fever and inflammation.  It is great for adding to washes to cleanse sick rooms, and wounds.  It prevents diarrhea and vomiting by reducing the stomach and intestinal spasms that cause it. 

Sandalwood is good for digestive disorders such as excessive gas and flatulence, like those characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome.  It moisturizes, is good at expelling excess mucus, and is a general all around tonic to enhance a sense of well being.

From aphrodisiac to relieving digestive disorders, sandalwood essential oil has so many benefits that its use is very wide ranging.  Consult provider for other uses.

  • In aromatherapy, sandalwood oil can be used in simmer pots, diffusers, or it may be added to steam baths.
  • Sandalwood essential oil may be blended with other essential oils for a custom mix.  It may be added to carrier oil for massage therapy, or a few drops may be added to bath water. It can be diluted and gargled as a great sore throat remedy.
  • Sandalwood essential oil may be added to a lotion or cream base and used for skin disorders of all types.

Side Effects of Sandalwood Essential Oil:

Sandalwood essential oil is not toxic, an irritant and is not known as a sensitizing oil. 

Consult an aromatherapy practitioner, if you have concerns, for further recommendations.