Sandalwood:
Botanical name: santalum album and Pterocarpus santalinus
Use: fights infection, especially in the urinary tract, relieves muscle spasm, softens and soothes all skin types, moisturizes, stimulates new cell growth, clears mucous, congestion, calms nerves, stimulates sexual desires. Sandalwood is the oil from the first pressing. This oil is known as “Liquid Gold” and is the third oil referred to in the Wise Men’s sacred offerings.
Perfume Note: Base
Blends well with: Rosewood, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, Neroli, Benzoin, Jasmine
Source: tree
Production method: steam distillation
Aromatherapy benefits: relaxing, warming, grounding
Aroma type: sweet, woody, warm
Warning: none noted
Safety Information:
White sandalwood (Santalum album) is an evergreen tree. The oil from the wood and the wood are used as medicine. Don’t confuse white sandalwood with red sandalwood.
White sandalwood is used for treating the common cold, cough, bronchitis, fever, and sore mouth and throat. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), liver disease, gallbladder problems, heatstroke, gonorrhea, headache, and conditions of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).
Red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a tree. The wood at the center of the trunk (heartwood) is used as medicine.
Red sandalwood is used for treating digestive tract problems, fluid retention, and coughs; and for “blood purification.” In manufacturing, red sandalwood is used as a flavoring in alcoholic beverages.
Red sandalwood might increase the loss of body water through the urine (diuretic effect). It might also have drying effects that may help reduce diarrhea and break up mucus to make it easier to cough up.
Sandalwood is the most commonly used incense material by the Chinese and Japanese in worship and various ceremonies. In Buddhism, Sandalwood is mentioned in various suttas of the Pāli Canon. In some Buddhist traditions, sandalwood is considered to be of the padma (lotus) group and attributed to Amitabha Buddha. Sandalwood scent is believed by some to transform one’s desires and maintain a person’s alertness while in meditation. It is also one of the most popular scents used when offering incense to the Buddha and the guru. Indian
Sandalwood is very sacred in the Hindu Ayurveda and is known in Sanskrit as Chandana. The wood is used for worshipping the God Shiva, and it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi lives in the sandalwood tree. The wood of the tree is made into a paste using sandalwood powder and this paste is integral to rituals and ceremonies, to mark religious utensils, to decorate the icons of the deities, and to calm the mind during meditation and prayer.