For centuries, sandalwood essential oil has been a popular ingredient in ayurvedic medicine as well as traditional Chinese medicine. Popular for use in perfumes and skin treatments, this essential oil is one of the many gifts of ancient India that extends beyond being a beautifying and fragrance-imparting agent. Check out these 10 uses for sandalwood essential oil.
Beauty & Hygiene
Pamper Your Skin
It’s no surprise that many skin implements contain sandalwood essential oil or hydrosol. As a powerful emollient, sandalwood protects skin and prevents moisture loss. Additionally, it cleanses and purifies, reducing the frequency and appearance of blemishes. It also brightens skin and leaves it feeling silky smooth. Many of my favorite facial products contain sandalwood essential oil, and you can also add a few extra drops to your moisturizer or toner.
Use in Perfume Blends
Sandalwood’s sweet, lasting odor makes it an excellent fixative in perfume. As a base note, it anchors the blend and holds the fragrance together, helping other lighter aromas to meld and blend in harmony. Check out this post for some perfume recipes to get you started.
Health
Sleep Well
Sandalwood stimulates the pineal gland, which releases melatonin that regulates your circadian rhythm to enhance sleep. Diffuse it at bedtime or apply topically before heading to bed.
Enhance Meditation
Since at least AD 78, people have used sandalwood essential oil to enhance meditation practices. Because it stimulates both the pineal and pituitary glands, it promotes deep relaxation and spiritual connectedness.
Ground and Balance
In traditional Chinese medicine, sandalwood essential oil promotes the movement of stagnant Qi. Qi is your vital life force responsible for the harmonious “flow” of energy in our bodies. When you feel ungrounded or scattered, try this simple exercise:
Add 3-4 drops of sandalwood to your palms. Close your eyes and cup your hands over your nose and mouth and inhale deeply through your nose. Open your hands and exhale through your mouth, expelling as much air from your lungs as possible. Repeat for several minutes as you visualize a smooth flow of energy through your body.
Ease Digestion
Sandalwood essential oil not only relaxes the mind. It can also relax intestinal and abdominal muscles, promoting gas removal and prevents excess gases from forming. As it balances the energies of the body, it promotes effective digestion as well.
Curb a Craving
By suppressing feelings of negativity and encouraging a sense of calm, sandalwood essential oil can help emotional eaters overcome their desire to eat away their frustrations. Its woody aroma works on the limbic system that controls emotions. Emotional eaters may find relief from applying a drop or two of sandalwood on the insides of the wrists.
Emotional and Spiritual Uses
Balance the Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus connects you with the energy to take action. It is the seat of confidence and personal power. When this chakra is imbalanced, you may experience fear of rejection, over-sensitivity to criticism, fear of change, lack of direction, and low self-esteem. Try the recipe below to restore balance to the solar plexus.
Feet on the Ground Roll On
5 drops lavender
5 drops sandalwood
4 drops frankincense
3 drops vetiver
Combine essential oils in a 10 mL roller bottle. Drop in crystals, if desired. Top off with fractionated coconut oil or another neutral carrier oil.
Let it Go
The spiritual stimulation brought on by sandalwood helps break ties with the past and release associated negative memories. It is also protective to raw emotions and often used during times of mourning or loss. When using any essential oil for emotional purposes, it is best to inhale the oil through your nose. Apply it topically, inhale directly from the bottle or your hands, or diffuse.
Romance
Put it on Your Man
The woody aroma of sandalwood is a sensual, masculine scent. While the scientific evidence is lacking, some sources report that it behaves similarly to human pheromones producing an aphrodisiac effect. Want to try it? Make this Gotham Roll On for your man!
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