Sandalwood Essential Oil: A Great Aroma With Science Proven Benefits

Sandalwood is both a classic scent and a classic medicine. Used as an aromatic for over 4000 years, and as a medicine in the Ayurvedic system for perhaps a millennium, the wood itself has been greatly valued by mankind. The essential oil, while only becoming popular in the last hundred years, is a truly classic scent, with important science-proven therapeutic medicinal applications. Whether it be for the body or mind, sandalwood oil can offer effective support. Here’s a look at the therapeutic applications of this treasured oil, and how you too might benefit from its medicinal magic.

The exotic oil comes from the heartwood of trees native to certain tropical regions of the world. Curiously, the sandalwood tree is only found growing on, or intertwined with, other trees; it’s considered, in fact, a parasite. Further, the trees are quite slow growing, and demand a certain amount of age before being mature enough to distill a significant volume of high-quality oil. This makes for a unique challenge in growing the wood and distilling the precious essential oil.

The very finest oil, certainly aromatically — and some people believe therapeutically as well — is distilled from the Santalum album species native to India. The essential oil has become so highly valued that over-harvesting of the trees has made a significant impact in deforestation in certain regions. So much so that the government of India made it a law that they now own all the sandalwood trees in the country! This, of course, is meant to prevent poaching of the trees, as clearly the offense is rather serious stealing the valuable resource from the government. Thankfully, there are plantations of this same species of tree underway, and other sources of very fine sandalwood oils that are now close in rivaling the quality of the Indian material.

What could it be about this essential oil that makes it so highly coveted? For starters, the wood has been pulverized and made into a paste used on the skin for centuries in India — both for ritual and medicinal activities. It turns out that, under laboratory research, the essential oil significantly reduces the development for skin cancer significantly when applied to skin before exposure to ultraviolet rays. Further, it also prevented cancers from developing from contact with carcinogenic chemicals — a very interesting therapeutic activity indeed.

Researchers at South Dakota State University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, noted “alpha-santalol, a major component of sandalwood oil, is effective in preventing skin cancer in…UVB-induced skin cancer development.” Researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver, noted that the oil caused apoptosis (normal cell death) of cells that were on their way to becoming cancerous. Clearly the essential oil makes an important therapeutic contribution to skin care formulations for those spending a lot of time in the sun.

The original allure of the tree and its oil was its fantastic aroma. Clearly early on, people recognized there was something different about it: the oil is unique for its ability to both stimulate and calm at the same time. These effects have been the subject of research, finding that the oil managed to both heighten senses and bring about a aura of calm — a perfect combination of course for the meditative purposes for which the oil is frequently employed. Just a drop or two on the wrists or forehead is an excellent way to enjoy sandalwood’s mind-centering effects.

Interestingly, while the oil heightens awareness, it actually supports deeper, more restful sleep. Research on the inhalation of the aroma showed that study participants usually challenged to get a good rest spent much less time awake, and the total time spent in “rapid eye movement” sleep was also increased. The affect was attributed to the oil’s action in the bloodstream after inhalation, not on the sensing of the aroma. So a gentle massage with the oil may be just as effective as using a diffuser for improved sleep with the oil.

This is just a brief look at some wonderful therapeutic actions available using sandalwood. Its skin care properties go far beyond sun protection; these include care for dry skin, mature skin and acne-prone skin as well. The oil is very safe, and well-tolerated by nearly everyone. When you find yourself looking for a source of sandalwood, you’ll find several varieties available. Research has shown them to be fairly equivalent in many respects therapeutically — for skin care, the lower-cost Australian is an excellent choice. For aromatic uses, find one that you enjoy the most! And know that a little goes a long way — start with a small amount, and enjoy its subtle, uplifting nature.