The Many Benefits Of Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sandalwood is one of the most treasured aromatics by aromatherapy practitioners, and perhaps one of the most treasured by human civilization as well. Recorded use of the wood and its products date back over four millennium, more than any other aromatic plant. Yet while most practitioners make use of the oil for its unequaled scent, few are aware of some of its important science-proven medicinal effects.

First just a little background — sandalwood essential oil is steam distilled from the heartwood of the sandalwood tree. Sounds pretty straightforward, until you learn that sandalwood is actually a parasite; it grows only on certain other trees in tropical environments. One cannot simply put a sandalwood seedling in the grown and coax it to grow, it has to be planted next to the right host tree, already of a certain age, for it to climb up. When harvesting the wood, which is very slow to grow, both trees need to be cut down. Clearly this presents challenges for this important resource.

The harvesting of the wood in India, where the finest specimens are considered to be from, has been halted by the government in order to protect the tropical rainforests. Elsewhere in the world, harvesting is regulated to ensure the demise of the rainforests in India does not happen again for this purpose. In only a very few locales has viable cultivated (human-planted) sandalwood begun to produce essential oil in commercial quantities.

Obviously there must be something to this oil for it to be so prized! While the oil and the wood have been closely tied to spiritual practices for thousands of years, research laboratories are only just now uncovering some profound medicinal properties. A paste made of the wood has historically been used as medicine for the skin, and now it’s been discovered the essential oil alone can actually prevent the formation of skin cancers. When skin is pre-treated with the oil, then exposed to potentially damaging quantities of ultra-violet radiation, the formation of cancerous tumors is significantly reduced.

Scientific researchers have elucidated the source of this cancer-preventative action. It turns out that one of the major natural chemical constituents, called “santalols” (found only in sandalwood oil, and no other natural material yet discovered) reinforces the signal for cells to die as they normally should. A feature of cancer cells is that they do not live and die in a natural cycle as healthy cells do — they just go on living, growing and spreading. So application of sandalwood oil prior to exposure to a carcinogen essentially tells the cell to keep on going through its normal healthy life cycle. And despite the lack of availability of Indian sandalwood, santalols are found in all other popular species from which the oil is distilled.

Aside from its therapeutic effects from topical application, the oil’s aroma deeply affects our psyche. The rich, elegant scent has been shown to be both stimulating and calming at the same time. The result is a sense of clarity and awareness. Subjects being researched reported the effects of the whole sandalwood oil, and that of “alpha-santalol”. It was found that the individual constituent was stimulating to alertness and mood, though only the whole oil also resulted in greater relaxation and vigor. This very interesting mix of effects on the mind, which correlate well with the oil’s use as a meditation aid. A drop or two on the wrists, temples, or forehead is a great way to enjoy the aroma for this purpose.

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.

These are only a few of the important health benefits available from sandalwood essential oil. It has a host of other wonderful skin-care properties, being used for nearly every skin care condition imaginable. It’s also an excellent fixative for natural perfumery, functioning as the base note in many fine colognes and perfumes. Because the chemical profile of the oil from the three primary sources on the globe are relatively close, you can generally use any of these for the therapeutic effects described here. For perfumery and other aromatic applications, try sampling oils from Australia and the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, in addition to an Indian oil if you can acquire it. This way you can become familiar with the range of aromas — investing in a quantity of the oil once you find your favorite is a great idea. The aroma gets even better as the oil ages, so both the price and your appreciation for your stock will increase over time.

For more, visit Synergy Essential Oils and Organic Medicinal Herbs.