Aromatherapy Sandalwood Oil
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Sandalwood,one of the worlds most used essential oils, prized for its scent in the making of perfumes and for the therapeutic effects in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. Sandalwood is also known for its ability to center the mind.
This essential oil is, most of the time, extracted through steam distillation from the wood of the Sandalwood tree, with the roots producing the most quality oil.
This tree is an evergreen tree, with leathery leaves and small purple flowers. Native to the tropics of Southern Asia, the tree actually lives off of other tree species around it. Because it grows this parasitic way, and due to the conditions that it lives in. The Sandalwood has been very difficult to propagate.
In addition to the challenging cultivation, It takes nearly 30 years for the tree to mature before any quality oil can be extracted from it. The smell of this oil is woody, balsamic, sweet with a slight musky aroma. The color is a pale yellow greenish or brownish liquid with a great tenacity ( the aroma last a long time ).
There is more than one variety available, the most therapeutic being Santalum album. The highest quality of this type of oil comes from the Mysore region of eastern India. On the South Pacific Island of Vanuatu, they have successfully cultivated Sandalwood trees and have been producing oil from that species “austrocaledonia”. This oil has an awesome aroma with a woody, smoky scent that has reminiscent factors different for each individual. This oil is excellent used as a base.
In the Western Hemisphere, this oil is probably best known as a natural, woody, sweet bodied perfume. Used in many cosmetics and aftershaves.
In the Eastern Hemisphere, however, Sandalwood is steeped in cultural and spiritual traditions. The wood is used in a variety of ways; carved into furniture, religious icons, used to build temples and also burned in various ceremonies.
They use the oil to anoint their dead, helping them pass on to the next life.
In Burma, women release their sins by sprinkling the oil onto people passing by, on the last day of the year.
In a Hindu marriage, the wood is burned in the tent of the married couple so that the couple are completely surrounded by the smoke.
In the art of meditative yogi, the incense of the Sandalwood creates a serene state of mind.
In the traditional medicine system of Ayurveda, it is used for its ability to “cool the fire of pitta”. It is used for inflammatory conditions or intestinal and urinary conditions that require “cooling”.
However the modern uses in aromatherapy are for dry skin, general irritation and acne; it can also help bronchitis, dry cough, laryngitis and sore throat; it may also relieve diarrhea and nausea. Beyond the physical attributes of this oil, Sandalwood is also great for calming a hyper active mind.
Even though the oil is actually considered as an anti-depressant, it also has the ability to relieve an agitated emotional state as well as calm an over worrying and over thinking mind.
Recommended essential oil blends for calming the mind, use these in general massage, reflexology, or apply to pulse points or temples:
For obsessive thinking – 4 drops of Sandalwood and 2 drops of Vetiver, in 1 tablespoon of carrier oil.
For a detached analytical state – 3 drops of Geranium, 2 drops of Sandalwood and 1 drop of Patchouli in one tablespoon of carrier oil. These blends can also be used in a diffuser by leaving out the carrier oil.
For a nice perfume with soothing qualities, blend 3 parts of Sandalwood oil with 2 parts Vanilla oil. This will give you a wonderful tropical island aroma.
Last but not least, Sandalwood is one of the few oils that improves with age. So due to its increasing demand, the price of the oil climbs significantly yearly. It may be worth your while to buy a little more than you think you may use right away, remember the longer it is stored will only result in a richer oil.
But the very first place to start is with samples, find out first hand what type of Sandalwood that you truly enjoy.
Tags: aromatherapy, blends, extracts, liquids, massage, medicine, natural, oil, sandalwood
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izeby.com said :
June 30, 2009 at 2:33 pm
KEYS TO SUCCESS » Aromatherapy|Essential Oils|Massage| Sandalwood Oil…
Sandalwood,one of the worlds most used essential oils, prized for its scent in the making of perfumes and for the therapeutic effects in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. …
lynne from hen night t-shirts said :
June 8, 2010 at 4:09 am
Sandalwood has always been my preferred choice of essential oil, it’s simply timeless.