Latin Name: Santalum album
Overview and Benefits
Sandalwood is a luxurious skincare ingredient known for its calming and anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes irritated skin, reduces redness, and helps heal acne scars and blemishes. Its natural cooling effect makes it ideal for treating sunburns and rashes. Additionally, sandalwood enhances the skin’s natural glow, leaving it soft, supple, and hydrated. Its mild astringent properties also tighten pores and improve skin texture.
Historical Uses in Skincare
Sandalwood has been a prized beauty ingredient in Ayurvedic and East Asian skincare for over a millennium. It was used to prepare aromatic masks and pastes for glowing skin and was often combined with turmeric or rose water for added benefits.
DIY Tip
Mix sandalwood powder with honey and a few drops of lemon juice for a brightening and soothing face mask.
Further Reading
National Library of Medicine – Sandalwood
The above study refers to Sandalwood album oil, which is an essential oil that is distilled from the Santalum album tree – the same type of tree from which we get our powder.