Last Updated on March 6, 2024 by IncenseJunction
Incense and essential oils have been a big part of cultural and religious practices all over the world for a long time in human history. Their popularity and continued use are growing rapidly even in Western countries with more fragrances being developed regularly. They are also available in most stores and markets, including online markets.
Sandalwood is among the most popular oils in the market. It is made from a Santalum tree, but that’s not there is to it. Sandalwood has a wide range of benefits, including many health benefits. It is known that sandalwood is expensive, which is why it is integrated into incense sticks and scented candles to make it affordable.
So, what are the Sandalwood benefits? We have conducted quite some research and have come up with a couple of reasons why you should consider burning sandalwood incense in your house or office.
Uses of Sandalwood
Before we go into the benefits, let us see how sandalwood is used.
In the present time, sandalwood is quite popular as incense and is mostly used in that form to produce an amazing and strong aroma. However, this type of use has only become popular recently.
Before now, thousands of years back, sandalwood was still being used, but not as incense. How?
Well, Eastern culture recognizes sandalwood’s benefits and it has been part of most religious ceremonies because of that.
One religion that makes use of Sandalwood extensively is Hinduism. The sandalwood is ground properly until it becomes a type of incense paste, which is then burnt. This process is a way to provide an offering to deities. Additionally, it cleanses the atmosphere and the air around them.
The list does not end there. Buddhism is also very popular for using Sandalwood incense. Buddhism relates sandalwood incense as a method to promote human mindfulness and transformation of desires.
In western culture, it is a method of relaxation that will also improve the aroma in your house. But there are more benefits of incense.
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Relief of Anxiety
When burnt, sandalwood incense will produce a scent that is popular for lowering anxiety levels and reducing stress in general. In case you have a tense feeling, or are generally on edge, burning sandalwood would help to reduce anxiety. To prove this fact, a study was conducted on women who were going through breast biopsies. It was found that the aroma of sandalwood would help the women calm down.
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Inducing Sleep
Consider this, you have had a long and stressful day and certain things are bugging you, keeping you awake at night. It is known that lack of proper sleep simply affects your functionality and concentration. But you should not worry. One of the known benefits of sandalwood incense is inducing sleep.
If you have insomnia or any other sleeping problem, simply burn sandalwood. It produces an aroma that is an amazing sedative. It will calm you down, making your sleep not only long but also peaceful.
But that’s not all. If you suffer from any kind of sleeping disorder or have had quite a long day, you should consider sandalwood incense.
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Lowering Blood Pressure
Sandalwood incense properties have been known to bring out an aroma that will simply lower systolic blood pressure. If you feel like you are worked up due to stress, you should burn the incense. It will help you calm down, in turn protecting you from problems such as heart attack, stroke, or other heart diseases.
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Mental Alertness
Sandalwood will indeed bring about a calming effect. Nevertheless, it has been found to improve your general mental alertness. To be honest, it might sound contradictory. However, sandalwood will deactivate your behavioral responses, which will calm you down, while at the same time activating the physiological responses.
Studies have shown that inhaled sandalwood will trigger a low-level increase in your blood oxygen saturation, breathing rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, skin temperature, as well as eye-blink rate. All these are stimulatory effects that enhance the functioning of your mind. Alpha-santol is the compound known to be associated with these effects.
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Healing Wounds
This might be one of the most surprising sandalwood incense uses. Sandalwood has been found to aid in the healing of wounds because it will activate your olfactory receptors, which will then impact some processes of the human body, including stimulation of keratinocytes that make keratin, which will then make up the top layer of human skin. It is therefore used to heal wood faster.
If you have sandalwood oil, you will have an alternative. You can add sandalwood oil to bathing water. You should only add a few drops and the water should be hot. However, when you bathe in that water, it will treat any cracked or dry skin. You will be inhaling the steam at the same time and it is quite beneficial for the lungs. It will dry up mucus, and ease bronchitis, diarrhea, as well as wet coughs.
Some Safety Tips
Once you decide to burn some sandalwood incense in your house, you should ensure that there is adequate ventilation in the room. Sandalwood is indeed beneficial to your health. However, it is still releasing smoke, which will be a type of indoor pollution. People who spend most hours of the day indoors might be affected by this excessive smoke.
This is the main reason why we suggest or recommend that you use moderation when burning incense. Simply turn on fans or open windows.
Finally, avoid inhaling the smoke directly.
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Sandalwood Incense Smell
Sandalwood has a very distinctive smell, both delicate and elegant, making it the perfect company for a day spent with a dear friend. It is also ideal to keep a few incense sticks at work, for using them to turn your workplace into an environment suited for a focused and relaxed mind.
While the base tone of the sandalwood aroma is towards the earthy scents, it has a bright and fresh edge that sweetens it and makes it so unique. The oil made out of it is widely used in the perfumes and cosmetic industry and is very expensive. Although the original, authentic sandalwood tree is a protected species, there are quite many species within the Santalum genus that provide the unique scent.
Making Your Own Sandalwood Incense
Making your own loose sandalwood incense is quite easy. Simply purchase the dried wood from your local craft or hobby store, and grind it to a fine powder with either a mortar and pestle or a manual coffee grinder. Some species of sandalwood will be too tough to grind with a mortar and pestle and must be ground exclusively with a manual coffee grinder.
If you want to make pellet sandalwood incense, you can purchase inexpensive resin to mix with the ground sandalwood. Be sure to let the pellets dry completely before attempting to burn, however, as the resin can be quite flammable.
Otherwise, your finely powdered sandalwood can be used as a loose incense. Simply sprinkle the sandalwood incense over a lit charcoal briquette that has been embedded in a bowl of sand. The heat from the charcoal will release the lovely scent of your homemade sandalwood incense throughout your home.
The Origin Of Sandalwood Incense
Sandalwood incense is, perhaps, one of the oldest known types of incense. Used for over 4000 years, it is believed that this fragrant wood was used first by the ancient Chinese in their sacred temples. Many believe that sandalwood incense is the most calming type of incense, so it is the scent most often used for meditation purposes. It is believed that a number of ancient temples are also made out of sandalwood.
Sandalwood incense has been used by many cultures. By the Chinese, it was used in religious ceremonies, and many of their deities are made from this beautiful softwood. Ancient Egyptians not only for religious purchases but also for embalming and for medicinal purposes. Sandalwood incense is one of three primary incenses used by Buddhists in religious ceremonies as well.
Sandalwood incense has been used in medicine to treat such conditions as sleeplessness, severe anxiety, as well as depression. Herbalists believe that incense helps to promote an atmosphere of open-mindedness, peace, and spiritual awareness. It is also used in the death ceremonies of many cultures. The Catholic Church, Jewish Synagogues, and Hindi Temples are just a few among the many religions that use sandalwood incense.
Where Sandalwood Incense Is Found
The sandal tree, known in the botanical community as Santalum Album is found primarily in Karnataka, India. The tree is medium-sized, growing to a height of about 40 feet. The tree is not cut down when harvest time comes, but rather is pulled up from the roots during the rainy season when the ground is soft. The roots contain an essential oil that also has multiple purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Sandalwood Incense Safe?
The first thing you should know is that breathing smoke once would have no effect on your lungs. A lot of it would be toxic. Additionally, you will find incense sticks that have synthetic glue, as well as other chemicals that would produce harmful fumes.
We recommend that you find genuine incense that is made using natural products only. You should also try to burn incense unnecessarily. For instance, avoid burning incense continuously considering that a single incense stick or cone would last several hours in the atmosphere.
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Is Sandalwood incense effective?
Sandalwood incense is quite effective. As you can see from the sandalwood incense benefits, it would be a great way to improve your spiritual, mental, as well as physical well-being.
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Is Sandalwood incense for cleansing?
This incense has been used for a long time to ensure that the space around you is cleansed. It will clean your atmosphere, making it suitable for meditation or yoga. Check out our post right here for more detailed information.
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Conclusion
Sandalwood incense is quite amazing considering its benefits and uses. It is a major export from India with a large impact on the economy. It has grown to become one of the most popular fragrant aromas in the world used mostly in incense sticks and cones. If you are feeling down, anxious, or simply stressed, burning sandalwood incense might help you relax.
