Sandalwood Essential Oil: Why Use it?

Ancient cultures have used sandalwood essential oil in a number of different ways with it warm, woody fragrance. From the earliest times, the Indians, Chinese and Egyptians have used this oil in their religious rituals and practices. The spiritual, physical and emotional well being were believed to be promoted by these cultures. In India, sandalwood is still important in many religious rituals and customs. It has been found mentioned in scriptures of the Nirukta of the Vedic period in the 5th century BC.

Current aromatherapists use the fragrant essence of sandalwood in the curing of a large number of illnesses and variety of essential oil uses has been discovered by them. Sandalwood oil, also known by its Latin name, Santalum album, can irritate skin of those who are sensitive to it, but a few drops of this oil put into a warm bath or into an aromatherapy diffuser creates a vapor that emits a delicately rich, sweet balsamic aroma that is known to have therapeutic affects on a number of physical and psychological problems.

Aromatherapy is the name that has been given to the ancient wisdom of using natural, aromatic ingredients like sandalwood for healing. Essential oils are the resins of certain trees such as the sandalwood and the extracts taken from different parts of fruits, roots and flowers. Nowadays, there are lots of essential oil uses.

There is a chemical effect that essential oils are reputed to have besides the physical and psychological affect on the body. Many have asked about essential oil – How to use it effectively externally? Hormones and enzymes react with the oils that have been absorbed through the skin, causing the chemical effect of the essential oil. Other question in essential oil – how to control the body’s system? Essential oils such as sandalwood cause the physical effects on the central nervous system through stimulation or depression, in the past this is the common essential oil uses. Essential oil – how to control a man’s mind? The influence on a person's frame of mind or mood is the evidence of the psychological effect that sandalwood essential oil has.

Aromatherapy is being accepted more and more in traditional medicine and this is resulting in its use in hospitals, clinics and birthing centers. It is most often used as a method of holistic treatment, not just to treat the physical symptoms but the whole person. Essential oils will be used by a good aromatherapist for treating the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of a person's well being and not just the physical symptoms that may manifest. Known to be very versatile, the majority of the essential oils often have healing properties for a number of ailments and facilitate healing through the soothing, and calming the mind and body while bringing them into balance.

It is important to know that, to produce small quantities of highly concentrated forms of essential oil, it takes very large quantities of plant matter. An example is sandalwood essential oil. It is distilled from the roots and inner bark of trees that are at least 30 years old and about 30 feet tall. The price of essential oils is very much affected by the effort involved in obtaining these small quantities of oil. The process of extracting essential oils - how to get them is very difficult.

Among the factors that affect the price of essential oils are the country of origin, the amount harvested and the method used for extraction, which can be steam distillation, CO2 extraction or enfleurage. Demand also plays a role in prices, too. There is a greater demand for Indian Sandalwood than there is for Australian Sandalwood. The aroma of Indian Sandalwood is the reason its cost is twice that of Australian Sandalwood.