SANDALWOOD NOTES The Beautiful Benefits of Indian sandalwood

Indian sandalwood is no stranger to the scene of natural skincare and beauty, revered as a natural skin healer for thousands of years. Used to cool, hydrate, soothe, even out and clear up the skin, usually as an oil or a paste, it is esteemed as a crown jewel in Ayurvedic practice. 

Ayurveda originated around 3,000 years ago, and with it, some of the first documented instances of Indian sandalwood’s use as a skin saviour. 

Every new study into the beautifying properties of Indian sandalwood has laid promising scientific foundations to back up its ancient history in skincare.  

Now proven to be a safe skincare ingredient, and suitable for all skin types, this article explores the multifaceted benefits of Indian sandalwood as a natural active in modern and ancient beauty.

Heartwood’s face oils are a perfect example of how these benefits can be harnessed and applied in a modern context.

HEARTWOOD

HEARTWOOD

10mL

10mL

ANTI-SEPTIC

Its protective properties can be attributed to a naturally occurring compounds in Indian sandalwood called ‘terpenoids’, which are responsible for protecting the tree from external environmental threats and stressors. 

Its anti-septic properties carry on into the tree’s derivative products, like oil and powder, making Indian sandalwood a proven safe anti-septic and anti-microbial beauty ingredient. Guarding the skin from bacteria, fungus, yeast, and parasites, Heartwood’s Clear-Up Face Oil naturally prevents and treats breakouts, spots, black-heads, enlarged pores.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY 

Indian sandalwood is well known and well-used in Ayurveda for its cooling and hydrating properties. 

All at once, Indian sandalwood acts as a coolant to calm the aggravating heat and soothe irritations that prickle under your skin, even reducing the severity and helping to heal and hydrate.  The hero active, alpha santalol has been found to alter the groups of molecules (cytokines and chemokines) that can cause inflammatory responses in the skin, such as psoriasis, dermatitis.

HEARTWOOD

10mL

HEARTWOOD

30mL

ANTI-OXIDANT

Anti-oxidants are molecular bodily protectors that can be found in foods like fruits, vegetables, vitamins, like vitamin-E, and Indian sandalwood. In fact, Indian sandalwood has been Proven to out-perform Vitamin-E] as a source of anti-oxidants. It’s a powerful skin protector from environmental stressors and signs of ageing caused by free radicals (unstable atoms and molecules that can damage skin cells).

The alpha santalols found in Indian sandalwood protect the skin from these free radicals, slowing down and minimising the development and prominence of wrinkles, sagging, and dullness in the skin.

ANTI-TYROSINASE 

Dark spots and discolouration that can freckle the skin are usually caused by Tyrosinase – a group of enzymes responsible for the regulation and production of melanin.

Indian sandalwood oil and powder has been found to inhibit these Tyrosinase enzymes. More specifically, the alpha santalol’s act as a natural and safe agent in regulating melanogenis (the production of melanin pigments).

In simpler terms, it helps prevent the overproduction of melanin to achieve a naturally smooth and even skin tone.

ANTI-PROLIFERATIVE

When touching your face feels like petting the scaly back of a lizard, this dry roughness is usually caused by the reproduction of old and damaged cells, dried out in the cold air or maybe UV damaged by the sun.

Scientific testing has proven that sandalwood oil is able to prevent the proliferation of these cells, stimulating cell-cycle arrest. By intercepting the replication of old, damaged cells, new healthier skin cells are able to regenerate in their place, leaving skin looking younger and brighter