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What Is Sandalwood Powder?

Eugene P.
Eugene P.

Sandalwood powder is the ground wood from a group of trees known as sandalwoods. There are several varieties of the tree, meaning different powders have different properties. Some sandalwood is white and some is a dark red, but the most common variety is a brown, earthy color. The powder is fragrant and can maintain its perfume-like smell for many years. Uses for sandalwood powder include its inclusion in perfumes, topical skin and body creams and incense mixtures, and as a cooking spice.

One use for sandalwood powder is as a treatment for acne. The powder is mixed in equal amounts with the spice turmeric and then made into a thick paste by adding rosewater. This sandalwood paste is applied to the face and allowed to work overnight. It is rinsed away in the morning and is reputed to help remove acne and blackheads.

Sandalwood powder can be mixed into bath soaps.
Sandalwood powder can be mixed into bath soaps.

A stronger mixture of just sandalwood powder and rosewater or regular water also can create a paste that will help to cool the surface of the skin. This can be applied to sunburns or to the forehead for relief from sweating. This same mixture can be used as a nightly facemask to help even the tone of the skin.

Red sandalwood powder has a similar topical use. Mixing the powder with almond oil and coconut oil creates a cream that can be put on areas of the face where there are blemishes or rough skin. After 15 minutes, the skin is rinsed clean of the mixture.

Sandalwood powder is used to make incense and other aromatic products.
Sandalwood powder is used to make incense and other aromatic products.

Many manufacturers of skin and body products regularly use sandalwood powder as a cosmetic ingredient. The powder, when used in sufficient quantities, can add a distinctive scent to beauty products. When mixed into body and bath soaps, it has properties that can help to exfoliate the skin, although skin irritation could occur in some people using it for this purpose.

The powder is frequently used in mixtures of incense and potpourri. It can be burned, even in powder form, to release the natural fragrances. In aromatherapy, the scent of sandalwood is said to help relieve depression and anxiety.

Sandalwood powder can be used as a treatment for acne.
Sandalwood powder can be used as a treatment for acne.

Sandalwood powder has two important properties that allow it to affect the appearance of the skin and body. It is a natural astringent, meaning the powder can tighten the skin and reduce blemishes. It also has antiseptic abilities, allowing sandalwood to help fight infection and irritation on the skin.

Discussion Comments

literally45

Sandalwood powder makes my face very soft and it literally glows after using it. I just have a hard time finding a good quality product. The sandalwood powder in India is much better quality in my opinion. The ones I've bought from stores here were a little stale and did not smell like the sandalwood powder I'm used to.

Sandalwood is used a lot in India. Many people apply the paste on their forehead to cool down the body in hot weather. Sandalwood paste is also beneficial for those who meditate and do yoga because applying it on the forehead helps open the third eye.

candyquilt

@donasmrs-- Sandalwood paste is also available. But if you make it yourself from sandalwood powder, it will be cheaper and it will last longer. It will also be more effective since it's fresh.

I use sandalwood powder for my acne. I mix it with a little bit of rose water (real rose water, not the ones with rose fragrance). I don't like the scent of sandalwood too much so rose water makes it smell better too. I use the mixture as a spot treatment on pimples overnight. When I wake up, they are smaller and have dried out. On the weekends, I also use it as an all over face mask. It removes all the oil and impurities. My face feels very clean afterward. I think it has helped with my hyperpigmenation as well.

I buy the powder in bulk and make very small batches at a time so that I'm always using a very fresh paste that's potent. A bag lasts me a long time

donasmrs

I've been hearing so much about the benefits of sandalwood. I love the scent of sandalwood and I do use sandalwood incense at home. I also see the powder at Southeast Asian groceries and health food stores. I never bought any because I didn't know how it is used. I will pick up a bag next time, mix it with water and try it.

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    • Sandalwood powder can be mixed into bath soaps.
      By: picsfive
      Sandalwood powder can be mixed into bath soaps.
    • Sandalwood powder is used to make incense and other aromatic products.
      By: gigidread
      Sandalwood powder is used to make incense and other aromatic products.
    • Sandalwood powder can be used as a treatment for acne.
      By: badmanproduction
      Sandalwood powder can be used as a treatment for acne.