Skin usually takes a hit in winter. Wind and other harsh elements can effect epidermal layers, and as a result women and men tend to spend a small fortune on products to restore the skin back to its former self. They needn’t go to great lengths, however: beauty benefits come in the form of an easily accessible essential oil, Sandalwood.
The Benefits of Sandalwood
As an essential oil, Sandalwood can be combined with plenty of other ingredients to form a face mask or cream or even be added to bathwater so that you can get an all-over body experience.
The benefits of Sandalwood are that it is an antiseptic, antiphlogistic anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, cicatrisant, astringent, carminative, diuretic, emollient, disinfectant, expectorant, memory booster, hypotensive and tonic substance.
What this means in layman’s terms is that it can cure blemishes and unsightly scars.
It can remove ‘prickly heat’, which might be triggered when you get hot and then cold, particularly in winter when you are coming inside to the warmth from the cold outside.
Sandalwood essential oil can soften and heal burnt skin, which may come as a result of the winter sun (skin still needs to be protected from the sun even in winter months). The soreness will soon feel soothed once you apply the sandalwood with another moisturising agent.
Sandalwood has anti-bacterial properties, so if you suffer from acne or other skin conditions, this is a perfect antidote and often works much better than traditionally prescribed treatments, which can have side effects.
If you also experience uneven skin, perhaps from an uneven skin tone, Sandalwood essential oil can work to give you a fairer complexion, but more importantly it can even everything out.
Winter is also often a trigger to go overseas. The foreign climate may mean that you’re sharing the space with other creatures such as mosquitoes or you may experience insect bites. Sandalwood works wonders to decrease swelling and can act as an insect repellent too.
Winter is also no friend of the anti-ageing process, as it dehydrates the skin. While it has drying properties itself, Sandalwood does tighten up the skin, so it works to counteract wrinkles or sagging skin.
Perfect Combination of Ingredients
Two things are particularly important to remember about Sandalwood essential oil. Firstly, and as mentioned, it has drying properties, which is perfect for oily skin but should be combined with moisturising substances if you have dry skin. Secondly, essential oils are volatile substances and should never be applied directly to the skin without firstly being mixed with something else in any case.
Perfect ingredients or ‘carrier oils’ to combine with Sandalwood include almond oil, jojoba oil or grapeseed oil, which have moisturising and softening properties as well.
Other essential oils that complement Sandalwood include Bergamot, Black pepper, Geranium, Lavender, Myrrh, Rose, Vetiver and Ylang-Ylang.
Sandalwood therefore has multiple benefits that should be utilised during winter, and there are easily accessible ingredients that can be combined with it and can complement it.