In the realm of traditional skin-friendly ingredients that our grandmothers often mentioned, sandalwood stands out as one of the most prevalent and beloved choices. This versatile ingredient is used for regular skincare routines and is a critical component in the formulations of various commercial skincare products. Consequently, sandalwood soaps have gained widespread acclaim globally, and India is no exception to this trend. Indians have embraced the daily use of sandalwood soaps as a natural and effective skincare ritual. This article has curated a list of India’s top 10 sandalwood soaps to assist you. Stay tuned for the details.
What is Sandalwood?
Sandalwood is a fragrant wood from the plant Santalum album or the East Indian sandalwood tree. Recognized as one of the most valuable trees globally, the sandalwood tree is also found in the western part of India and Africa. The two most popular products derived from sandalwood are fine-grained dust or sandalwood powder and an essential oil called sandalwood oil. Both find a variety of cosmetic uses and are used across the globe.
In the Hindu Ayurveda, sandalwood is considered sacred because of its heavenly woody fragrance. The rich sense of purity and holiness of this warm aroma makes it a symbol of religious and spiritualism in India.
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What is Sandalwood Oil?
Sandalwood Oil, also popularly known as ‘liquid gold,’ is an essential oil extracted from the wood and roots of the sandalwood tree. It emanates a robust and mesmerizing fragrance that lasts long, making it an active ingredient in many perfumes and air fresheners. It is also a common choice in aromatherapy. But that is not all. According to ancient Ayurvedic texts, sandalwood oil is an excellent natural solution for healthcare and skincare. However, finding authentic sandalwood oil that meets international standards is essential to making the most of the product. (1)
The classic scent and healing properties of sandalwood oil result from the free alcohols called santalol present in it. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), genuine sandalwood oil should contain a minimum free alcohol level of 90%.
Health Benefits of Sandalwood Oil
Sandalwood oil has long been used in alternative medicine for its unique health perks. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has also been using its therapeutic benefits to treat various medical conditions. Here is how the ingredient may help you with your health:
- Keeps the common cold and cough away
- Prevents urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Cures liver and gallbladder diseases effectively
- Works as a cure for various digestive issues
- Increases the markers of alertness, which include perspiration, pulse, and blood pressure (2)
- Reduces anxiety to a great extent (3)
- Heals wounds by promoting skin cell growth (4)
- Combats methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to prevent staph infections (5)
- Helps in treating mental disorders
- Provides relief from muscle problems
Read Also – 10 Benefits of Red Sandalwood for Skin (with Uses, Side Effects, and More)
Why Use Sandalwood Soap for Skin?
Apart from being a healthcare expert, sandalwood is a natural skincare expert. The ingredient’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties help improve the skin’s overall well-being. It keeps the skin clear and blemish-free with complete detoxification while hydrating and moisturizing it thoroughly for a soft and healthy appearance. If you suffer from acne and breakouts, sandalwood can be your best solution. It also rejuvenates dull skin, keeps wrinkles away, and soothes itchiness. Being a natural sun protector prevents the skin from getting tanned, too. A specific compound called α-santol present in sandalwood may also help fight against skin cancer as it stimulates the anti-cancerous cells in the body. Hence, using soaps with all the goodness of sandalwood oil is undoubtedly excellent. (6)
10 Best Sandalwood Soaps in India
So, we have compiled a list of the ten best sandalwood soaps from different brands available in the Indian market that will help you enjoy all the skin benefits of sandalwood in a bathing bar and get youthful skin over time. Keep reading:
1. Mysore Sandal Soap
One of the most popular soaps in India, the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap from Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited, is a legacy of over 100 years. The premium product with pure sandalwood oil and enticing notes of sandalwood has been holding a special place in thousands of Indian hearts for more than a century now.
Best Features:
- Extremely mild formulation with all-natural ingredients
- It uses pure vegetable oils as the product base
- Formulated with 100% pure sandalwood oil
- It contains essential oils of vetiver, patchouli, geranium, palmarosa, orange, petitgrain, and glycerine.
- Cleanses the skin deeply
- Moisturizes and nourishes it thoroughly
- It helps in improving the natural complexion
- Soothes prickly heat and other skin irritations
- It gives simple-free skin with its antiseptic properties
- Reduces the chances of skin ailments
- It makes the skin look glowing and youthful
- The captivating aroma of sandalwood lasts throughout the day
Price: Rs. 60 for 125 gm.
2. Fabindia Sandalwood Bathing Bar
The Fabindia Sandalwood Bathing Bar is a handcrafted natural soap with traditional techniques and skills. It makes each shower a spa-like experience with its effective cleansing and mild lingering fragrance.
Best Features:
- A pure, soothing, and luxurious soap formulation
- Glycerine-based product with the goodness of olive oil
- Made with all-natural ingredients
- It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties
- Cleanses the skin gently
- It does not dry out the skin
- It helps the skin retain its natural moisture
- Provides deep nourishment
- Prevents and heals acne and pimples
- Reduces the appearance of scars
- Keeps the skin supple, smooth, radiant, and healthy
- Leaves the skin subtly scented with the mesmerizing fragrance of sandalwood
- Suitable for all types of skin
Price: Rs. 95 for 100 gm.
Read Also – Natural Skin Whitening with Sandalwood Face Pack
3. Khadi Natural Sandalwood Soap
The Khadi Natural Sandalwood Soap is made to WHO, GMP, and ISO standards with active herbal ingredients and under the guidance of qualified Ayurveda doctors. Using it every day will provide you with immense healing benefits.
Best Features:
- A bar of handmade herbal soap with essential oils
- Enriched with organic sandalwood oil, glycerine, and vegetable oils
- Cleanses and detoxifies the skin thoroughly
- Moisturizes the skin from deep within
- Keeps the skin soft, smooth, and healthy
- It has strong antibacterial and antiseptic properties
- Prevents acne, blemishes, and skin infections
- Treats dry and aging skin with antioxidants
- Removes tanning and revitalizes the skin
- Cooling and soothing effects reduce itchiness
- The calming aroma helps destress and relax
- Free from SLS, parabens, and mineral oil
- It suits all types of skin, including the sensitive one
Price: Rs. 90 for 125 gm.
Also Read – 10 Best Soaps In India to Keep Your Skin Clean and Healthy
4. Soil and Earth Sandalwood and Turmeric Soap
The Soil and Earth Sandalwood and Turmeric Soap caress and condition the skin beautifully with its traditionally cold-processed pure essential oils and natural extracts. It makes the skin soft, supple, and rejuvenated over time.
Best Features:
- A natural handmade soap featuring luxurious Ayurveda
- Infused with pure sandalwood oil, coconut oil, almond oil, wheat germ oil, turmeric extract, and glycerine
- Moisturizes and nourishes the skin to the core
- Enhances the overall health and texture of the skin
- Soothes itchy and inflamed skin
- Keeps skin infections at bay
- Stimulates cell renewal for a youthful appearance
- Improves the complexion and glow
- It does not contain parabens, phthalates, silicones, synthetic colors, or artificial fragrances.
- Suitable for all types of skin
- Best for normal to sensitive skin
Price: Rs. 125 for 125 gm.
5. Medimix Ayurvedic Sandal Bathing Bar
Turn an ordinary bath into an Ayurvedic beauty ritual every time with the Medimix Ayurvedic Sandal Bathing Bar. Being one of India’s most trusted sandalwood soaps with Fast Acting Ayurveda makes you SkinFit quickly.
Best Features:
- A handmade ayurvedic cleansing formulation with a rich lather
- Active ingredients used are pure sandalwood oil and lead oil
- Features a unique blend of 18 herbs, including coconut palm, greater cardamom, Indian bdellium, Indian olibanum, Indian valerian, long-leaved pine, myrrh, nutmeg, peacock’s tail, pearl shell, spiked ginger lily, tiger’s footprint, white cuscus, white-dammar, wild turmeric, etc.
- Cleanses and hydrates the skin well
- Protects from suntan
- Invigorates the skin to improve its texture
- It helps the skin glow throughout the day
- Fights against allergies, infections, and skin diseases
- Effective on pimples, blemishes, and dark spots
- Cures localized hyperpigmentation of the skin
- Soothes rashes, itching, inflammation, wounds, and burning sensation
- It has a pleasant fragrance of sandalwood oil
- Perfectly suitable for all types of skin
Price: Rs. 50 for 125 gm.
6. Kama Ayurveda Red Sandalwood Ayurvedic Soap
This dark, opaque Red Sandalwood Ayurvedic Soap by Kama Ayurveda is a beautiful cleansing treatment for blemished and acne-prone skin. The healing properties of pure red sandalwood oil purify the skin and enhance its complexion naturally.
Best Features:
- A handmade product with 90% natural ingredients and a slight foam
- It contains pure red sandalwood oil, cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil, mulethi, spiked ginger lily, beeswax, common fig, and castor oil plant
- Nourishes and protects the skin with vital nutrients
- Leaves the skin hydrated, soft, and healthy
- Restores the natural glow of the skin
- Cures acne, blemishes, and pimples
- Lightens marks, scars, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation
- Repairs skin damage caused by sunburn
- Heals stretch marks
- Brightens up the skin tone
- Relieves itching and inflammation
- Prevents the signs of premature aging
- Protects the skin from bacterial and fungal infections
- It has a beautiful aroma of sandalwood
Price: Rs. 795 for 125 gm.
7. Soulflower Cleansing Sandalwood Soap
Elevate your natural beauty with the premium Soulflower Cleansing Sandalwood Soap crafted entirely from organic ingredients. Discover the magic of traditional plant actives, including sandalwood oil, in their purest and most potent forms.
Best Features:
- A handmade, hand-cut, natural oil-based soap with a proven formula
- Produces heavy, luxurious lathering
- Infused with pure and cold-pressed sandalwood oil, coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, almond oil, castor oil, sandalwood powder, walnut powder, turmeric powder, ashwagandha root extract, and vitamin E
- Cleanses effectively without causing dryness
- Detoxifies the skin thoroughly
- Sloughs off dead skin cells easily
- It brings out a lighter and brighter complexion
- Moisturizes the skin to leave it soft and supple
- Delays aging by making the skin firmer and tighter
- Keeps acne, pimples, and blackheads under control
- Evens out the skin tone by fading away dark spots and marks
- Soothes dry, rough, and inflamed skin
- Prevents skin infections
- Shields from sun damage
Price: Rs. 400 for 150 gm.
8. Maharishi Ayurveda Sandalwood Soap
With the Maharishi Ayurveda Sandalwood Soap, your skin can experience the goodness of the finest traditional ingredients daily. It keeps the skin hydrated, nourished, and glowing while cooling down the body naturally.
Best Features:
- An all-natural creamy soap bar
- Features an ayurvedic herbal formulation
- It contains the precious essential oil of certified Indian (Agmark) Sandalwood and vegetable glycerine.
- Enriched with the extracts of blue water lily, turmeric, and Flame of the Forest
- Cleanses the skin gently yet effectively
- Nourishes the skin from within
- It keeps it soft, supple, and blemish-free
- Restores its natural glow
- Cools down the body and balances the skin
- Suitable for all skin types
- Ideal for normal to sensitive skin
Price: Rs. 230 for 100 gm.
9. Nyassa Sacred Sandalwood Handmade Soap
Indulge in the Nyassa Sacred Sandalwood Handmade Soap and pamper your skin with the utmost care of sacred sandalwood. It will make each of your bathing experiences unique and exciting.
Best Features:
- A handcrafted soap with a unique blend of six pure and natural carrier oils, essential oils, and extracts
- Formulated with aloe vera extract, grape seed extract, chamomile extract, honey, cold-pressed wheat-germ oil, calendula-infused sweet almond oil, and vitamin E-acetate
- Purifies the skin with natural cleansing properties
- Works wonderfully as a vitamin-rich moisturizer
- Soothes and heals irritated skin naturally
- Enhances the overall health and texture of the skin
- Slows down the appearance of the signs of aging
- Protects from the UV rays of the sun
- Adds a luminous glow to the skin
- Elicits a warm and woody sandalwood fragrance
Price: Rs. 199 for 75 gm.
10. Organic Harvest Sandalwood Bathing Bar
This Sandalwood Bathing Bar by the first Indian homegrown brand, Organic Harvest, combines the power of plants with organic ingredients. It will nourish and soften your skin while uplifting your senses with its traditional fragrance.
Best Features:
- An ECOCERT-certified, 100% organic, and plant-based formulation
- It contains sandalwood oil and organic glycerine in a rich vegetable oil base
- It makes the skin clean and germ-free, gently
- It prevents the skin from drying out and retains its natural moisture
- It provides essential nutrients to the skin to soften it
- Maintains the pH balance of the skin
- It does not contain parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, and other harmful chemicals.
- Ideal for all skin types
- It has a subtle yet refreshing fragrance of sandalwood
- Relaxes and rejuvenates the mind, body, and soul
Price: Rs. 99 for 125 gm.
Summary:
Sandalwood is the fragrant wood of the plant Santalum album, which is one of the most valuable trees in the world. It is considered sacred in the Hindu Ayurveda. Sandalwood powder and sandalwood essential oil find lots of cosmetic uses and are used across the globe. Authentic sandalwood oil emanates a strong and long-lasting fragrance due to the presence of 90% of santalol (free alcohols) in it. This makes it an active ingredient in perfumes, air fresheners, aromatherapy, skincare, and even healthcare. Sandalwood oil finds its uses in alternative medicine, Indian folk medicine, and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating the common cold, preventing UTIs, keeping liver and gallbladder healthy, improving digestion, enhancing alertness, reducing anxiety, healing wounds, combating staph infections, managing mental disorders, handling muscle problems, and so on. In skincare, sandalwood oil is widely used in the preparation of bathing bar soaps. The anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties of the ingredient help in taking care of the overall well-being of the skin by keeping it clean, youthful, and glowing. If you choose from the list of the best sandalwood soaps available in the market, you can get the best out of it easily.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Mysore Sandalwood Soap Lighten Skin?
Yes, the premium soap helps cleanse the skin gently yet thoroughly, thereby lightening your skin and bringing out your natural glow.
Does Sandalwood Darken the Skin?
Sandalwood does not darken the skin. Instead, it makes the skin lighter, brighter, and flawless by sloughing off dead cells, curing hyperpigmentation, and fading away marks, scars, and dark spots.
Can I Leave Sandalwood Overnight?
You can prepare a sandalwood face pack by mixing turmeric powder and a pinch of camphor with a tablespoon of sandalwood oil and leave it on your skin overnight to get a rejuvenated look.
Can We Apply Sandalwood on the Face Daily?
Being a natural ingredient, sandalwood does not cause any harm to the skin. Instead, it soothes the skin and makes it brighter over time. So, you can undoubtedly apply sandalwood to your face daily.
Does Sandalwood Remove Dark Circles?
When mixed with rose water and used daily under the eyes, sandalwood helps remove dark circles effectively.
References:
- “The Health Potential of Sandalwood,” Healthline.com
- “East Indian Sandalwood and Alpha-Santalol Odor Increase Physiological and Self-Rated Arousal in Humans,” PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
- “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in Reducing Levels of Anxiety in Palliative Care Patients: Results of a Pilot Study,” PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
- “Sandalwood Scent Facilitates Wound Healing and Skin Regeneration,” EurekAlert.org
- “The Battle Against Multi-Resistant Strains: Renaissance of Antimicrobial Essential Oils As a Promising Force to Fight Hospital-Acquired Infections,” ScienceDirect.com
- “A Novel Chemopreventive Mechanism for a Traditional Medicine: East Indian Sandalwood Oil Induces Autophagy and Cell Death in Proliferating Keratinocytes,” ScienceDirect.com
