Reflect on those adolescent years when the wisdom of your mother or grandmother extolling the virtues of sandalwood for skin care fell on seemingly indifferent ears. Well, ladies, it turns out that age-old advice about the benefits of sandalwood is a timeless gem that can work wonders for your skin’s health and radiance. In today’s world, environmental stressors, excessive sun exposure, poor dietary habits, and an unhealthy lifestyle can quickly diminish your natural complexion. Amidst this, sandalwood is a readily available and extensively utilized natural ingredient renowned for its skin-whitening properties.
If the prospect of dark and patchy skin troubles you, consider incorporating sandalwood into your skincare arsenal. This article aims to guide you through the transformative realm of DIY sandalwood face packs specifically curated for skin whitening. By harnessing the power of this versatile ingredient, you can effortlessly achieve a flawless complexion, combating the effects of external stressors and unveiling a healthy, glowing visage. Discover the beauty of sandalwood and elevate your skincare routine with these simple yet effective DIY solutions.
What Is Sandalwood?
Sandalwood is a type of wood belonging to a slow-growing, evergreen, and over-harvested tree, Santalum Album, native to India and Indonesia. It has smooth and gray-brown bark with small beautiful flowers. The tree is highly valued for its oil called sandalwood oil (also known as East Indian sandalwood oil santal oil or white saunders oil), which is steam distilled from the tree’s heartwood and roots. The main ingredient in sandalwood is santalol, a powerful sesquiterpene that contributes to its deep woody aroma. A sandalwood stick can also be dried entirely and crushed into a fine, smooth powder to prepare a paste.
Different Uses Of Sandalwood
This distinctive sweet, fresh chypre scent of sandalwood can last for decades, and hence, sandalwood essential oil is widely used in modern perfumery as a base note of the fragrance. The medicinal uses of sandalwood are also quite popular. The ingredient possesses good antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, soothing, and antispasmodic properties. In addition, it is a beautiful emollient with superb blending and harmonizing qualities, which make it a must in cosmetic production. Sandalwood has also been a part of Indian spiritual traditions for centuries as it is considered sacred and of great religious significance (1).
The genus Santalum has more than 19 species and Santalum Album has the most heavenly fragrance among them. But this one is pretty rare and expensive. Hence, other plants within the genus are traded as ‘sandalwood’ these days.
Benefits Of Sandalwood For Skin
According to anecdotal and formal research, sandalwood has excellent benefits for the health of your skin and can cure several skin conditions, too. Here are the reasons to consider it as a true skin savior:
- Due to its minute, gritty texture, sandalwood is a potent natural exfoliator. It keeps your skin free from accumulated dead cells, dirt, dust, and excess sebum so that it can breathe and look healthy.
- The exfoliating property of the ingredient keeps your pores clean, while its antibacterial and antiseptic properties clear out bacterial infections, thereby eliminating acne and breakouts.
- Sandalwood powder installs its oils directly into the skin and moisturizes it deeply. In addition, it makes sure that your skin never cracks further in the sun or wind.
- As sandalwood comes packed with antioxidant qualities, it protects your skin from oxidative damage by reducing the appearance of signs of aging and boosting your skin’s elasticity for a younger look.
- Sandalwood’s calming and soothing properties can help your sunburn heal faster than ever, decreasing inflammation and preventing excess skin peeling.
- Regular application of sandalwood can restore your skin’s natural health and glow while giving it a refreshed and rejuvenated look.
Why Use Sandalwood For Whitening Skin?
Sandalwood, with its remarkable ability to diminish the concentration of melanin in the skin, stands out as a potent ingredient for achieving a lighter complexion. Beyond its skin-whitening properties, the distinctive fragrance of sandalwood has a universal appeal, making it a beloved choice among many. What adds to its popularity is its convenience—requiring minimal effort and avoiding messiness, which resonates well with skincare enthusiasts.
The accessibility of powdered sandalwood in the market further enhances its appeal. This versatile powder can be seamlessly incorporated into various DIY face packs, offering a hassle-free way to leverage its skin-brightening benefits. Moreover, the adaptability of powdered sandalwood extends to readymade face packs, making it a widely embraced ingredient in the realm of skincare solutions. Explore the multifaceted advantages of sandalwood, from its melanin-reducing effects to its ease of use, as you elevate your skincare routine with this time-tested natural remedy.
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DIY Sandalwood Face Packs For Skin Whitening
As sandalwood is a skin-lightening agent, you can use it as oil or a smooth, fine powder (be careful not to use raw sandalwood oil on your skin). However, you can also make different sandalwood face packs at home to whiten your skin and enjoy many other benefits simultaneously. Just follow these guidelines:
1. Sandalwood And Milk Cream
A whitening sandalwood face pack can be equally moisturizing for the skin. Mix two or three teaspoons of sandalwood powder with fresh raw milk, milk cream, or rose water, just enough to make a smooth paste. Apply it evenly over your face, wait for 20 minutes, and wash off with lukewarm water. Both milk (or milk cream) and rose water add to the skin-whitening properties of sandalwood to a large extent while offering deep moisturization.
The sandalwood-milk face pack is perfect for moisturizing normal, dry, or combination skin. But, milk tends to make the skin a little oily leading to breakouts. Hence, the sandalwood-rose water face pack is the right choice for oily skin.
Read Also – Check Out These 10 Benefits Of Red Sandalwood For Skin (And Recipes To Use It)
2. Sandalwood And Turmeric
You can diminish acne and prevent further breakouts while whitening your skin with sandalwood. First, prepare the acne-busting face pack by mixing a pinch of turmeric powder and one teaspoon of fresh rosewater with one tablespoon of sandalwood powder. Next, apply the paste thoroughly to your facial skin and keep it on for 15 minutes. Finally, rinse it off with plain water. It will help remove acne and pimples and fade their marks and scars. As a result, you will get whiter, blemish-free skin over time.
3. Sandalwood And Gram Flour
No matter how whiter and lighter your skin is, it will never look flawless without a natural radiance. Sandalwood mixed with gram flour and water can add a beautiful natural glow to your skin while making it whiter, giving you a gorgeous appearance. Apply the pack on your face, wait about half an hour or until it dries up, and then wash off. However, you might need to slather some moisturizer on your face after using this pack.
4. Sandalwood And Lemon Juice
A sandalwood face pack can also work as an excellent anti-tan agent and whiten our skin tone significantly. All you need to do is add some lemon juice to it. Lemon juice is a powerful bleaching agent that lightens skin tone by removing suntan and other blemishes. Hence, when the juice of half a lemon is squeezed into four teaspoons of sandalwood powder to make a smooth paste of medium consistency, it makes an excellent whitening face pack with superb tan removal qualities.
Lemon is an astringent, which dries up the skin and causes irritation at times. So, if you’ve got inflammation or dry skin, be careful not to use it in your face pack.
5. Sandalwood And Rosewater
A simple paste made of sandalwood powder and a little rose water can help you treat your dark circles while improving your complexion wonderfully. Apply the paste in thick layers to the areas under your eyes and go to bed. Wash it off the following day with plain water. This overnight treatment will banish your panda eyes and efficiently lighten the skin under your eyes. You can apply this pack all over your facial skin, focusing on your under eyes for an overall whitening effect.
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Buying Commercial Sandalwood Face Packs
Making your face pack at home with pure sandalwood powder is the best way to whiten your skin and free it from other common issues. However, there are also several good commercial face packs containing sandalwood that you can buy from the market. So, here are a few tips to choose the suitable commercially available sandalwood face packs for skin whitening:
- Always read the ingredients used in the product carefully before buying it to ensure it does not contain harmful chemicals or other compounds.
- Use Ayurvedic or organic sandalwood face packs as far as possible, as they are more likely to contain authentic ingredients.
- If a pack has neem and sandalwood, it is generally meant for people with oily skin prone to acne and pimples.
- Try a pack containing saffron with sandalwood, as this doubles the skin-lightening abilities of the product.
Is There Any Side Effect?
Opting for artificial means to lighten your skin may have detrimental effects in the long run, potentially resulting in uneven skin tones and accelerating the aging process. However, natural ingredients like sandalwood provide a safe and effective alternative to enhance your overall complexion. More than just a means of achieving fairness, a sandalwood face pack is a soothing remedy for various skin irritations.
Embracing the holistic benefits of sandalwood, this natural ingredient becomes a reliable solution for promoting a fair and glowing complexion without any associated side effects. Incorporating a sandalwood face pack into your skincare routine improves your skin’s tone and ensures a gentle and secure path to achieving radiant skin. Prioritize the safety and well-being of your skin by harnessing the power of natural elements like sandalwood, steering clear of potential long-term repercussions associated with artificial whitening methods.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Frequently To Use Sandalwood Face Packs?
You can use sandalwood face packs daily on your skin. It is a natural ingredient that will make your skin whiter, and take great care of it.
Is Sandalwood Good For Hyperpigmentation?
Sandalwood works excellent for hyperpigmentation when combined with almonds. You can prepare a paste of almond, sandalwood powder, and rosewater to treat the pigmented areas of your skin.
Will Sandalwood Face Packs Heal Acne Scars?
The healing properties of sandalwood can cure your acne scars and fade their marks even faster than many commercial scar healing products.
Can I Use Sandalwood Oil Instead Of Powder?
Of course, you can. Sandalwood essential oil is a compelling alternative to sandalwood powder, offering similar benefits for your skin. But make sure you buy sandalwood oil only from a reputed brand to get the best possible quality.
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References:
- “What Is Sandalwood?“, LiveAbout.com
