Information AboutSandalwood |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SANDALWOOD | |
| wood | |
| essential oils | |
| incense | |
| perfumery | |
| religious objects | |
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Sandalwood is a fragrant wood, and the name may be applied to any of a number of woods. The 'true' sandalwood is the Wood of trees in the genus '' Santalum ''; found in India , Hawaii , and many south Pacific islands. It is most commonly used for Incense , Aromatherapy , and Perfume , rather than building. However, temples have been built with sandalwood in India and retain the aroma after centuries. It is said to have been used for Embalming the corpses of native princes in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka ) since the 9th Century . Jewelry boxes, Fans , and ornate carvings continue to be made in many parts of Asia using sandalwood. SOURCE
West Indian sandalwood ''(Amyris balsamifera)'' is not a member of the sandalwood family. Components of amyris Essential Oil are fully different from sandalwood oil. PRODUCTION To produce commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils, harvested ''santalum'' trees have to be at least 40 years of age, but 80 or above is preferred. However, inferior sandalwood produced from trees at 30 years old can still fetch a decent price due to the demand for real sandalwood. Unlike most trees, sandalwood is harvested by toppling the entire ''santalum'' tree instead of sawing them down at the truck. This way, valuable wood from the stump and root can also be sold or processed for oil. USE Fragrance Sandalwood Essential Oil provides perfumes with a striking wood Base Note . Sandalwood smells are not unlike other wood scents with the exception that it has a bright and fresh edge with few natural analogues. When used smaller proportions in a Perfume , it is an excellent Fixative to enhance the head space of other fragrances. Religious use Sandalwood is considered in Alternative Medicine to bring one closer with the divine. Sandalwood Essential Oil , which is very expensive in its pure form, is used primarily for Ayurvedic purposes, and treating Anxiety . In Buddhism , sandalwood are considered to be of the ''Padma'' ( Lotus ) group and attributed to the Bodhisattva Amitabha . Sandalwood scent is believed to transform one's desires and maintain a person's alertness while in Meditation . Sandalwood, along with Agarwood , is the most popular and commonly used incense material by the Chinese and Japanese in worship and various ceremonies. Medicine Sandalwood essential oil was popular in medicine up to 1920-1930, mostly as urogenital (internal) and skin (external) antiseptic. Its main component Santalol (~90%) has Antimicrobal property. Today it is used in Aromatherapy . BIBLIOGRAPHY
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