Can sandalwood heal acne?

Sandalwood paste is one of the best-kept beauty secrets for acne.

Sandalwood or chandan has a lot of cultural and religious importance in India. In the south of the country, sandalwood paste features in most religious rituals and is offered as a part of the prasadam. The spiritual practice of applying the paste on the forehead is said to relieve headache, insomnia and stress. But chandan also is also one of the best-kept beauty secrets in the south. In Ayurveda and Chinese traditional medicine, pure sandalwood oil used in many medicinal preparations meant for skin diseases, especially mild to moderate acne.

The oils in the sandalwood are known to have antimicrobial properties. It is also rich in terpenoids, saponins, phenolics and tannins. Multiple studies vouch for the antiseptic properties of sandalwood, making it one of the most powerful yet gentlest remedies to treat acne. If you can lay your hands on a piece of sandalwood, consider yourself lucky because there is a dearth of sandalwood and genuine ones are hard to come by.

Firstly, since there is a shortage of sandalwood in the markets, do not trust companies that sell "genuine" sandalwood powder, because there is chance it could be adulterated. The real ones are also very expensive. So if you are getting the powder for cheap, refrain from buying it. The best idea is to procure a stump or a piece of genuine sandalwood from a trusted source. You could ask for it at an Ayurvedic pharmacy or also get it online.

How to use sandalwood for your skin

Rub the piece of sandalwood against a hard, surface like a grinding stone or against the side of a stone pestle. Since it is not an easily yielding wood, you may have to work hard to get decent amount of paste. You can apply this paste directly onto your skin or mix it with a base of fuller's earth and rose water.

Apply this paste on problem areas such as the forehead, the jaw line, the cheeks or the chin. You can also apply it overnight and wash it off in the morning. The soothing cool paste will calm the inflammation down, kill the bacteria and unclog the pores to prevent future breakouts.

References:

Misra, B. B., & Dey, S. (2012). Comparative phytochemical analysis and antibacterial efficacy of in vitro and in vivo extracts from East Indian sandalwood tree (Santalum album L.). Letters in Applied Microbiology, 55(6), 476-486.

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