The Sacred Sandalwood is Back!
You may have heard that we have a new sacred oil in town? I found out this amazing news at the Rally I spoke at last weekend. I was, and still am, giddy with joy!!
Why? Well, for several reasons.
1. It is an amazing essential oil with many benefits.
I have previously written about some of the actions of sandalwood oil and its constituents that were found in various studies. These included the ability to modulate inflammation pathways, calm the brain, inhibit unwanted microbes, support the skin, and modulate metabolism.
A few months ago, I also sent everyone a summary of an article that was a review of sandalwood’s in vivo and in vitro actions for supporting healthy cellular growth. (I also highlighted this review in breast cancer cell lines, which dove into more details.)
Furthermore, I recently read a mechanistic study on the potential of components of sandalwood to modulate neurotransmitters in the brain that are linked to memory..
That’s enough for me to bring this version of sandalwood oil to my diffusor and be giddy, right? But, there’s more reasons why this announcement was so special…
2. The most precious version has been MIA for a while.
There are many species of sandalwood with various constituents present that often overlap. However, it is the one from India that is considered the most sought after and “pure.” Unfortunately, due to its popularity in the perfume industry and political and environmental upheaval, this specific species of oil has been in short supply.
For this reason, other versions of sandalwood, including Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood, with similar constituents, but not identical has been substituted. I noted this in a previous E-blast to my oily subscribers:
In a 2014 study, the authors stated that the “Main constituents of the oils were (Z)-?-santalol (34.5-40.4%) and (Z)-?-santalol (11.0-16.2%).” This makes these sesquiterpenes about 50%. This is a little lower than the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (ISO) standard for sandalwood oil (ex Santalum album) (santalol) content of 90 percent (m/m). This makes sense because it is a different species. (Remember, there are some caveats to just using the ISO standards for quality.)
I read about alternatives of other sandalwood species as well, all claiming superiority and all very confusing.
I was excited about still being able to get sandalwood, but not giddy…
3. THE SACRED VERSION IS AVAILABLE !!
I found out recently that the Sacred Sandalwood version may be available from certain suppliers.
Let the giddiness begin!!
4. Now I have a full hand of reasons to love on historical oils now!!
I’ve written previously about all my lovin’ over the famous trio of ancient essential oils! I also submitted to my readers my thoughts about initiating a quadruplet, Palo Santo.
With Sacred Sandalwood now available, we now have a quintuplet to “count on”…
Quality- Cost Connection
Naturally, being so sacred and difficult to obtain and manufacture, this oils is on the pricier side. Still, if you’re an essential oil lover, you may want invest in a bottle and enjoy this unique essential oil species that is so sought after!!
There’s Always the Underdog Too!
For those of you who do have to watch their pocketbooks presently, you may want to check out cedarwood, my favorite “underdog oil.” Find out why in this blog.
Here’s a cool infographic on this quiet sidekick as well!
A Little Note to The Educated Consumer
My goal with writing about essential oils is to create a space for the educated consumer so they can shift through the research and use essential oils responsibly and safely. Remember, the studies I list on essential oils aren’t for any essential oils company, but essential oils in the literature reviewing the synergistic constituents or whole essential oils so you can understand oils’ properties and actions.
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin.
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
