Maharishi Ayurveda

Sandalwood

The precious oil-containing heartwood of the White Sandalwood tree (Santalum album) has long been a highly revered and costly ingredient in Ayurvedic products. It is highly valued because of the depth and range of its health supporting abilities.

 

Sandalwood is regarded as having divine qualities. These are most clearly seen in its ability to soothe anger, promote compassion and openness and support coherent brain functioning. White Sandalwood is perhaps best known for its cooling, Pitta pacifying properties especially for the skin. It is said to support the healing of wounds, scars and acne, reduce wrinkles, and moisturise and nourish all skin types.

 

The Sandal Tree as if to prove, How sweet to conquer Hate, love,  Perfumes the axe that lays it low.

 

Rabindranath Tagore

 

Unusually sandalwood has the ability to soothe and enliven the nervous system at the same time, thus helping to maintain balance in stressful, emotional and painful circumstances. It also is antiseptic and supports the health of the digestive system, urinary tract, chest and upper respiratory tract.

 

The smell of the essential oil of sandalwood is warm, sweet, and slightly spicy with woody notes – distinctive yet not overpowering. It is remarkable in its abilities to provide a stable base that enhances the ethereal notes of other essential oils. This makes it highly valued in the making of traditional blends of essential oil such as the Maharishi Ayurveda Therapeutic Aromas.

 

Sandalwood and its oil are costly partly because demand has been outstripping supply for many years. The best source of the oil is the roots of trees 50 years or more old. Both intensive and extensive efforts have been made to replace the harvested trees by cultivation but with limited success. The difficulties in cultivating the tree may be related to its unusual character of being symbiotic with a number of other trees species simultaneously.

 

Maharishi Ayurveda Products use only the Indian government certified (Agmark) sandalwood oil harvested from managed forests. There are a number of other essential oil producing species of sandalwood growing in SE Asia and Australia but these are not as highly regarded on the White Sandalwood from India and Indonesia.

 

Sandalwood is used in the following Maharishi Ayurveda products:

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• Personal Care:

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• Pitta Shampoo
• Pitta Soap
• Pitta Massage Oil
• Pitta Hair Oil
• Skin Soother
• Hair Oil (MA725)
• Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Men
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• Food Supplements:

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• Maharishi Amrit Kalash Nectar paste
• Maharishi Amrit Kalash Ambrosia Tablets
• Prostate Balance
• Detox
• Detox Pitta
• Radiant Skin
• Nasal oil
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• Therapeutic aroma oils:

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• Pitta blend
• Blissful Joy
• Even Temper
• Calm Temples
• Keen Mind
• Vitality
• Sadaka Balancing (subdosha H) oil

 

As a result of the great growth in knowledge and use of Ayurveda over recent years the supplies of several herbs in India are under pressure. Maharishi Ayurveda Products has established 5 organic farms in various climatic zones for production of herbal ingredients and is conducting research and teaching in the cultivation techniques required.