The Importance of Sandalwood Keep Growing

Historical and Current Uses

Sandalwood is one of the oldest aromatic materials, being acknowledged in ancient biblical and in Indian text as well as used in religious ceremonies throughout the ages. Botanically known as a small evergreen in the genus Santalum and family Santalaceae, this modest-sized tree (up to 10 meters) provides a great deal of commerce for India and to some extent Australia and is now being examined by the medical industry for its medicinal properties. There are several species of Santalum, but only a few are used commercially, most notably Santalum album (India) and Santalum spicatum (Australia). Other tress from such places as Polynesia and Fuji are in small numbers and in great decline. Oddly, other plants such as the Bead Tree or Candlewood are known as sandalwood but are not botanically parallel. Sometimes, non-related plants such as Red Sandalwood are used as fillers for the more expensive, genuine sandalwood.

Sandalwood from the Mysore region (known as \”sandalwood city\”) of southern India is generally considered to be of the highest quality sandalwood available, providing great commerce for this region of India. Of the traditional areas in Southeast Asia where sandalwood is found, India has been the front runner in creating plantations in which to continually harvest Sandalwood (The Australian Government has also set up reserves as well). Trade and harvest of Indian sandalwood is under strict regulation and the trees themselves are under government protection; only the government of India is permitted to own the trees. To produce commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils, harvested Santalum trees are recommended to be at least 40 years of age, but 80 or above are preferred. However, trees at 30 years of age are still harvested but considered of inferior quality.

In order to retain valuable wood and oil found in the larger roots, trees are felled by uprooting, not cutting the truck. Unfortunately, many trees are illegally cut down and smuggled out of the country. In the last five years alone, the price of sandalwood oil has skyrocketed. This is mainly due to increased demand from the aromatherapy and cosmetic industry. The oil is revered by the perfume industry as being an excellent base and fixative for other high grade perfumes. The industry finds that sandalwood oil can blend well with other perfumes and when used as a base does not impart its own fragrance, thus making it a very popular ingredient for hundreds of perfume products.

Such value is found not only in its iconic-making wood, medicinal oil and fragrance but also in it religious and ceremonial value. In the Buddhist tradition, sandalwood incense is a popular offering to the Buddha and its scent is believed to have transformative qualities while in meditation. Chinese and Japanese religions also use sandalwood incense in their worship and various ceremonies. One of the oldest religions, Zoroastrianism (thought to be originally from Iran), burns the sandalwood in their sacred fire temples.

Sandalwood May Help with Antibiotic Resistance

In late December of 2009 a length article by the Associated Press entitled \”Pressure Rises to Stop Antibiotics in Agriculture\” reported on rapidly emerging bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotics from supposed misuse of antibiotics in the agriculture industry. It was all over the internet in a matter of days. The article provides quotes from professors, researchers as well as government agencies all expressing deep concern and even alarm at the rate of microbial resistance to standard treatment. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) web page includes recent studies regarding antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) (both of which cause great harm to humans and animals alike) linked to heavy uses in food agriculture. This scientifically sound web site also provided a press conference statement (way back in 2001) by Margaret Mellon, Ph.D., director of UCS Food and Environment Program stating that 70% of total antibiotic production is devoted to non-therapeutic uses in the cattle, swine and poultry industry. It seems plausible that over the last nine years since this press release, microbes have developed an armor of resistance to antibiotic treatments.

Concern for antibiotic-resistant microbes is worldwide. A need to find alternatives to conventional antibiotic treatment is rising. Essential oils have been gaining attention by research scientists for their antimicrobial properties. A collaborative study of researchers in Austria and Germany (Flavor and Fragrance Journal 2006 May/Jun; 21(3): 465-468) found that santalols of sandalwood (the main chemical components of sandalwood) in medium and/or high concentrations showed significant antimicrobial potential against the yeast Candida albicans, the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Other Promising Uses

The Australian and Indian Santalum species, found to be similar in chemical composition, are known by aromatherapists to have such therapeutic properties as anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic (reduces fever), antiseptic (as mentioned above), antispasmodic (relieves muscle spasms), astringent, carminative (relieves flatulence), demulcent (reduces irritation), diuretic (soft and soothing to skin), emollient, expectorant, as a sedative and general tonic. Their principle chemical constituents are alpha-santalol and beta-santalol. According to a study conducted by the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and South Dakota University (Anticancer Research 2007 Jul-Aug; 27(4B): 2185-8) application of the chemical compound alpha-santalol prevents UVB-induced skin tumor development in mice. Sandalwood is also thought to help alleviate the symptoms of depression as reported by the University of Maryland Medical Center (www.umm.edu).

Conclusion

It is rather evident that the value of sandalwood extends across centuries and continents. It is revered by various religions, scientists, aromatherapists and perfume enthusiasts alike. What is remarkable is that uses of plants and their essential oils are bringing such world-wide engagement as their promising applications are uncovered in scientific research. A need for alternatives to conventional antibiotics as well as insecticides is clear. As less-than amiable agriculture practices surface and resistance to current antimicrobials increase, it is apparent that humankind will revert back to solutions found in nature and perhaps make a more diligent effort to conserve the very earth that sustains us.

Beyond their use in skin care, essential oils truly have medicinal effects. Aroma-medicine practitioners even prescribe means of using essential oils for the prevention of swine flu.

Lavender Has Fields of Uses

Background

On my friend\’s farm in central Colorado grows rows of lavender, and by mid-summer its flowers fragrantly scent nearby fields. While working on the farm, I find my spirits lifted and happy despite the intense heat and my tiring muscles. It is no wonder that for much of history, lavender has been used in sachets and oils alike to bring pleasure as well s reduce stress and anxiety. Other traditional therapeutic uses include as a sleep-aid, relief from pain and headaches, an anti-inflammatory, treatment for cough and respiratory infection, and as an insect repellent as well as a perfume. Greeks, Romans and Egyptians alike have all recorded using lavender in various remedies. Today, lavender is mostly used in the same way – widely used to dress wounds, induce sleep, ease depression and reduce stress. It can also be found in ingredients of teas and culinary dishes and of course the delightful scent in perfume. Current research is investigating the antimicrobial as well as anti-cancer properties of lavender essential oil.

A general tem of just lavender oil is a bit misleading, for one could misconstrue that all lavender is the same. This is far from the case. The lavenders (genus Lavendula) are characterized as having 39 species of flowering plants (as well as countless variations within individual species) classified under the mint family Lamiaceae. Traditionally indigenous to mountain zones of the Mediterranean, today lavender is also successfully cultivated in parts of France, Italy, England as well as Australia and the United States. Aromatherapists distinguish Lavendula species based upon their medicinal properties and thus their uses. Most noted are species collectively called true lavender (L. angustifolia, L. vera, L. officinalis) which can be grown and distilled at higher altitudes and thus gained a reputation as being the best quality. Properties of the true lavender include calming, sedative, analgesic (relieves pain), antibacterial, immune-system enhancer as well as good for burns. The other two commonly used groups are spike lavender (L. latifolia, L. spica), a high-yielding essential oil used for respiratory infections, muscular aches and pains and as an insect repellent and Maritime Lavender (L. stoechus), used for its mucolytic (expectorant) and antimicrobial properties and known for being high in ketones (characterized as having wound healing properties; derived from an alcohol).

Easing Anxiety Quickly and Easily

Lavender is well established as supporting a reduction in anxiety, mainly due to its high linalool levels. The physiological process of reducing anxiety through the use of essential oils is quite phenomenal. Once the diffused molecules of essential oil enter the nasal cavity, they bind to receptor sites of the olfactory neurons which then trigger a cascade of events. In short, the olfactory neurons send messages to the olfactory nerve and then onto the olfactory bulb (located just three inches from the brain) where messages are initially processed. Within the olfactory bulb are input and output stations, the glomeruli and M/T (mitral and tufted) cells respectively. The olfactory output from the bulb to the brain has several targets, mainly the primary olfactory cortex and the higher olfactory associated areas where olfactory discrimination, perception and memories take place. The other is the limbic system, sometimes referred to the \’nose\’ brain comprising a complex system of 122 regions and associated areas which together is heavily responsible for the expression of emotion. Main structures of the limbic system (LS) are the amygdala, septum, hippocampus, anterior thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Diffused essential oil of lavender has been shown to alter reactions in the limbic system – a system that includes the amygdala and hippocampus, both of with are vital to our behavior, mood and memory. Recent studies have found lavender to reduce levels of cortisol (a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands). High and prolonged levels of cortisol have been shown to have a deleterious effect on the body, such as higher blood pressure, lowered immunity and decrease in bone density. A 2008 study published by the International Journal of Cardiology (Sep 26; 129(2): 193-7)found that lavender aromatherapy reduced serum cortisol and improved coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR ) in healthy men after stress was induced and concludes that lavender aromatherapy has relaxation capabilities and may be beneficial for cases concerning coronary circulation. Another study from the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan (Archives of Oral Biology 2008 Oct; 53(10): 964-8) found that salivary cortisol levels decreased in stressed subjects (via a series of mathematical tasks) after being exposed to air-borne lavender essential oil; cortisol levels did not decrease in the control group. Lavender essential oil has also been found to help babies as well. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Florida (Early Human Development 2008 Jun; 84(6): 399-41) found that babies bathed with essential oil of lavender cried less and spent more time in deep sleep than babies who were not bathed with the oil.

Other Applications for Lavender

Although lavender is mostly known for its calming properties, it has other valuable offerings as well. With the growing resistant strains of bacteria to conventional treatments, lavender is being investigated as a probable candidate for use in antibacterial products. A study by Thames Valley University, Bentford, UK (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009 Mar: 15(3): 275-9) looked at the antimicrobial effectiveness of various species of lavender oil on methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus; all selected oils inhibited growth on MSSA and MRSA strains by direct contact. A preliminary study conducted by Southern Cross University, Australia (Alternative Medicine Review 2009 Dec; 14(4): 380-4) found that Lavender angustifolia was able to discriminate between beneficial intestinal bacteria and potential pathogens of the human gastrointestinal tract, indicating that lavender might be a possible alternative to common antibiotics that are non-discriminatory.

Concluding Remarks

Lavender, highly regarded for centuries for its medicinal and sedative properties, is finding its way into modern medical facilities. It is encouraging to read of increased laboratory research that is uncovering the active chemical properties of lavender and their possible uses in human healthcare. Yet, it must be duly noted that clinical research often looks at single constituents of an essential oil rather than the synergistic properties of the plant\’s oil as a whole. Also, many research studies are limited to in vitro testing verses looking at the effects of human beings as an entire being (which often is outside the parameters of analytical research analyses). It is recognized here that evidence from promising clinical and laboratory results on uses of lavender is opening doors for modern medicine to look for solutions outside conventional settings. The aromatherapy use of lavender might just be a welcomed addition in many medical facilities in the near future. Centuries-old knowledge and modern laboratory investigations are well to go hand in hand in finding beneficial approaches in supporting health and healing.

The author is a consultant to aroma-therapeutics practitioners around the world. For an excellent chart of essential oil uses, and more on essential oils for skin care, visit The Ananda Apothecary online.

Aromatherapy, Massage Oils And You

Life can be quite stressful. You go to work every single day only to come home at night exhausted from a day’s work. You have to repeat the routine every single work day and by the end of the week, you simply want to have a form of relaxation. What can be better than a relaxing aromatherapy massage session? It can cure you of body aches, fatigue and also of mental stress.

Especially after having a very hard week, your first consideration at the end of the week is to have an aromatherapy massage with the use of massage oils. It is as easy as picking up the phone, calling your local health spa, and booking an hour of relaxing massage. You can even have a massage specialist come out to your home for some privacy. If you want you can even purchase aromatherapy massage oils from the local health store or through one of many sites online. By having your own oils you can have that relaxing massage whenever you feel the stresses of life building up.

Purchasing massage oils may get confusion. Make sure you are informed before making your decision. Here are some massage oils that you may come across as you begin your search:

1. Sweet almond oil – This is a favorite for many people. Sweet almond oil is light weight so massages with this oil will be easier and more sensual. Not only is this oil great for relaxing, but it can help improve your skin quality and your complexion.

2. Coconut Oil – While the smell is quite gentle, coconut oil is best not just for body massage but also for scalp massage. It is known to encourage good hair growth.

3. Lavender Oil – The oil extracted from the lavender plant is also a favorite in many massage clinics and spas. The light flirty scent is relaxing and feminine.

4. Eucalyptus Oil – This particular oil type is preferred by those who want to get relieved from stress and exhaustion. The fresh minty scent of the eucalyptus combined with expert massage is one of the best ways to remove physical and mental fatigue.

5. Citrus Oil – A massage that uses citrus oil is refreshing and reinvigorating. It can also lead you to a playful and sunny mood while having the feeling of cleanliness.

Aromatherapy massages can become better with the use of your favorite massage oils. You can use them at home or in a massage spa. You can either use individual oils or request for the massage therapist to combine one or two for exciting olfactory and therapeutic twists. If the massage spa you go to does not have the exact mixture of massage oil you want, then you can always bring your own bottle so even an hour of massage can be perfect. Getting an aromatherapy massage after a week’s hard work is one effective way of relieving stress and physical fatigue so be sure to stock up on your favorite massage oils.

Sean Potch is quite often found reading to improve his quite life or to pick up new skills. When not enthralled with a good book, Sean wrote a site with reviews of gold aviator sunglasses, including the popular Oakley M Frame sunglasses.

Self Care with Essential Oils: Easy Recipes

Turning to Aromatherapy

It is now widely known that there is a rise in pathogenic microbes resistant to conventional treatments. An over-prescription of antibiotics and over- use of anti-infective products have resulted in drug-resistant bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Medical scientists are now searching worldwide for medicinal plants that exhibit exceptional antimicrobial properties. Much attention has been given to essential oils and their promising medicinal uses.

Alternative medicine is gaining popularity as well as notoriety for less invasive treatments and more personal approaches to wellness. For those just beginning to explore alternative medicine, aromatherapy is an excellent foundation. There are safe and easy to use methods of aromatherapy that are effective and enjoyable.

Alternative medicine is gaining popularity as well as notoriety for less invasive treatments and more personal approaches to wellness. For those just beginning to explore alternative medicine, aromatherapy is an excellent foundation. There are safe and easy to use methods of aromatherapy that are effective and enjoyable.

Self-Care through Aroma-Medicine

There are extensive uses for aromatic essential oils that range from infections to relief of unwanted stress and strain. Below are a few aromatherapy recipes for common ailments. As with any medicinal use, one needs to use informative consciousness and responsibility. There are essential oils that can be used without caution and others that need more experience in using.

Many forms of alternative medicine require application from expert practitioners, aromatherapy does not. Thus, with some research, one can self-medicate and connect with personal health needs. It must be stated that time must be taken to read and research about essential oils before freely using them. Some essential oils are safe and can be used with liberal application, while others require specific know how. As with any new practice, start simple and add with experience.

Essential oils can be effective for many common health ailments. The aroma-medicine professionals believe their greatest gift to mankind is for the treatment and prevention of infectious illness (most oils show antimicrobial activity). Essential oils are also excellent for skin, hair and body care when blended with fixed oils. And of course, the psychological impact of aromatherapy should not be overlooked as new data is emerging that aromas can in-fact change the wiring of our brains.

A Few Recipes for Restoring Health

For the Common Cold – As with the flu, using essential oils in a bath as well as in a direct massage is recommended. In a hot bath place thyme (2 drops), tea tree (2 drops), eucalyptus (1 drop), lemon (3 drops) and inhale deeply. Massage a blend of lemon (1 drop), eucalyptus (2 drops) and rosemary (3 drops) in a carrier oil around the chest, neck, and sinus area (forehead, nose and cheekbones).

For Sinusitis – A combination of rosemary (3 drops), thyme (1 drop) and peppermint (1 drop) used in steam inhalation is effective for sinusitis. One may also combine rosemary (5 drops), geranium (5 drops), eucalyptus (2 drops) and peppermint (3 drops). Add 5 drops of the blend in carrier oil and massage around the neck, ears, cheekbone, nose and forehead.

General Headaches – Combine lavender (3 drops) and peppermint (1 drop) and blend in a small amount of carrier oil. Massage around the base of the skull, the temples and along the hair line.

For Insomnia – Make a synergistic blend of clary-sage(3 drops), vetiver (2 drops), valerian (1 drop) and lavender (2 drops). Add 3 drops of the blend in a bath or 2 drops in carrier oil and rub over the body.

For Sore Throats – Use a blend of lavender (10 drops), tea tree (15 drops), lemon (2 drops), ginger (5 drops). Use 4 drops of the blend oil (or singling) on a warm compress twice a day over the throat. One may also use 5 drops mixed in 2 teaspoons of carrier oil and rub into the upper abdomen and back.

This is a quick look at some easy home care essential oil recipes. Using essential oils for their medicinal properties is simple to do, and when done properly following recipes and guidelines, can be very effective. There are many excellent guidebooks available. Look for those focusing on the medicinal aspects of aromatherapy, and search sites like pubmed.gov for the latest in essential oil health science research.

For more on essential oils as natural therapeutic agents, visit The Ananda Apothecary online at http://www.anandaapthecary.com

The Benefits of Rosehip Oil

Aromatherapy, though not officially being recognized as an official type of medical treatment in most countries, is regularly used by millions of people worldwide as a method of curing common illnesses. As well as being effective, it is simple and easy to use. In fact, therapeutic relief can be achieved simply by putting aromatherapy oils on your body, with one particularly famous oil for this purpose being rosehip oil.

Rosehip is a name for seed pods which are left on rose bushes after the leaves fell away. The oil being extracted from rosehips (also known as rose mosqueta) is believed to be extremely good for you, comprising of a high content of vitamin C, vitamin E, lycopene (an antioxidant famous for its capability to promote skin cell renewal and repair of the skin) and 80 percent of essential fatty acids.

Rosehip oil provides various beneficial effects to the skin, with perhaps the most notable being the smoothing out of wrinkles and fine lines. For this reason it is is used in lots of anti-aging products. It will also moisturize your skin completely. It is clinically tested to improve the moisture of the skin by 44 percent, improve the softness of the skin by 21 percent in 2 months and reduce the noticeable development of wrinkles and fine lines by 23 percent.

It contains no additives or harmful chemicals, which means that almost anyone can use it without worrying about skin irritations. Still, it should always be used in accordance with the guidelines provided on the packaging. You will only need to use a small amount each time anyway, as a little goes a long way. If you use the right amount, then not only will you be saving yourself money in the long run, you will also ensure that no oily residue gets left over on the outer layer of your skin (using the right amount means that your skin will absorb it all).

You can buy it as a 100% pure oil, which you should do in order to achieve its full effects, or you can also get it as one of the ingredients in a moisturizer or cream.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil is guaranteed to be organic and natural. It is suitable for each and every skin type and is safe both for babies and mothers. You can find all Trilogy Products through a reputable reseller.

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Breathing, Massaging or Eating Essential Oils? Read This!

The Passage of Aromatic Essential Oils Though the Nasal Cavity

Essential oils are the lipophilic steam distillates of plants, meaning they are “fat friendly” and easily pass through cell walls. This means they get into nooks and crannies of the body fairly readily, and get into our bodies fairly readily too! But many folks who use essential oils only by inhalation often don’t consider how they’re absorbed, the actual physiology, or what happens after they’re absorbed. It’s good stuff…

The essential oil compounds (made up of molecules of essential oils), are first breathed in by the nasal cavity. Inside the nasal cavity there are fine hairs or cilia that sort the medicinal molecules and filter them down into the pharynx. From here the inhaled compounds reach the trachea, into the branched tubes known as bronchi, down into smaller tubes known as bronchioles and finally arrive at microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. Each alveolus is lined with thin epithelial cells that enable gas exchange to take place with capillaries of the pulmonary vein. Once in the pulmonary vein, the compounds are taken to the heart and then distributed to parts of the body that are receptive to their medicinal support.

The details of this process are actually quite fascinating. Once the gaseous compounds of the essential oil is breathed in through the nose, this essential oil-bearing air is filtered and warmed by the cilia (or little hairs) and mucous membranes that line the nasal cavity. They then travel though the pharynx, down the larynx (the upper portion of the respiratory tract), move through the trachea (or windpipe), and finds their way into the two bronchi ? each leading to a lung. Once in the lungs, the molecules move through finer tubes called bronchioles and then dead end at the alveoli which are microscopic in size. The air passes through the epithelium of the alveoli through diffusion and picked up by capillaries of the pulmonary vein which lead to the heart. Once deposited into the heart chambers, the essential oil-rich air is distributed to various parts of the body that have an affinity for its compounds.

A recent study conducted at Georgetown University found a subset of nociceptive nerves (receptors for pain; send pain messages to the brain and spinal cord) that have receptor sights for aromatherapy molecules. Such an insight is further support for the use of aromatherapy as medicine.

Topical Application

Although the skin in not the primary way in which essential oils can reach the blood stream, research has shown that select, highly potent essential oils can penetrate the skin membranes and permeate into the body. The penetration potential of essential oils can be enhanced through heat, such as through the action of massage or through hot water, such as in a bath. And, as will be concluded from above, portions of the essential oil compounds will also evaporate and find its way into the nasal cavity and into the lungs.

Although some areas of human skin are more conducive to applying essential oil, all areas of the skin are permeable to essential oil compounds. The use of heat, such as through massage, and hot water, such as in a bath seems to enhance the penetrability of the oils.

Eating Essential Oils

Ingestion of essential oils tends to be considered hazardous, yet the French have been ingesting oils for years. The important point though is they are prescribed by an aromatherapist, filled at what amounts to a drug store, and taken only 1-2 drops at a time until the condition is cured. Essential oils taken this way are most rapidly absorbed though the tongue and esophagus, and likely don’t make it to the stomach unless taken with water. In this case they’re absorbed by all three of these parts of the body rich with blood supply, and are quickly distributed by the bloodstream.

To lessen your stress, try Lavender essential oil and Rose oil based in the carrier oil of your choice for a wonderful massage.

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