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Many beard guys want to know the secrets of having a thick, manly beard. The truth is that there aren’t any real secrets, but there are a few things that can help. One of these things is using beard oil for your beard.
But before you go and purchase a bottle of beard oil, you should know what ingredients to look for.
In this blog post, we are going to talk about a very common ingredient in beard oil, sandalwood essential oil.
Sandalwood essential oil is a top ingredient in a lot of the most popular beard oils on the market today because it has a nice scent. But did you know that it also has many benefits for your skin and beard?
Sandalwood oil has a number of benefits, including being an antiseptic, antibiotic, and antimicrobial agent that also helps to reduce itching or irritation.
So keep reading to learn what sandalwood beard oil is and how it can help your beard.
What is Sandalwood Essential Oil?
Sandalwood oil is an essential oil derived from the sandalwood tree, also known as the Santalum album. This tree can grow up to 50-100 ft tall and has fragrant heartwood that is pale yellow with red streaks. The sandalwood tree grows mainly in India, Australia, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.
Sandalwood essential oil is steam distilled from the heartwood of the tree. It has a woody-type smell and is used in soaps, oils, perfumes, lotions, and other products.
But it is not only used for its scent.
The active ingredients in Sandalwood oil are more than 90% sesquiterpenic alcohols, with 50–60% of them being tricyclic α-santalol and 20% of them β-santalol.
Because of its medicinal properties, it has been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years . Nowadays, it is used in a number of different ways, including as an antiseptic, an antidepressant, a sedative, and to help people with oily skin.
Sandalwood is also used as incense in many religious ceremonies because it has such a nice scent and calming properties.
But how can it benefit your beard?
Benefits of Sandalwood oil for beard
Here are some of the benefits of using sandalwood oil for your beard.
Reduces Beard Itchiness and Irritation
Sandalwood essential oil is great for reducing beard itch and irritation because it has anti-inflammatory properties. Research has shown that it alters the cell signaling in the body, which causes a reduction in inflammation.
In addition, it has a soothing effect on psoriasis and dermatitis, both of which are forms of inflammation.
Prevents Beardruff
If you suffer from beardruff, then sandalwood oil can help prevent it. This is because it has antimicrobial properties that help keep the skin under your beard healthy and free from bacteria or fungi.
Helps Fight Bacterial Infections of the Beard
Sandalwood essential oil has antibacterial properties that can help fight bacterial infections of the beard.
When you have a beard infection, it can cause skin irritation. This oil’s antibacterial properties can help kill the bacteria preventing the infection from spreading and causing more irritation.
Promotes Wound healing
Some German studies have shown that sandalwood essential oil can be used to heal wounds.
These studies have shown that skin cells have olfactory receptors that get activated from sandalwood oil. When these receptors get activated, they promote wound healing and skin cell growth.
Our facial skin has many tiny wounds that are created for many reasons. The sandalwood essential oil will help heal these tiny wounds, making your skin healthier and better looking.
Kills Germs on your Beard
You already know that beards can get pretty dirty. Things like food particles, dirt, and anything else that you might touch go into your beard.
And when your beard is dirty, it is full of germs and bacteria. This is not good because these germs and bacteria can cause skin infections. Sandalwood oil can help clean your beard, thanks to its antiseptic properties. This means that it can kill the germs and bacteria present in your beard and keep it clean and healthy.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Sandalwood oil’s scent has a calming effect, and this is why it is used in religious ceremonies. This calming effect can also help to reduce stress levels.
But how does reducing stress can benefit my beard?
Well, stress and anxiety can cause testosterone levels to decrease. When testosterone levels go down, then your beard growth will also decrease.
With less stress and anxiety, you will have higher testosterone levels which help to promote beard growth.
Sandalwood oil and beard growth
There have been many claims about sandalwood oil helping to stimulate hair growth.
While there is a study to back this up, we don’t think there is enough evidence to prove it can boost testosterone and help promote facial hair growth.
The study claims that hair follicles contain smell receptors(OR2AT4) that get activated when exposed to sandalwood. After a week of the skin tissue explosion to Sandalore (a synthetic version of sandalwood), keratine levels increased drastically. This happened because sandalwood oil stops a process called apoptosis (which is when hair follicles die).
And while it is a really interesting study with promising results, we don’t think this can prove or guarantee that sandalwood oil helps promote beard growth.
You can try it for yourself and see if it works for you, but at the time of writing this article, there is just not enough scientific evidence to support the claim that it can help with hair growth.
Sandalwood oil for beards side effects
Sandalwood is not that strong and relatively safe when compared to other essential oils like clove oil which can be toxic when consumed. It is considered relatively safe, but you should know that there are some side effects.
For example, if you have sensitive skin, sandalwood might irritate your skin and cause redness of the face, dry or flaking skin, and an increase in acne.
If you have sensitive skin, you should definitely do a patch test before using sandalwood oil.
How to use sandalwood oil on your facial hair.
The only way to use it is to make a sandalwood beard oil that you can use every day.
This is the best way to get its benefits for your skin and facial hair.
The steps on how to make a sandalwood beard oil are pretty simple:
Add 1/3 of essential oils to 2/3 of carrier oils and mix. Just make sure to use natural ingredients and plant-based oils.
You can use carrier oils like coconut oil, argan oil, and jojoba oil.
When your sandalwood beard oil blend is ready, rub a few drops to your beard to make it soft, protect it, and hydrate it.
FAQ
Is Sandalwood Oil Good For Beards?
Yes, sandalwood oil is really good for your beard and for your skin.
Thanks to its antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, it can really help to keep your beard clean and healthy.
The calming effect of the scent will also help you manage stress and anxiety which is crucial if you want a thick and great-looking beard.
Which Oil Is Best For Beard Hair?
There is no perfect oil for your beard.
Each beard oil has its own benefits and will affect your beard in a different way.
We urge you to experiment with different beard oils to see which one works best for you, your skin type, facial hair type.
Does Sandalwood Reduce Beard Growth?
While we don’t think sandalwood promotes beard growth we don’t think it reduces it either.
There are no studies that prove sandalwood reduces beard growth so it is safe to use.
Conclusion
Sandalwood is very good for your beard and can really help to keep it clean and healthy. It may promote beard growth even though we don’t think there is enough evidence to support this claim. It can also help you manage stress and anxiety, which is great for your overall health.
If you decide to use sandalwood oil, just make sure to do a patch test first to check if your skin gets irritated. This is the best way to avoid any negative reactions.
What do you think?
Is sandalwood beard oil a good idea or not?
Have you tried sandalwood oil yet? If so, how did it work for you?
Tell us in the comments below!
Russell is the founder of themensattitude.com. He is a barber a beard enthusiast and he is obsessed with trying men’s lifestyle products and blog about them. If you have any questions you can hit him up via the contact page.
