Tag: SandalWood Oil
Sandalwood Saffron Face Mask from Skin Yoga – What you need to know
Note: Not a sponsored post. I believe in providing authentic information to my readers
During my adolescent years I never really invested my time in skin and hair care as I assumed my skin problems namely acne and uneven skin tone will get resolved on their own after my teenage years.
But to my dismay it never happened. Seeing me constantly fuss over it, my family suggested me to try Sandalwood. I discovered at my home an age old Sandal wood stick and stone grinder which was preserved by my grandparents. I was pretty much excited on seeing it as it was an authentic sandalwood stick.
My mother showed me how to make a paste using the Sandalwood stick and grinder. Surprisingly, the paste when applied to skin acts as coolant and quick remedy to alleviate the redness of skin or any painful acne.
My disappointment was that it took a lot of time to make a good amount of paste. Moreover, I was unable to make the most out of such an amazing age old panacea.
Hence, I started looking for Sandalwood face packs at all available shopping sites. I tried few brands but they weren’t satisfactory and I felt they weren’t authentic or first-rate. Besides, few brands sell Sandalwood powder mixed with Muller’s earth.
Finally, when I came across Skin Yoga- Sandalwood Saffron Face Mask I knew I have found what I have been looking for all this while. I couldn’t have been more elated after going through the ingredients’ list:
Sandalwood Powder, Saffron and Walnut Seed powder.
It is a high end luxury product given 50gms of the product costs INR1395
SkinYoga Sandalwood Saffron Face Mask
Ingredients:
I love a subject known as Pharmacognosy. It is a branch of science concerned with medicinally useful products obtained from plants and other natural sources. I went through few papers on Pharmacognosy to understand constituents and benefits of the ingredients.
Sandalwood Powder: alpha-santalol and beta-santalol present in sandalwood are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Recent studies have determined chemo protective properties of Sandalwood against harmful UV rays.
Saffron: I averse the idea of Sandalwood mixed with fuller’s earth (multani) as it doesn’t suit all skin types. But presence of Saffron in a skincare product indicates it is a high end product. Saffron improves the skin tone and used for its moisturizing and anti aging properties.
Saffron has carotenoids, derivatives of vitamin A. Read my post on what your skin needs, to understand the importance of carotenoids. The safranal present in saffron is the essential oil that is responsible for moisturizing and soothing properties of saffron
Walnut Seed Powder: Walnuts are beneficial even when used topically. They are composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid. These fatty acids are known to have sebum restoring properties.
Sebum is the natural oil produced by our skin. Imbalances in sebum production leads to either dry skin or oily skin. For better understanding of how natural oils can help us revive our skin read the post: Oils For Skin.
Experience: Directions for use are simple. Take the mix add some water to make a paste. Apply all over your face and neck. Leave it for few minutes and then rinse it off.
As I previously read the reviews, I was cautious on how to use this mask in a way that suits my skin. If you have oily or acne prone skin, then don’t leave the mask for longer time.
Instead take some water wet the dried paste on your face and gently massage it all over for a minute and then rinse it off.
The powder is coarse and hence it works as scrub while you are rinsing it off. Though it makes your face oily don’t panic. Rinse again with water and then apply aloe vera gel.
Result: First noticeable result was remarkable glow on face which was commendable. It even tightens the pores and gives a perfect fresh feel to the skin. For dry skin and combination skin ladies this mask deserves your attention. And oily skin, acne prone skin beauties the quantity, consistency of the paste and the time you leave it on will make all the difference to decide whether this pack suits your skin or not.
This mask gives a salon treated look. So, I have decided to include it in my weekend skin care regime. Perhaps it will be beneficial even in the long run.
If you have acne prone skin then exfoliation is important. You must have heard people suggesting you otherwise. But I urge to go for gentle exfoliation. To understand the reason behind my advice, I suggest you to read my post on exfoliating acne prone skin.
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Essential Oils
Essential Oils are complex mixtures of volatile substances bio synthesized by aromatic Plants and also animals (civet, musk etc) and microorganisms. These volatile substances are chemically terpenoid or non-terpenoid origin existing in form of esters,acids,alcohols, aldehydes, Ketones, Sulphides, amines. They are not to be confused with Fixed oils or fatty oils which are naturally occurring mixture of lipids
| Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, bark, trunk and roots of various plants. There are three basic ways for extracting essential oils. 1)Cold pressed 2) Steam Distillation 3)Solvent extraction |
| Most of the essential oils marketed for skin and hair care are extracted by steam distillation and cold pressing. Oils extracted by solvent are usually of poor quality unless otherwise the method opted is Super critical Carbon dioxide extraction. The oils obtained by this method are of highest purity and expensive compared to those extracted by cold pressing and steam distillation. |
Essential oil benefits come from their antioxidant, antimicrobial ,anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant properties present in the active constituent of respective oils.
Below are few uses of essential oils:
Peppermint oil to feel more alert
Lavender, chamomile, and neroli to ease stress
Eucalyptus to stop sniffles and for sinusitis
Cedarwood oil for anti-inflammatory properties
Sandalwood oil as astringent, emollient, and has mild sedative effects
How to Use?
Steam inhalations: Place 3-7 drops of essential oil into boiling water. Some essential oils to consider include: Eucalyptus , Thyme , Lemon (Citrus limon), Peppermint. This is very effective for sinusitis ,respiratory infections, headaches.
- *Caution:prolonged inhalation of concentrated essential oils can cause headaches, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, and lethargy.
Aromatic baths: The oils that are generally considered mild and safe for bath are Lavender, rose, Geranium, Sandalwood Oil, Frankincense , Eucalyptus. Aromatic baths are excellent for skin problems, circulatory problems, respiratory symptoms, stress and nervous tension, insomnia, muscular, and menstrual pains.
Body Massage: Essential oils are very powerful, so start low and go slow. They are to be diluted before use. Usually a 2% dilution is preferred. A good rule of thumb when seeking to make a 2% dilution is to add 12 drops of essential oil to each fl. ounce (30 ml) of cold pressed carrier oil, lotion, vegetable butter or other natural lipid/moisturizer . Excessive use of essential oils may increase the risk for adverse reactions.
In my next Post I’l be reviewing the essential oils i have been using for quite sometime.
To read about Lavender Essential Oil (check the hyperlink)
