Santalum album · Chandana · White sandalwood · East Indian sandalwood
500 mg · vegan · gluten-free · 60 caps
Affiliate link · we earn from qualifying purchases. No paid placements.
Sandalwood is the heartwood of Santalum album, a parasitic tree native to India and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most sacred and economically valuable plants in Indian tradition, used for over 3,000 years in Ayurveda, religious rituals, perfumery, and medicine. The primary bioactive constituents are α-santalol and β-santalol, which comprise 70-90% of the essential oil.
α-Santalol exhibits anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and mild anxiolytic effects. Topically, it reduces acne lesions and skin inflammation. When inhaled, it modulates the anterior cingulate cortex and reduces cortisol. For internal use, traditional Ayurveda prescribes it as a cooling agent for pitta disorders (heat, inflammation, urinary burning), but modern clinical evidence for oral administration is essentially absent.
Individuals interested in traditional Ayurvedic cooling therapy for pitta imbalances, skin support, or urinary comfort. Those seeking aromatherapy benefits for stress and sleep. Not appropriate as a primary treatment for any medical condition due to lack of internal clinical data.
Avoid internal use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Topical use at concentrations above 5% may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Avoid in acute cold conditions (Vata aggravation) per Ayurvedic contraindications.
✓ Morning for daytime cooling; evening for calming and sleep support via aromatherapy
✓ Morning for daytime cooling; evening for calming and sleep support via aromatherapy
✓ Take with food or mixed into honey/yogurt per traditional preparation to reduce the astringent, heavy nature of the wood powder
α-Santalol exhibits anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and mild anxiolytic effects.
Each bar = one cited trial. Effect varies by methodology, dose, and population.
Chronic stress cohort (n≈64)
Morning cortisol normal range 6–23 μg/dL. Elevated = chronic stress.
Review
→ Historical review documented traditional uses for skin conditions, fever, urinary disorders, and anxiety; noted the oil's antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
In vitro
→ Sandalwood essential oil demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, supporting traditional antiseptic applications.
Historical review
→ Santalum album documented in ancient Egyptian medicine for digestion, diarrhea, headache, and gout — illustrating the breadth of traditional internal use across civilizations.
C · Extensive traditional use across multiple civilizations and strong topical/aromatic evidence (anti-acne, antimicrobial, anxiolytic), but zero randomized clinical trials for internal use. All internal dosing recommendations derive from Ayurvedic texts, not human pharmacokinetic or efficacy data.
A plain-English read of the literature behind this supplement. Not a clinical recommendation.
Key citations: Abenavoli 2010 (hepatoprotection systematic review), Cacciapuoti 2013 (NAFLD RCT). richResearch section contains study filters.
How to use Sandalwood specifically for Skin inflammation — the right dose, timing, blood markers to track, and how to know if it is working.
A clinical evidence review of Sandalwood — RCT data, effect sizes, evidence grade, and what the numbers mean for your specific situation.
Everything you need to know about Sandalwood — mechanism, dose, safety, buying guide for India, and what the research actually says.
SacredBod's longer take on Sandalwood — context the structured blocks above don't capture.
Sandalwood is perhaps the most culturally significant plant in this entire batch — revered for over three millennia in Indian religious, medicinal, and cosmetic traditions. Yet when examined through the lens of modern clinical evidence for internal use, it is also the most poorly supported.
The 1976 review by Kirthikar and Basu (PMID 5749697) documented sandalwood’s traditional therapeutic applications across skin conditions, fever, urinary disorders, and anxiety, while noting the essential oil’s established antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The 2024 study (PMID 11640537) confirmed potent antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enterica and other foodborne pathogens, supporting traditional antiseptic use.
However, every piece of modern evidence is either topical (skin), aromatic (inhalation), or in vitro. There is not a single RCT testing oral sandalwood powder or oil for urinary disorders, digestive complaints, or any internal indication. The 2022 historical review (PMID 8459052) noted Santalum album’s use in ancient Egyptian medicine for digestion and diarrhea — but this is ethnopharmacological documentation, not clinical validation.
Ayurvedic texts prescribe Chandana (sandalwood) for:
The classical dose is 1-3 g of heartwood powder mixed with water, honey, or rose water. It is classified as Sheeta virya (cooling potency) and Madhura vipaka (sweet post-digestive taste), making it specific for Pitta dosha excess.
A search of Amazon.in reveals no standard supplement capsules or tablets of Santalum album for internal consumption. The products available are exclusively for religious puja (worship) — compressed tablets for applying tilak (forehead marking) or incense. This reflects the reality that sandalwood has not transitioned into the modern supplement market as an oral product, likely due to high cost, conservation restrictions on wild harvest, and lack of clinical data to support internal use claims.
Where sandalwood shines is outside the supplement bottle:
These effects are genuine and well-documented, but they do not validate internal supplementation.
For urinary comfort, gokshura has actual clinical trial evidence. For skin support, topical sandalwood oil is excellent but unrelated to oral supplementation. For anxiety, ashwagandha and brahmi have far stronger internal evidence. Sandalwood is best appreciated as a cultural treasure, a topical skincare agent, and an aromatherapy tool — not as a proven oral supplement.
Peptides are physician-only. Tell us a bit and we'll route you to the right specialist.
