The cacao bean is the source of perhaps the most magical and beloved foods on Earth because it is the source of chocolate. Even the cacao tree's official name, Theobroma cacao, recognizes the long-standing love most of us have for the fruit of this tree. Theobroma comes from the Greek language for "food of the gods." And while chocolate is the most popular and favorite of these foods from the cacao bean, an even healthier choice is raw cacao powder. How Is Cacao Powder Made? To produce raw cacao powder, raw cacao beans are simply cold pressed to remove the fat, and the remaining solids are ground into a fine powder. Cacao vs. Cocoa: What's the Difference? Cacao powder contains all the beneficial nutrients and beneficial compounds of the raw cacao bean minus the fat. In contrast, cocoa powder is made from roasted cacao beans. And even if they look alike, the two are different. In making cocoa powder, up to 90% of the nutrients and beneficial compounds in raw c
The Indian Sandalwood tree (Santalum album, aka candana in Sanskrit) is native to Southern India and prized the world over for the soothing and pleasant perfume of its heartwood. Due to the great demand for the oil of the Sandalwood tree, Sandalwood is the second most expensive wood in the world.
Sandalwood is not only prized for its perfume, but also for its uplifting effects on the mind and spirit and its medicinal properties, as Sandalwood is of a cooling nature and is naturally anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimicrobial.
Sandalwood is commonly used in the form of Sandalwood oil, but the wood can also be powderized and made into a paste.
Sandalwood in Aromatherapy
The ancient tradition of using Sandalwood in aromatherapy, to calm the mind and uplift the spirit, started many thousands of years ago in India, where it was made into incense and burnt in the home and in the temple. As an aid to meditation and spiritual practice, Sandalwood helps to calm, purify and uplift the mind and life-energies, reducing distractions and helping to focus the mind and heart on the object of concentration. And used therapeutically in the home, Sandalwood fragrance helps to create an atmosphere of peace and calm, reducing irritability, anxiety, depression and nervous tension.
Instead of incense, Sandalwood oil may also be diffused through the various kinds of essential oil diffusers which are available today, which will have the same effect.
Sandalwood in Skin Care
Sandalwood has been used daily for many generations in India, in combination with Turmeric, in the form of a simple paste and applied to the skin and face to preserve youth and healthy complexion. This paste is usually formed by adding oil, water, milk, honey or lime juice to the Sandalwood and Turmeric powders, depending on the exact application and one’s personal preference. For detailed recipes check out this wonderful article which includes 10 different Sandalwood paste recipes for your skin.
In Ayurveda, Sandalwood is naturally astringent, purifying and cooling, and is especially helpful to calm excess Pitta. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend Sandalwood paste for cleansing wounds and treating inflammation, sunburn and acne. Thus Sandalwood is also a common ingredient in many Ayurvedic herbal soap formulas, including Auromere’s Sandalwood-Turmeric Soap and Chandrika’s Sandal Soap.
https://www.auromere.com/blog/the-healing-properties-of-chandana-the-indian-sandalwood-tree/
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