Sandalwood is a material found naturally that could be used for different things depending, I would guess, on the culture you are talking about. Gifts from sandalwood can come in many different forms and it is very interesting to see the contrasts in gifts from sandalwood from culture to culture and how different people can use the same material for different reasons. An examination of some of the gifts from sandalwood that are available may prompt you to further investigate how sandalwood can have such diversity and how the same material can be used in so many different ways.

In western culture the more common gifts from sandalwood revolve around the scent of sandalwood and it’s reported healing properties. There are two very popular gifts from sandalwood in this form and both of them center on sandalwood’s supposed ability to offer relief from pain and stress just by coming into contact with a person’s skin or any other part of a person. The first very popular gift from sandalwood is sandalwood soap. Used primarily for its scent and not for any texture or any actual cleaning properties, sandalwood is added to soap to make what many claim is a therapeutic bath agent. It has never been proven that sandalwood soap is a pain reliever but many people do believe it.

You Smell Something Burning?

Another very popular gift from sandalwood is sandalwood candles or sandalwood incense as well. Both are used to try and capitalize on the stress relief myth of sandalwood and they also are used in the incorrect interpretation of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy was not designed as the practice of breathing in certain scents to relieve pain and stress but that is what it has been converted into by the corporate marketing machines. Sandalwood has been made a staple of that twisted aromatherapy concept and is sold in great quantities for that purpose.

As was mentioned that there appears to be multiple ways to produce gifts from sandalwood and in India they carve beautiful little statues from sandalwood. The most common statue made from sandalwood is that of a decorated elephant as they are a common representation of Indian culture. It is interesting that this is the same material that is used for its healing aroma in western culture and it does make one wonder what the real use of sandalwood was originally intended to be when it was first used in any culture.

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