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Beauty and skincare lovers are becoming aware of a little-known ancient ingredient that has a multitude of beneficial uses for health and well-being.
Wellness and natural beauty retailer Heartwood is embracing the goodness of Indian sandalwood, an ingredient revered for thousands of years by cultures and religions around the world for its unique nutritional properties.
Founder Alex Wilson, from Perth, has developed a range of “clean” beauty products under Heartwood, loved by celebrities such as Megan Gale and Julie Bishop.
Each product uses the potential benefits of Indian sandalwood known as “liquid gold”, which brightens, firms, refreshes, protects the skin and calms the mind.
beauty brand Heartwood is embracing the benefits of a valuable ingredient revered for thousands of years by cultures and religions around the world for its unique properties.
Founder Alex Wilson (pictured), from Perth, has developed a range of ‘clean’ beauty products under Heartwood loved by celebrities like Megan Gale and Julie Bishop
Of all the varieties of sandalwood, Indian sandalwood is the most appreciated due to its high concentration of alpha santalol, responsible for its seductive woody aroma.
‘There are compounds in sandalwood heartwood oil that have the ability to make you feel really calm and grounded. So they really relax the nervous system,” Alex explained.
“Those compounds are called santalol and Indian sandalwood has about three times the volume of any other standard wood in the world, making it the most superior of all sandalwood species.”
Indian sandalwood is said to soothe dehydrated skin and treat dry skin conditions such as eczema, to restore moisture and radiance.
It also has properties that can function as an anti-inflammatory to cool, calm and soften the skin, reducing redness and irritation and relieving the symptoms of rosacea and eczema.
‘It’s really good for removing pigmentation and sun spots. It is very good for acne-prone skin because it is extremely antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral. It also works as a spot treatment,” Alex explained.
‘It’s also very strict, so it can tighten pores, fine lines and wrinkles. There is nothing I don’t do. It’s a dream ingredient.’
Each product uses the potential benefits of Indian sandalwood known as “liquid gold”, which brightens, firms, refreshes, protects the skin and calms the mind.
Alex has always had a “fascination” with this versatile resource, as her family began farming it when she was young in the Kimberley, Northern Territory and northern Queensland.
It takes 20 years to grow a tree with Indian sandalwood, which is found in the “heartwood” of the trunk.
‘I have always been surrounded by this beautiful and fragrant wood. “It has always been a dream of mine to bring Indian sandalwood to life in a contemporary way in the Australian market,” said Alex.
“My goal with Heartwood was to truly educate a modern audience about the beautiful benefits of this sacred wood and create something that was truly meaningful.”
Heartwood’s luxurious range The Indian Sandalwood product range includes serums, oils, candles, masks, scented pillowcases, jewelery and perfumes.
In 2019, Alex opened the Heartwood store in the seaside suburb of Cottesloe, where shoppers can browse the range and shop “some of the world’s best natural beauty brands” hand-picked by her.
In 2019, Alex opened the Heartwood store where shoppers can browse the range and shop “some of the world’s best natural beauty brands” hand-picked by her.
Alex has always had a “fascination” with this versatile resource, as her family began farming it when she was young in the Kimberley, Northern Territory and northern Queensland.
Customers can also create their own perfumes and book a variety of luxurious treatments including facials and massages performed by experienced beauty therapists.
Australian politician Julie Bishop visited Heartwood to create a custom perfume and frequents the store for regular facials.
Model Megan Gale is a supporter of the brand and has been seen wearing Indian sandalwood Mala beads.
Heartwood’s Royal Collection is a premium line of Indian sandalwood products and has made its way into the skincare cabinets of many fans.
The $95 Royal Revival Hydration Serum has a lightweight formula designed to deeply replenish and hydrate skin, diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and instantly plump from the first application.
The Royal Oil for $140 was one of the first products Alex developed for Heartwood and is perfect for people with age spots, sun damage, dullness, uneven skin tone, and dryness.
Heartwood’s Royal Collection is a premium line of Indian sandalwood products and has made its way into the skincare cabinets of many fans.
Its skin benefits are complemented by the heavenly, calming aroma and the help of natural ingredients such as frankincense and jojoba, rich in vitamin E.
You can smell like a dream with the $95 Royal Oil Nourishing Moisturizing Body and Hair Fragrance Oil made to de-stress and renew your skin, hair, and senses.
You can smell like a dream with the $95 Royal Oil Nourishing Moisturizing Body and Hair Fragrance Oil made to de-stress and renew your skin, hair, and senses.
The $95 purchase acts as a perfume and skin treatment to use on your neck, décolleté, hair ends, arms, legs and everywhere to experience the deeply nourishing properties of Indian Sandalwood.
Heartwood’s Royal Treatment Sheet Mask for $20 can help shoppers experience the benefits of Indian sandalwood on their skin.
The single-use treatment can soothe, brighten and hydrate skin and is formulated to visibly reduce discoloration and redness, smooth uneven texture and deliver intense hydration.
It is not just the skin that can experience the luxury of sandalwood. Heartwood has a range of fragrances to make any home smell like a relaxing sanctuary.
There’s the $95 King of Woods Indian Sandalwood Candle, as well as a pack of Indian Sandalwood Incense for $40, as well as incense stick holders ranging from $50 to $500.
To shop the Heartwood range, click here.
