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“Chandan sa badan ho, chehra bhi toh chandan jaisa ho na yaar!” 😅Some days I feel like my skin needs a therapist, a detox retreat, and an Instagram filter — all at once. But on most other days, I just reach for chandan. Yes, that same sandalwood your dadi swore by for pimples, pigmentation, and shaadi glow.
In a world full of 10-step routines and serums I can’t pronounce, sandalwood face packs still hold their ground — quietly powerful, cooling, and desi to the core. If you want skin that feels calm, smells divine, and looks like you slept a full 8 hours (even if you didn’t), chandan might just be your lazy-girl skincare soulmate.
Sandalwood, aka chandan, has been part of Ayurveda, Unani, and grandmothers’ skincare rituals for centuries. But modern research backs it up too. The active compound alpha-santalol in sandalwood has:
It also works as a gentle astringent — reducing excess oil without stripping. Think of it as skincare’s chilled-out therapist.
Chandan calms sun-exposed skin and helps gently fade that “two-tone” forehead.
Perfect for those humid Delhi summers when your face starts to feel like a frying pan.
Antibacterial power + cooling effect = reduced breakouts and inflammation.
When paired with ingredients like besan or multani mitti, it softly lifts dead skin.
Mix it with aloe or cucumber for a spa-day-at-home mask that makes you forget your deadlines.
Ingredients:
Mix into a smooth paste. Apply a thin layer. Leave for 10–12 mins. Rinse with cold water. Skin feels instantly calmer and smells divine.
Ingredients:
Hydrates, soothes, and gently exfoliates. Leave on for 15 mins. Follow with light moisturizer.
Ingredients:
Great for mattifying greasy zones and calming breakouts. Use once or twice a week.
Ingredients:
Lightens tan, fades minor marks, and soothes. Use cautiously on sensitive skin. Don’t leave on too long — 10 mins max.
Ingredients:
Perfect post-summer sunburn fix. Keeps skin cool, clear, and happy.
Use a gentle cleanser. Skip scrubs before applying.
Especially if you’re using turmeric, lemon or neem.
Let the mask do its thing — no thick cakey layers.
It can pull moisture if it cracks. Keep it dewy with a spritz of rosewater if needed.
Always moisturise after. For morning routines, layer sunscreen.
I once mixed sandalwood and lemon juice (why??) and kept it on too long. Face felt like it had gone through a breakup. Since then, I stick to the rosewater combo on Mondays and multani mitti mix when my T-zone misbehaves. The difference? Fewer breakouts, a little more brightness, and skin that just feels less stressed. Bonus: my partner says I smell like a spa. 💁♀️
For deeper issues like hormonal acne, dark scars, or melasma — chandan isn’t enough alone. That’s where you need:
Use sandalwood packs as a support system, not a replacement for actives.
Nope. 2–3 times a week is more than enough. Daily use can dry out your skin.
Yes, mild to moderate breakouts respond well — especially when mixed with aloe, neem or multani mitti.
Absolutely not. It’s not a sleeping mask. Stick to 10–15 mins.
It evens out your natural tone, but no — it won’t “whiten” your skin. And that’s not the goal anyway.
There’s a reason sandalwood has lasted across generations and skin trends. It’s not a flashy glow-up, but it’s soothing, grounding, and effective — like a skincare version of chai on a rainy day. Whether you’re oily, dry, sun-tanned or just skin-tired, chandan’s got you.
“Bas ek chammach chandan, thoda sa patience, aur glow toh automatic hai boss.” 🌿✨