Natural Snbal Spikenard Root

✨ Snbal Spikenard Root — The Scented Root of Moroccan Beauty

Snbal is the dried rhizome of spikenard, known in Arabic as سنبل الطيب (Sunbul al-Tib), السنبل الهندي (Indian snbal) or ناردين (nardin), in Darija simply as snbal or sonbol, in French as nard indien, and in Sanskrit as jatamansi. Its scientific name is Nardostachys jatamansi. Each piece is a short brown root wrapped in a thick coat of reddish-brown fibres, soft and hair-like to the touch. Its scent is deep, earthy and musky, with a warm woody note that lingers on the fingers long after handling.

🌿 Traditional and Cultural Uses

In Moroccan homes snbal has long belonged to the women’s beauty basket. Grandmothers crushed it into henna and into hair oils so the hair carried its perfume for days, and it was traditionally used to care for long, thick hair and a healthy-looking scalp. It was also tucked between folded clothes and bridal linens, and added to home-made bakhour blends burned when welcoming guests.

Its fame is ancient. Spikenard, or nard, was one of the most precious perfumes of the ancient world, prized in Egypt, Rome and across Arabia, and it is remembered in the Gospels as the costly ointment of pure nard. In Ayurvedic tradition jatamansi was used to calm the mind and encourage restful sleep, and it was valued in scalp and hair preparations.

🧴 How to Use

• 💇‍♀️ Henna — grind a little snbal and mix it into henna powder before adding water, for a scented henna paste
• 🫒 Hair oil — steep crushed snbal in olive, argan or sweet almond oil to make a fragrant hair and scalp oil
• 🔥 Bakhour — place a small piece on a lit charcoal disc, alone or with other resins and herbs
• 👗 Scented linens — slip a few pieces in a cloth pouch among clothes, bedding and wardrobe shelves

🥣 Preparation: Snbal Hair Oil

1. Crush or roughly grind the dried roots.
2. Place them in a clean, dry glass jar and cover completely with olive, argan or sweet almond oil.
3. Close the jar and leave it in a warm, shaded place for about two weeks, shaking it every few days.
4. Strain through a fine cloth and keep the scented oil in a dark bottle.
5. Massage a little into the scalp and lengths, leave for a few hours or overnight, then wash as usual.

🔬 Product Profile

• 🌱 Plant: spikenard, Nardostachys jatamansi, of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae, formerly grouped with valerian)
• 🏔️ Where it grows: the high mountains of the Himalayas
• 🪵 Part used: the dried rhizome with its fibrous coat
• 🌾 Form: whole dried root pieces, single ingredient, nothing added

📦 How We Sell It

Whole dried snbal roots, loose in the pouch, available in 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg, 3kg and 5kg. You receive the fibrous root pieces as shown, ready to crush, grind, steep or burn.

⚠️ Usage Note

For beauty, fragrance and traditional use only, not for eating. Keep away from children.

🌤️ Storage

Keep in a sealed jar or closed pouch in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and moisture. Stored well, the roots keep their scent for many months.