How a piece is kept
Sandalwood is meant to be handled.
Nothing on the wood
No oil, no wax, no polish. What you add sits between the wood and your hand.
How to care for a sandalwood bracelet
如何养护檀木手串
Sandalwood asks for very little. It does not want oil, wax, or polish. What it wants is your hand, your time, and a dry place to rest. This is a short answer to a common question, how to care for sandalwood bracelet, in the six habits that keep a wooden mala honest for years.
檀木要的很少。它不要油，不要蜡，也不要上光。它要的是你的手、你的时间，还有一个干燥的歇脚处。这是一份简短的手串养护指南，六件小事，让一串木珠老老实实陪你很多年。
- Wear it often at first The first weeks matter most. Wear the bracelet regularly so the wood meets the natural oils of your skin. This is what slowly builds the soft sheen people call patina. A drawer does nothing for sandalwood. Light daily use is the whole of the first lesson.开始时多戴 头几周最要紧。经常佩戴，让木头慢慢接触你皮肤上的自然油脂。那层温润的光泽，也就是人们说的包浆，就是这样一点点来的。抽屉对檀木毫无帮助。日常轻度地使用，就是第一课的全文。
- Manage sweat and water Sweat is fine in small amounts and it feeds the patina. Heavy sweat is not. After sport or a hot day, wipe the beads dry with a soft cloth and let the bracelet air for an hour before you store it. Never soak sandalwood. Water lifts the grain, dulls the scent, and can crack the beads.处理汗与水 少量出汗没关系，反而有助于包浆。大汗就不合适了。运动之后或天热出汗时，用软布把珠子擦干，让它透气一小时再收起来。绝不要把檀木泡水。水会让木纹浮起、香气变淡，还可能让珠子开裂。
- Clean with a dry cloth only Cleaning is simple: a clean, dry, soft cloth, wiped along the grain. For dust in the gaps between beads, use a dry soft brush or a wooden toothpick. Do not use water, alcohol, soap, or wet wipes. If the beads feel greasy from skin oil, a dry cloth and two minutes of rubbing are enough.只用干布清洁 清洁很简单：一块干净、干燥的软布，顺着木纹擦拭。珠缝里的灰，用干燥的软毛刷或牙签轻轻带出。不要用水、酒精、肥皂或湿巾。如果珠子因皮肤油脂显得黏腻，一块干布加上两分钟的揉拭就足够了。
- Do not oil and do not wax This is the rule people break first. Do not rub oil, baby oil, or wax into sandalwood. The wood releases its own oil slowly, and adding more clogs the surface, traps dust, and turns the color muddy. Old bracelets look good because of use, not because of product. Keep your hands clean, and let time do the work.不上油，不上蜡 这是人们最先破的一条规矩。不要往檀木上抹油、婴儿油或蜡。木头会自己慢慢析出油脂，外加的油会堵塞表面、吸附灰尘，让颜色发浑。旧手串好看，靠的是佩戴，不是靠产品。把手洗干净就够了，让时间去完成它。
- Store it properly When you are not wearing it, keep the bracelet in a soft pouch or a lined box, away from direct sun and away from heat. Sun fades the color, and dry indoor heat pulls moisture from the wood. If you own several, store them apart so the harder beads do not press marks into the softer ones.正确地收纳 不戴的时候，把手串放进软布袋或带内衬的盒子里，避开直射阳光，也避开热源。日晒会让颜色变淡，室内干燥的热气会抽走木头的水分。如果有多串，分开收，免得较硬的珠子在较软的珠子上压出印子。
- When the cord breaks Cords wear out, and a broken cord is not a bad omen. It means the bracelet was worn. Gather the beads, keep them in the pouch, and restring with a strong braided or elastic cord, tied with two tight knots and a drop of clear glue inside the last bead. Many people restring once a year as simple upkeep.绳子断了怎么办 绳子会磨损，断绳不是什么坏兆头，它只说明这串手串被戴过。把珠子收拢，放回布袋，用结实的编织绳或弹力绳重新穿起，打两个紧结，在最后一颗珠子里点一小滴透明胶水。不少人每年重穿一次，当作例行的保养。
Why sandalwood asks for so little
为什么檀木要求的这么少
Sandalwood is a slow wood. It grows for decades before it is cut, and the oil inside it is dense and quiet. That density is why it holds a scent for years, and it is also why it does not need help from us. A wood that already contains so much does not want to be fed. It wants to be worn, kept dry, and left alone between wears.
檀木是一种慢木头。它要长几十年才被采下，里面的油脂密实而安静。正因为密实，它的香气能留住很多年；也正因为如此，它不需要我们来帮忙。一块本身已经装了这么多东西的木头，不想被喂，它想被佩戴、被保持干燥，在不戴的时候被留在原地。
Most damage to a wooden bracelet comes from good intentions. Someone reads that wood should be conditioned, reaches for oil, and seals a surface that was breathing. The simpler path is also the older one: handle it, dry it, store it, repeat. That is the whole of mala care for sandalwood.
木手串受的伤，多半来自好意。有人读到「木器需要保养」，就去拿来油，把一个本来在呼吸的表面封住了。更简单的路也是更老的路：上手、擦干、收纳、重复。檀木的养护，全部就是这些。
What the patina means
包浆意味着什么
Patina is the change in surface that comes from a hand meeting wood, again and again, over months. The sheen is not a coating. It is the wood itself, worn smoother and slightly darker by your own touch. Two people wearing the same design will end up with two different bracelets. That difference is the record of your days.
包浆，是手与木头在数月里一次次相遇之后，表面发生的变化。那层光是涂层吗？不是。那就是木头本身，被你的手磨得更滑、稍稍更深。同一个款式，两个人戴，最后会得到两串不一样的手串。那份不同，就是你日子的记录。
This is why we do not sell a finish. A bracelet that arrives glossy has nothing left to become. One that arrives matte is waiting for you. The color will deepen, the grain will come forward, and the scent will settle into something lower and warmer. Your hand is the only polish it will ever need.
所以我们不做成品光泽。一串到手就已经油亮的珠子，没有余地再变成什么；一串到手时是哑光的，正在等你。颜色会变深，木纹会浮出来，香气会沉下去，变得更低沉、更温暖。你的手，是它唯一需要的那道上光。