Lavender is one of the essential oils that I think should be in every home! And the reason is that this oil has a wide range of healthy contributions from its calming effect to its antibacterial activity.
Lavender is one of my favourite plants, and I use it almost every day in different ways. It is very versatile, with a calming scent that promotes relaxation and a night of restful sleep.
Lavender is an evergreen shrub plant. Native to the Mediterranean region, lavender now also grows throughout the world.
There are many varieties of lavender. One that is common and used for medicinal purposes is Lavendula angustifolia. This one is recommended as an essential oil as well, also known as True Lavender.
The Romans used Lavender for its scent and for its antiseptic properties. The name “lavender” dates back to ancient times, derives from the Latin word lavare, which means washing and bathing.
Calming Oil
Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most popular essential oils, mainly because of its calming effects.
In other words, Lavender is often used when someone suffers from stress, anxiety, and sleep-related issues.
Lavender oil benefits
Anxiety and stress relief:
When we smell lavender oil, the aroma interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA and helps to quiet the brain and nervous system activity.
Lavender is well known in traditional medicine for its calming effects, it helps to reduce stress levels and anxiety and to promote restful sleep.
- Promotes restful sleep, just drop a few drops of lavender oil on the pillow or diffuse it in your bedroom before going to sleep.
- Calming– reduce stress levels and anxiety.
Pain relief
Lavender also functions as a pain reliever. Reduces menstrual cramps and even other PMS symptoms (irritability, anxiety and fluid retention).
Anti-bacterial
Lavender is an anti-bacterial oil that works great to disinfect the air and surfaces. It also presents anti-fungal properties that are due to active components such as linalool, linalyl acetate, lavandulol, geraniol, or eucalyptol.
Natural insect repellent
Used in an oil burner in the room, it balances, purifies, and acts as a natural insect repellent.
Anti-inflammatory
Lavender has pain-relieving properties and the ability to reduce inflammation. When lavender essential oil applied topically, it can help to speed wound recovery.
- Acts as a Painkiller- it has mild analgesic properties, and this makes lavender to be a good treatment for headaches and migraine, as well as muscular and nerve pain. As an anti-spasmodic, it eases menstrual cramps. In a bath, it is helpful for sciatica and muscular back pain.
- Antiseptic– keep wounds, ulcers, and sores clean.
- Can help with cystitis because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, add about 10 drops to a bath to speed up the healing process from infections like cystitis.
Skincare
In skincare, helps to lessen redness and irritation of the skin, and many use it also for shiner hair. If you use it topically, it is effective to rejuvenating and soothing the skin.
- Soothes skin–softening and conditioning effect on the skin.
- Regenerative– useful for speed up healing of wounds and mouth ulcers.
- Lavender is a must for the first-aid cabinet and can be applied directly onto bites, stings, burns, bruises, and scar tissue.
- Healing– Its healing effects can ease acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis, and reduce scarring.
It is helpful for high blood pressure, palpitations and dizziness.
HOW TO USE Lavender Oil?
In the bath:
Add 8 drops of lavender to a base oil for example- almond/grapeseed/coconut oil, mix well and then add to your bath.
Add some Epsom salts or magnesium flakes for an extra calming bath.
Massage oil:
Add 10 drops of essential oil to 2 tablespoons of warm base oil.
Lavender hydrosol- floral water:
Lavender hydrosol is resulting from the steam distillation of lavender essential oil.
Make sure you are buying pure distillation water and not essential oil mixed in water and emulsifiers.
So what is floral water? It is the condensate water that remains after the extraction of essential oil by distillation.
It is important to mention that floral water can mean many things. For the full therapeutical properties of a product, check well the ingredients list before buying and make sure it is a pure hydrosol.
The hydrosol contains a small percentage of essential oil, as well as water-soluble components of the plant material.
You can use it as a face toner, air freshener and even as a pillow mist. After purchasing the hydrosol transfer it into a spray bottle for an easier application.
Lavender- the mother of all essential oils!
Lavender flowers can be taken as a herbal tea for their calming effects.
Extra relaxing tea combination- mix lavender, chamomile and calendula flowers.
Freshens the air– create your own room spray:
Ingredients
- 15 drops Lavender Essential oil
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
Instructions
Mix it all in a spray bottle and use around the house
Recipe Notes
Baking soda is effective as an odour absorber
Considered to be Non-toxic and non-irritant oil and it can be used neat on small areas, the essential oil is colourless or pale yellow.
To sum up, lavender can be used for many reasons. Among them stress reduction, antiseptic properties and even shinier hair. Therefore I highly recommend to keep it in your own natural medicine kit, it will be always useful.
Sources:
- Białoń, M., Krzyśko-Łupicka, T., Nowakowska-Bogdan, E. and Wieczorek, P. (2019). Chemical Composition of Two Different Lavender Essential Oils and Their Effect on Facial Skin Microbiota.
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00241/full
- Neals yard remedies- Essential oils book
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16095639
Pazit Azoulay is a certified naturopath based in London, member of the following regulatory bodies: NNA, CNHC and GNC.
Paz By Nature ltd website is a health & wellness blog aimed to provide inspiration, healthy recipes and information about natural remedies.
