Lavender Oil is known for its heavenly fragrance, calming properties, therapeutic effects, cosmetic and antimicrobial properties. It accelerates healing time of cuts, stings, burns and other common wounds.
Lavender Plant
The most sought-after of all essential oils, it is a major ingredient in many cosmetic and medicinal products. Lavender oil is extracted from the lavender plant – which is known for its beauty and sweet floral fragrance. It primarily grows in Southern France, North America, and many other parts of the world. The essential oil can be found in the outside rings of Lavender flower petals, the leaves, stalk and branches of the plants.
There’s massive scientific evidence on the incredible benefits of this plant-based oil.
In 1910, a French Chemist by the names of René-Maurice Gattefossé discovered the virtues of lavender as an essential oil. Mr. Gattefossé – who is regarded as the father of Aromatherapy – was working in his lab when he accidentally burned his hand. He immediately dipped his hand in undiluted lavender oil. He was amazed at how quickly his hand had healed (with very little scarring) and actually started experimenting the use of lavender and other essential oils on soldiers during the First World War.
Lavender is also very rich in antioxidants. This actually motivated a group of Tunisian researchers to evaluate its ability to cure diabetes and oxidative stress. The scientists concluded that essential lavender oil helped increase blood glucose levels, and decrease oxidative stress (a known cause of heart illness and other serious health concerns).
Origin of Lavender oil
Ancient Roman Bath
Lavender oil goes back to over 2500 years. It’s believed to have originated in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India regions. The ancient Greeks used Lavender as a holy herb in the preparation of Holy Essence (as mentioned in the ‘Song of Solomon’ within the Christian bible). The Romans used Lavender to scent their baths, cloths, beds, and even hair. This was before they discovered it’s incredible medicinal properties.
Modern uses of Lavender Oil
Today, lavender oil is one of the most popular ingredient in many cosmetic, medicinal and even culinary products. The oil is used as an anti-inflammatory, an antiseptic, and for aromatherapy purposes. Lavender oil is commonly used to sooth migraines, motion sickness, small cuts, inspect bites, burns, and sunburn.
Packaged Lavender Oil
Since Lavender is a member of the mint family, it’s been used for hundreds of years in the preparation of food. In Southern France, it is a key ingredient of ‘Herbs de Province’, which is a combination of herbs that capture the flavors of sunny southern France. Lavender Essential Oil – when added to salads, meat, soups, desserts, seafood and baked foods – delivers a sweet, floral and elegant flavor.
According to a 2012 Journal published in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), Lavender Oil causes noticeable decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature. Research subjects who inhaled Lavender oil were found to be fresher, more active and more relaxed compared to those who did not. This is just one of many studies that have scientifically demonstrated the many benefits of Lavender oil.
Lavender Oil Anti-Anxiety Benefits
According to Dr. Jeanne Galloway, a Naturopathic Physician and cancer health educator based in Austin, Texas, lavender oil is a “great champion of anti-anxiety”. When the Lavender Oil molecules get into the body (through inhalation), they actually start impacting the neurons. Once the lavender molecules attach into the nasal cell, it sends a message to the brain to calm down. Dr. Galloway says that placing a few drops of Lavender oil on the skin would suffice to calm anxiety.
Lavender Oil is Known to Help With Anxiety
A 2009 study entailing adults with generalized anxiety disorder and published on Science Direct shows that lavender oil is a major relief for anxiety. In the study, the anxiety patients were given a lavender oil capsule, which was realized to be just as effective as the anti-anxiety medicine lorazepam. Other studies have shown that inhaling lavender can decrease anxiety in situations where patients are waiting to see a dentist, or cancer patients are getting ready to go through chemotherapy.
Lavender Oil Sleep Benefits
Susan Roy, a 37 mother of 3 who started using lavender oil to help with sleep in August 2017, says, “I had serious difficulties catching a good night’s sleep after a hard day of work. This would impact my performance at work the next day and I would feel drowsy in the afternoon. My difficulty sleeping was starting to impact my productivity at work, and I was prone to making errors because I was less attentive in the last 2-3 hours before day break. I read an article on the use of lavender as a sleep aid and started sniffing the essential oil for a couple of minutes before bedtime. I had better sleep on that first night. I do this all the time and I now can sleep like a log. It’s unbelievable how something so plant-based could help me with a problem that almost caused havoc in my work-life.”
Sniff Lavender Oil Before Going to Bed
There’s scientific evidence that lavender oil improves sleep quality. Insomnia patients can have better quality sleep by sniffing lavender just before bed, or adding lavender oil to a bath before going to bed.
Important! Some online sources have claimed that adding diluted lavender oil to mascara can help grow stronger, longer and more voluminous lashes. This is simply not true. In fact, lavender oil should not be applied near the eye.
Other benefits of Lavender Oil
The benefits of Lavender Oil go well beyond helping with sleep and anxiety.
- Wound healing – applying a solution of lavender and distilled water helps stimulate cell regeneration – thus promoting faster healing of wounds.
- Headaches – lavender oil (when inhaled or massaged into the forehead, neck, or temples) can treat a headache.
- Menstrual cramps – when applied too the abdomen during a menstrual cycle, lavender oil helps relieve cramping.
- Cold sores – lavender oil has anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties that help fight cold sores.
- Itchy skin – lavender’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a great relief for inflamed or itchy skin.
Are you already using pure lavender oil to keep your living spaces calm, promote healing, and sleep better?
1oz Pure Lavender Essential Oil in Amber Bottle with Dropper
Can I use these oils alone or do I need to dilute them?
Do eat it or do u use as perfume?
I use lavender for headache and to sleep and stress it’s great