Therapeutic and practical uses of lavender essential oil

History of Lavender

The history of Lavender is understood to be from the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. Its origin goes back 2500 years ago. Lavender is a flowering plant of the mint family identified for its beauty, its sweet floral fragrance and its many uses. Lavender originates its name from the Latin ‘lavare’ meaning ‘to wash”. The Romans used Lavender to scent their baths, beds, clothes and even hair. They also discovered its medicinal properties. Lavender is grown commercially for extraction of its oil from its flowers and to some degree from its foliage. The oil is obtained through a distillation process.

Therapeutic and practical uses:

Lavender oil is an essential oil, it can be taken orally, applied to the skin, and breathed in through aromatherapy.

The famous relaxing effects of lavender, from blooming gardens to aromatherapy oils and bubble baths, individuals have long claimed that lavender has calming and relaxing benefits. And now, scientists have confirmed that the smell of the purple plant really does help people unwind. So much so, that it could even be used to calm patients before surgery, as an alternative to sleeping tablets and to treat anxiety.
Lavender essential oil used as a disinfectant, an antiseptic, an anti-inflammatory and for aromatherapy. It is one of the most popular and versatile essential oils used in aromatherapy. Lavender oil promotes relaxation and believed to treat anxiety, soothe headaches, migraines and motion sickness when applied to the temples. It is frequently used as an aid to sleep and relaxation, lighten skin, and reduce wrinkles. An infusion of Lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites, sunburn and small cuts, burns and inflammatory conditions and even acne. Lavender oils are also used for internal medical conditions, among others indigestion and heartburn.

Lavender oil for acne:
Lavender oil works to kill bacteria, and this can avoid and heal acne breakouts. It unclogs pores and lessens inflammation when applied to the skin. To use lavender oil for acne, dilute it in coconut oil or another carrier oil and apply it to your skin after washing your face.
You can also use lavender oil as a facial toner by mixing two drops of lavender oil with one teaspoon of witch hazel. Soak a cotton pad in the blend and then tenderly rub it over your face. For a specifically stubborn pimple, argan oil can help reduce inflammation. Mix one drop of lavender oil with a drop of argan oil and put it directly onto a pimple twice a day.

Soothes eczema and dry skin:
Eczema, causes skin gets dry, itchy, and scaly. It can appear mild or chronic and in several locations. Since lavender has antifungal properties and lessens inflammation, it can help keep eczema at bay. Lavender oil can also be used to treat psoriasis. The lavender oil helps cleanse your skin and reduces redness and irritation.To use this essential oil for eczema, mix two drops with an equal amount of tea tree oil, alongside with two teaspoons of coconut oil. You can use it daily.

Lavender oil skin lightening
Lavender oil can assist in skin lightening since it decreases inflammation. It can lessen discoloration, including dark spots. Lavender oil helps lessen blotchiness and redness. If you have hyperpigmentation on your skin, lavender oil might be able to help with that as well.

Lavender oil for face wrinkles
Free radicals are partially accountable for fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Lavender oil is full of antioxidants, which help guard you from the free radicals. To use lavender oil for wrinkles, use a few drops of the essential oil along with coconut oil. The mixture can be used as a moisturizer once or twice a day.

Anti-inflammatory ability
Agonising inflammation can be treated with lavender oil. The oil’s pain-relieving and numbing effects assist soothe the inflammation, while the beta-caryophyllene in the oil also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. To treat the inflammation on a burn, combine one to three drops of lavender oil and one to two teaspoons of moringa or coconut oil. You can apply the mixture three times a day.
If you have a sunburn, a lavender oil spray can help. In a spray bottle, combine a quarter cup of aloe- vera juice, 2 tablespoons of distilled water, 10 to 12 drops of lavender oil and jojoba oil. Shake the bottle and spray onto your sunburn. Use the spray two or three times a day until the sunburn heals.

Insect repellent
Many commercial mosquito repellents contain lavender oil. Lavender oil acts as an insect repellent, and it can relieve itching after a bite occurs. Insect bites cause redness, itching, and pain. They can sometimes become infected. Lavender oil helps relieve insect bites by warding off bacteria and reducing inflammation
Both candles and sprays can be used to repel mosquitos and other bugs. You can add seven drops to the candle and put it outdoors. For a spray, mix eight ounces of water and four drops of lavender oil in a spray bottle and shake it. Because it’s a natural remedy, you can spray it on your body and your clothes before you go outside. To treat an insect bite with lavender oil, mix one or two drops with a carrier oil, like coconut. Put the mixture on the bite twice a day or more. If your pain stings, a drop of peppermint oil mixed in can help numb it. Lavender oil also works well for treating poison ivy.

Wound-healing properties
lavender oil may help speed up the wound-healing process, a burn, cut, scrape, or another wound. To use lavender oil on small wounds, mix three or four drops of lavender oil together with a few drops of coconut or tamanu oil. Apply the mixture on your wound with a cotton pad. If your wound has already healed, lavender oil can reduce remaining scars as well.

Practical uses:
Dried Lavender flowers are used greatly as fragrant herbal filler inside sachets – to freshen linens, closets and drawers. As an air spray, it is used to freshen in essentially any room. Dried lavender flowers have also become popular for use at weddings as decoration, gifts and as confetti for tossing over the newlyweds.

Culinary Uses:
As a member of the mint family, Lavender has been used for centuries in the preparation of food either by itself or as an ingredient of Herbs de Province – an herb combination which captures the flavours of the sunny south of France.
Lavender provides a floral, slightly sweet and sophisticated flavour to soups, salads, meat and seafood dishes, desserts, cheeses, baked goods and confectionery. For most cooking applications it is the dried flowers that are used although the leaves may also be used. Only the buds or flowers contain the essential oil of Lavender which is where the scent and flavour are best derived.

Benefits Of Frankincense Essential Oil

WHERE DOES FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL COME FROM? Frankincense Essential Oil originates from the Boswellia Carterii tree, native to Somalia and regions of Pakistan. Frankincense is one of more than 90 types of essential oils that are gaining steam in the realm of...

Jasmine Essential Oil – All you need to know !

Everything You Need to Know About Jasmine Essential Oil Jasmin originating from China and Northern India, for centuries, jasmine has been popular for its sweet, romantic fragrance and derived from the white flowers of the common jasmine plant, also known as Jasminun...

What is Physical Wellness ?

Physical Wellness - Your general well-being is affected by physical activity, healthy nutrition, sleep pattern and much more.   Physical wellness involves making good choices Observing what we put into our body, how much activity we get and maintaining a healthy...

Dietary Supplements: Do they help or hurt?

Before making decisions about whether to take a supplement, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you achieve a balance between the foods and nutrients you personally need. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be useful in certain situations, for example when...

Can your diet affect Arthritis?

What is arthritis? Arthritis is a common health condition involving chronic inflammation in your joints. It causes pain and damage to joints, bones, and other body parts depending on the type of arthritis. In the UK, more than 10 million people have arthritis or...

What is Social Wellness ?

Social wellness involves balancing our own physical. Mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Also building healthy, nurturing and supportive relationships with others and care about the greater good of society, including our communities and the environment.  Social...

Want glowing, radiant, younger looking skin?

Everybody has a preferred face cream or treatment, but beautiful skin begins with nourishment from within. The secret could lie in our kitchen! Discover what you ought to be eating, as well as what you should be avoiding. Mature cells are continuously shed and...

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining good health. The real key to safe and successful weight loss is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that suits your individual needs and that you can maintain for life. This entails eating a wide variety of...

Should we all be washing our fresh food products?

There are about 2.4m cases of food poisoning in the UK every year, more than double the estimate in 2009. According to the Food Standards Agency. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have advised all shoppers should wash all fruit and vegetables to reduce the risk of...

If I hug a tree will the tree hug me back ?

During a pandemic, health & wellbeing is more important than ever  With everything that’s going on at the moment, what we want and need more than ever is hugs. But of course, we can’t go around hugging each other due to social distancing, however you can still get...

What You Need to Know About peppermint essential oil

The peppermint plant is an all-around perennial herb that has been valued since ancient times. The plant’s first recorded arrival dates back to 1000 BC when dried peppermint leaves were found entombed in ancient Egyptian pyramids. Throughout human history, this herb...

What is Celiac Disease and how to cope with it ?

Celiac disease, also spelt as Coeliac, and occasionally called celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a condition where the immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages your gut (small intestine) which is an immune reaction to...

The fun way to promote health through exercise.

Can you carry on exercising when your motivation slips, the weather gets worse or your schedule becomes overwhelming?  When it comes to exercise, we often think about becoming fit, but starting it is not the problem, it’s maintaining it. The UK Government's guidelines...

Why is eating nuts both good and bad for me ?

Many recent studies have shown that consuming nuts and seeds can play a major role in health and prevention in several diseases. Nuts are nutrient dense foods and are one of the natural plant foods richest in fat. However, they are considered heart healthy. Nuts and...