DISCOVER WHAT LAVENDER
CAN DO FOR YOU
THE SCIENCE BEHIND LAVENDER HEALTH BENEFITS
Lavender scent brings back memories of intense wellbeing, pampering the body and the mind with its unmistakable relaxing aroma. It is not just a sensation: at the beginning of the 20th century, the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé began his studies on essential oils precisely thanks to lavender, which he mentioned in his book “Aromathérapie” (1937) and it still remains one of the most popular and versatile essential oils used in aromatherapy. Steam distilled from the plant Lavandula angustifolia, the oil promotes relaxation and helps to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. Lavender interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA through the olfactory neurons to help quiet the brain and nervous system activity, reducing agitation, anger, aggression and restlessness.
In essential oil practices, lavender is a multipurpose oil. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, as well as antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifying and hypotensive (lowering the blood pressure).
Lavender for your home
The fragrance from the oil of the lavender plant is believed to help promote relaxation, calmness and wellness, reduce stress, anxiety, improve sleep quality and lift the mood. So for a truly restful night’s sleep, try dropping a little lavender essential oil on your pillow, or apply it to your temples and let its calming perfume wash over you.
According to the principles of aromatherapy, breathing in the scent of lavender essential oil or applying lavender essential oil to the skin transmits messages to the limbic system, a brain region known to influence the nervous system and help regulate emotion. You can also sprinkle a few drops of lavender essential oil onto a cloth or tissue and inhale its aroma, or add the oil to a diffuser or vaporizer. Simply pour water into the burner cup, add 3 to 8 drops of oil to the water, light the candle underneath and enjoy the scent.
LAVENDER FOR YOUR SKIN
Lavender essential oil is wonderfully effective for healing scar tissue, because it has properties of cellular regeneration. It treats burns, acne, bug bites, jellyfish stings. You can use calming lavender oil to help reduce redness, blotchy patches, and acne scarring: Just combine lavender oil with a carrier oil (such as jojoba or sweet almond) and massage it into your skin.
For burns and cuts, you can apply it neat to the affected area. It will have an immediate analgesic effect, and the wound will begin to heal. A few drops of lavender in a spray of distilled water (spritzer) is very effective for cooling hot flashes.
Simple ways to use the Lavender Essential Oil
- Headache, migraine: dilute to 20% in a vegetable oil to massage the painful area.
- Against a temporal migraine, directly massage the temples with 1 drop of pure essential oil.
- Cramps, contractures, muscle pain: dilute to 20% in a vegetable oil to massage the painful area (2 ml of essential oil with 8 ml of vegetable oil)
- Otitis: 2 drops of essential oil behind each ear, but never directly in the ear.
- Menstrual pain: dilute to 20% in a vegetable oil to massage the lower abdomen.
- Acne, rosacea, itching, razor burn, insect sting: dilute to 5% in a vegetable oil.
- Relaxing bath: 10 drops mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt or honey to help dispersion.
- Anxiety, stress: use 1 to 2 drops on the pillow or on a handkerchief or diffuse the aroma in the room with an oil diffuser.
How to Dilute Lavender Essential Oil for Topical Use
Using a 2% essential oil dilution is generally considered a safe guideline for topical application of essential oils on adults. For children or elderly, use only a 1% dilution. A good rule of thumb when seeking to make a 2% dilution using the by-the-drop method is to add 12 drops of essential oil to each 30 ml of carrier oil, lotion, vegetable butter or other moisturizers. Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner.
We provide some tips and examples in this section, but it is important to dilute the oils properly, consider your individual reactions, and watch closely for adverse effects. You can also test the essential oil before use (two drops in the elbow for at least 24 hours to check that there is no reaction). All information, content and product descriptions are for reference purposes and are not intended to substitute advice given by a pharmacist, physician or other licensed health care professional. If you have any health conditions, are on any medications, are being seen by a medical professional for any reason, please consult your physician.
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