Lavender Essential Oil - A Beginning Aromatherapist's Favorite

Yes, yes, yes -- we've heard it before: Lavender essential oil is 'a medicine chest in a bottle'. But we're not using it yet....why not? It seems many of us are being drawn to natural health and medicine, yet are afraid to dive in. We're not quite convinced, or we still think the best medicine HAS to have unpronounceable names, and come from secret laboratories in Switzerland. Well, here's some news: Lavender is real medicine. It works, it works well, it's cheap, it's readily available, and it's easy to use. And it might just open up a whole new world of health for you (or your family, or friends). Some studies have shown the single most important factor regarding the efficacy of a treatment is whether the patient believes in it or not. Give Lavender a try -- once you do, it might be hard to ignore the world of natural medicine any longer.

The action of Lavender essential oil is calming and regenerating, on both the cellular structure of tissues and on our overall being. It's a profound effect, as injuries need to be relieved of stress (e.g. Infection and inflammation) in order to heal, as do our entire bodies and minds for us to lead healthy lives. The sweet aroma of Lavender brings calm to almost everyone -- it seems particularly effective for children, women and the elderly (some men may not appreciate the floral aroma, and might do better with soothing scents like Sandalwood or Bergamot). Lavender's aroma has proven itself an effective stress reliever in laboratory studies -- it even makes mice fight less. For personal use you only need to inhale a few drops from a tissue, or dab a little on your wrists to get a hint of the scent now and then. A little more high-tech approach can use any type of essential oil diffuser; just the smallest amount of Lavender's aroma is necessary to achieve its renown calming action.

Another favorite stress reduction technique is the Lavender bath: just add 20-30 drops of Lavender to an already drawn bath for a soak. If one needs to unwind before they make it home from work, small diffusers are available that plug into the cigarette lighter of a car. A few drops placed on the pad can really go a long way to relieving the tensions of the day while still in the evening commute!

Associated with its calming effect is Lavender's ability to improve sleep. One headline proclaimed 'Lavender Beats Valium' in sleep studies. If you or your children have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, Lavender can be a profoundly effective home remedy. For a really simple method, sprinkle just a drop or two (really just a litt1e as too much can actually be a stimulant for some folks) on the bed sheet, on-top-of, or under the pillow before bed. It's especially nice to fall asleep to a hint of Lavender, and catch another whiff if one wakes again in the middle of the night. For some, it works well to utilize a diffuser set to run on low all night long, or one on a timer that cycles on for a minute or two every hour. Think about how the scent is relaxing your whole body; using lavender regularly this way may continually improve the aroma's effectiveness as a sleep aid over time.

Lavender essential oil is a surprisingly effective wound healer. We sometimes think a product needs to be more medicinal smelling, or sting at least a little bit to work, but it was actually Lavender that began the modern 'medicinal' aromatherapy revolution. Dr. Rena Maurice Gattafosse, a French scientist, burned his hand in a laboratory accident; he thrust it immediately into the closest vat of liquid, which happened to be filled with Lavender essential oil. He recovered from his injury so quickly that he was inspired to write the first book on the medical use of essential oils, coining the term 'Aromatherapy' as the title.

As you can guess, Lavender works exceptionally well on burns. It can be used neat, undiluted, on any burn where the skin is unbroken; it will bring quick pain relief and speed healing. Lavender is considered anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and regenerative, so virtually all cuts, bruises and scrapes will also respond well. You can use in combination with Helichrysum for burns and bruises (Helichrysum is a powerful anti-inflammatory/regenerative/pain reliever as well), or with Tea Tree for a stronger, yet still soothing anti-bacterial formula (a 50/50 mix of Lavender and Tea Tree can replace any sort of topical anti-bacterial formula used under band-aids and small dressings). Lavender can work well on a sunburn, at a 10% dilution in water dabbed over the area. A drop of lavender on a bug bite or sting is also highly effective.

Lavender's antiseptic properties make it an excellent natural household disinfectant. Sprinkle baking soda and Lavender in place of chlorine-based cleansers and scrub away! Add a little lemon essential oil too for greater potency, and a very uplifting scent. Lavender and Lemon can be added to a bucket of water (use about 30 drops of each) for larger surfaces and floors.

Finding a therapeutic-grade Lavender oil is most important for stress relief. The finest Lavender's are grown in mountain regions of Europe and particularly France. The 'Lavendula angustifolia' species grown in these certain climates produces an essential oil with high levels of linalool, a chemical constituent of Lavender oil known for it's calm-inducing effects. Other Lavenders will also be excellent for burns, scrapes and bug bites, though the it is the most pleasingly fragrant ones that will put you and your children in the best of moods and deepest of sleeps. Sample a few -- your nose won't let you down, and the right Lavender for you will certainly bring a smile to your face.