Lavender Essential Oil - How can you use it at home?

Lavender (lavandula augustifolia) is a flowering herb of the mint family and is native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean.

The origins of Lavender

The word Lavender stems from the Latin word lavare which means to wash. Ancient Romans used this beautiful plant with its sweet, floral, woody scent as a bath time cleanser and to speed the healing of wounds. Ancient Egyptians used it in the mummification process by wrapping the bodies of their dead in lavender dipped garments.

Since the 18th century lavender has been highly regarded for the skin and beauty and has been commonly used in fragrances, soaps and shampoos to help wash and purify the skin.

During World War 1, lavender essential oil was used as an antiseptic and disinfectant in treating the soldiers’ wounds and for sterilising medical equipment.

Lavender has been used by the Egyptians, Romans and Victorians

The medical applications of Lavender

There are many medicinal properties associated with lavender essential oil which is made by the distillation of the flower spikes of certain species of the plant.

Unlike other essential oils, which need to be diluted in a carrier or base oil, lavender is so gentle it can be used neat in some circumstances.

You can usually find the little bottles of this amazing essential oil in health food shops or there are plenty of on-line suppliers so that YOU could use this versatile essential oil at home for you and your family. Some of the uses that lavender essential oil can be used for are listed below.

Cuts, grazes, bug bites, minor burns and scalds, athletes foot - lavender essential oil has antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti fungal properties, so pop a drop on the cushion pad of a plaster to soothe, offer protection to the skin from infection and to speed up the healing process..

Acne - seems to respond well to lavender essential oil as it inhibits the bacteria that cause the initial infection and it helps regulate the over-secretion of pore clogging sebum. To treat acne, take some damp cotton buds, put a few drops of lavender oil on your clean hand, dip the cotton bud in a little of it and apply (ONLY) to the spots.

Eczema- NHS research at the Sir John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford found that using 2-3 daily drops of essential lavender oil to treat eczema was effective.

Sleep - A drop on the pillow at night time or a few of drops in a hot bath before bed time can help you have a restful sleep.

Low energy/mood - a few drops in a cool bath will energise and refresh you or inhale a few drops from a tissue to clear the head and lift the spirits.

Relaxation and anti anxiety - a few drops of lavender essential oil with water in an oil burner will help to relax and calm you. Researchers at Kings College in London found that dental patients exposed to lavender scent in the waiting room reported lower levels of anxiety compared to the other patients who were not. The calming effect of lavender was present regardless of the type of dental work that patients were having done.

Essential lavender oil is perfectly safe for use in your own home so why not treat yourself and start to benefit from its various and wonderful properties today?!