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 History
Lavender can take most of the credit for the revival and interest in aromatherapy today. At different stages in history Lavender has been valued for its impressive healing powers and it is these healing properties that make it one of our most important essential oils. Not only is it a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-depressant, sedative and de-toxifier, it is also able to promote healing and prevent scarring.
Through the ages lavender has been recommended for just about every complain known to mankind! It was even used by the ancient Greeks, for throat infections, constipation and chest complaints. A favorite for health and beauty for over 2,500 years! Some believe it to have been taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. The Romans were big lavender lovers and used lavender oils for bathing, cooking, and scenting the air. This seductive scent was said to be used by Cleopatra to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Widely used in perfumes and other scented products for centuries, royal history also is filled with stories of lavender use. Charles VI of France demanded lavender filled pillows wherever he went. Queen Elizabeth I of England required lavender conserve at the royal table. She also wanted fresh lavender flowers available every day of the year, a daunting task for a gardener if you consider the climate of England. Louis XIV also loved lavender and bathed in water scented with it. Queen Victoria used a lavender deodorant and, Elizabeth I and II both used products from the famous lavender company Yardley and Co. of London.
The Romans put lavender flower heads in their communal baths, probably as much as an antiseptic as for their fragrance! Many medieval European herbalists advised the use of lavender water to prevent head lice, and for centuries lavender flowers have been tied into small bundles and placed in laundry to make it smell fresh and keep moths away. Bundles of lavender was also placed on pillows to make them smell sweet and to deter bed bugs!
Important Things You Need To Know:
Aromatherapists usually prefer common lavender (known as Lavendula angustifolia, Lavendula officinallis or Lavandula vera). Common lavender shouldn’t be confused with lavandin or spike lavender, both or which have different effects on the body and mind. Although rarely available, avoid essential oil made from Lavendula stoechas, as this doesn’t have the same properties as common lavender and is not suitable for home use.
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The must have oil for all general purposes.
The Discovery of Lavender's Healing Properties
At the beginning of this century, the significance of lavender’s natural healing properties moved aromatherapy into a new era. Chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse was working in his father’s perfume and cosmetic factory when there was a small explosion and Gattefosse’s hand was burnt. He immersed it in neat lavender oil and to his astonishment, his hand quickly healed and showed no sign of infection or scarring.
Intrigued by his own experience, Gattefosse decided to collate all the available research on the medicinal qualities of different essential oils and carrier oils and carried out further research himself. Eventually in 1937 he published his book Aromatherapie, so giving us the word ‘aromatherapy’.
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About The Plants
The lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and east to India. The genus includes annuals, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs. The native range extends across the Canary Islands, North and East Africa, south Europe and the Mediterranean, Arabia, and India. The south of France is still the main producer of lavender. For many years lavender was gathered from the hillsides by shepherds and local people who sold it to the perfumers in Grasse. In the 1950s, however, with demand for the oil increasing, cultivation was stepped up and lavender fields containing neat rows of bushes were introduced. So great is the call for lavender in recent years that it is now grown in places such as China and Tasmania. England also has a history of lavender growing. This aromatic herb was known by the ancient Greeks as Nardus, taken from Naarda a city of Syria; it was also commonly called Nard. |
What Do You Use Lavender For?
Most essential oils need diluting in a carrier oil (e.g. grapeseed or sweet almond oil, etc.) before use, but lavender is exceptional because it’s so gentle you can use it neat in many instances. A drop on the cushion pad of a plaster, for example, can speed up the healing process and can protect the skin from infection. A drop on your pillow, or a few drops in a bath, at night-time can aid sleep and, if you get nervous or anxious, you can put a drop on a cotton wool pad and sniff it throughout the day to calm frazzled nerves.
By itself lavender’s distinctive but light, floral aroma has a calming effect on the mind and the oil is helpful for its ability to bring both mind and body back into a state of balance, so that healing can take place.
Use in a massage blend or in the bath, lavender is also good for muscular pain, whether causeed by tension, exercise or rheumatism. Massaged gently into the lower abdomen, lavender will also help relieve menstrual pain. Lavender’s gentle nature makes it ideal for children and babies too. Lavender is useful for soothing temper tantrums and upsets.
Lavender is reportedly a healing oil and can be applied to the skin on an open wound undiluted (Gattefosse): the use of the deterpinated oil was advised for maximum benefit. Lavender oil has carminative properties and has been used to treat flatulence and colic, given on a sugar lump (dose 0.3 - 1.2ml) or as a compound tincture. Lavender oil is also applied externally as an insect repellant.
The maximum accepted daily intake of the componants linalool and linalyl acetate were established at 500µg per kg body weight per day.
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Anti-Cancer Effects of Lavender
Anti-Anxiety Effects of Lavender |
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The overall action of Lavender oil is both calming and regenerating. It's a profound effect, as our bodies need to be relieved of stress in order to heal, and lead healthy lives. The sweet smell alone bestows calm on folks of all ages; from the little ones all wound up when it's time for bed, to the wizened generation whom may be recovering from illness or loss. It has done the same for many creatures in laboratory studies. And this effect may be the most simple to produce, too. For personal use, you only need to inhale deeply from a bottle, or dab a couple drops on your wrists to get a little whiff of the scent now and then. There are several styles of essential oil diffusers available which release aroma into the air. Almost every one will work for stress reduction; it just takes a hint of Lavender in the air to have its effect - the scent needn't be so strong that those not expecting become distracted by the aroma.
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 little 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 turns on for a few minutes every hour. Gently meditate on 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. The wild grown variety may be the best for sleep and stress relief, with its high linalool content.
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, 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, and is useful for many itchy and irritated skin conditions as well.
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