Essential Oils

Lavender Essential Oil For Relaxing Aromatherapy

Lavender is a flowering plant that is widely grown in gardens. Flower spikes are used in dried flower arrangements. The fragrant, pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris and dried and sealed in pouches, they are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and used as a deterrent to moths as well. The plant is also grown commercially for extraction of lavender oil from the flowers. This oil is used as an antiseptic and for aromatherapy.

For many years lavender essential oil has been used in the production of perfumes and for aromatherapy treatments. The lavender scent has a calming quality which helps to reduce anxiety and aid in relaxation. The oil comes from the distillation of flower spikes from specific lavender plants. It is one of the more popular and widely used essential oils in the world today. This oil is used in many commercial products to help with numerous skin ailments. Lavender essential oil is also used to help relieve the pain of migraine headaches when breathed in as a vapor or diluted and rubbed on the temples or other pressure points. When lavender essential oil is added to a vaporizer, the oil can help treat cough and respiratory infections. Another interesting use for lavender essential oil is a mosquito repellent. When worn as a perfume or added to lotions or hair products, this oil will naturally repel mosquitoes and other pesky insects. Before the invention of mosquito repellant, lavender essential oils were all that people had to rid themselves of these insects which explains why it is included in the commercial repellants today.

Lavender As a First Aid Use

There are many holistic first aid uses for lavender essential oil. Diluted or undiluted, the oil may be used as an antiseptic and pain reliever when applied to minor burns, stings and insect bites. It is used for the treatment of sunstroke and sunburn. When lavender essential oil is added to chamomile, it is an effective treatment for eczema. Lavender essential massage oils are effective for the treatment of muscle and joint pain, and chest rubs can provide relief of asthmatic and bronchitis spasms. This oil is also used as a treatment for head lice. Undiluted oil on a comb will eliminate nits.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that lavender essential oil may play a role in the reduction of advanced mammary tumors in lab rats. Researchers are constantly looking into potential breast, liver, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer treatments with the involvement of lavender essential oils.

France is highly known for its many perfumes and emollients which are derived from and with lavender essential oil. There are certain areas of France that are covered with acres and acres of lavender. Lavender from this area of the world is highly fragrant and tourists flock to these areas yearly. It is no wonder that with all of its properties and fragrance, that lavender essential oil is the most popular of the essential oils.

So as you can see, lavender essential oil is one of the few oils that has many different uses. You can use it for anything from first aid, to relaxation, to a natural insect repellent. Having small children, I find it comforting to know that I can rub some natural, organic lavender on them instead of some harsh, chemical pesticide before I send them outside to play. Lavender is truly a versatile plant.