ACTION: Antiseptic, analgesic, antitumoral, anticonvulsant, sedative, anti-inflammatory. Lavender essential oil is beneficial for cleansing cuts and wounds and is ideal for skin care, since it prevents the build up of excess sebum, a skin oil that bacteria feed on. Lavender has also been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects.
TRADITIONAL USES: The French scientist Rene Gatefosse was the first to discover Lavenders ability to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing when he severely burned his arm in a laboratory accident. He immediately immersed his arm into a bowl of liquid sitting on a table near him.
The liquid was Lavender essential oil. The pain quickly went away and the wound healed in a short time without scarring. Today, Lavender essential oil is one of the few essential oils to still be listed in the British Pharmacopoeia.
INDICATIONS: Burns (cell renewal), sunburns (including lips), dandruff, hair loss, allergies, convulsions, herpes, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, high blood pressure, menopausal conditions, nausea, phlebitis, tumors, premenstrual conditions, scarring (minimizes), skin conditions (acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes) and stretch marks. It may be used to cleanse cuts, bruises, and skin irritations
FRAGRANCE INFUENCE: Calming, relaxing, and balancing, both physically and emotionally.University of Miami researchers found that inhalation of lavender oil increased beta waves in the brain, suggesting heightened relaxation. It also reduced depression and improved cognitive performance (Diego et al., 1998)
Aromatherapy uses Lavender essential oil when treating psychological problems such as nervousness, insomnia, stress, depression, melancholy, fear and irritability. This oil helps stimulate and regenerate the nervous system and bring a feeling of calm
OTHER USES: Lavender is a universal oil with many different applications. It may help arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, convulsions, depression, earaches, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, hives (urticaria), insect bites, laryngitis, nervous tension, respiratory infections, rheumatism, and throat infections.
A Note Caution: If you are going to put Lavender essential oil on a burn you had better make sure it is 100% therapeutic grade essential oil from a reputable company you trust!
When you actually have a burn that you are trying to treat with Lavender essential oil and you are unknowingly instead putting more caustic chemicals onto your burn this can be serious trouble.
Lavender essential oil that is produced commercially is often distilled for only 15 minutes with a steam temperature of up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 155 pounds of pressure. Although the oil is easily marketed and sold, it is of very poor quality.
Some people are more concerned about the price than the quality. You can easily sell inexpensive Lavender essential oil if you can produce a pound of oil in 15 minutes instead of a pound of oil in an hour an a half by using lower heat and lower pressure to preserve the integrity of the oil.
In the larger fields of the world at distillation time, you can see chemical trucks hooked into the distillers pumping solvents into the water already in the boiler. This increases oil production by as much as 18 percent.
However, when you put a chemical in the water and force it with steam into the plant, it causes a fracturing of the molecular structure of the oil, altering its fragrance and constituents. Also you cannot separate the chemicals from the oil after they come through the condenser.
Today most of the Lavender oil sold in America is a hybrid called Lavandin, grown and distilled in China, Russia and Tasmania. It is brought into France, cut with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the fragrance, added to propylene glycol or SD 40, DEP, and DOP (solvents that increase the volume), and then sold in the US as lavender oil.
Oftentimes Lavandin is heated to flash off the camphor, and then synthetic linolyl acetate is added so that it appears as lavender. Consumers do not know the difference and are happy to buy Lavandin for $5 to $7 per half ounce in health food stores, and through mail order.
These synthetic and adulterated oils can cause rashes, burns, or other irritations. We wonder why we do not get the benefits we were expecting and conclude that essential oils do not have much value. When synthetic fragrance constituents are added, the essential oil becomes weaker and weaker with each stage of distillation.
Many people have jumped on the bandwagon because of the money making potential they see in essential oils. They buy cheap oils, rebottle them, label them as 100 percent pure essential oils, and market them without ever knowing their origin or who was responsible for distillation.
It is critical to make sure you are using 100% therapeutic grade essential oils from a reputable company that you trust.
To ensure that you are getting therapeutic-grade essential oils, find a company that submits their oils for routine testing by independent laboratories and whose oils are from organic source, distilled without chemical solvents at minimum temperatures and pressures, and are bottled straight from the still with no alterations or adulterations.
Oils with warnings on them about potential toxicity are probably not therapeutic or safe to use, except in massage, where they are diluted down to a 2-5% concentration in neutral carrier oil. The proof of an oils quality is in its manifested benefits when you use it.
A few ideas of the many ways to use 100% Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential Oil:
Rub Lavender oil on the feet for a calming effect on the body.
Rub a drop of Lavender oil on your palms and smooth on your pillow to help you sleep.
Put a drop of Lavender oil on a bee sting or insect bite to stop itching and reduce swelling.
Put 2-3 drops of Lavender oil on a minor burn to decrease pain.
Mix several drops of Lavender oil with V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil and use topically on eczema and dermatitis.
To alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness, place a drop of Lavender oil on the end of the tongue or around the naval or behind the ears.
To stop a nosebleed, put a drop of Lavender oil on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice. Push the tissue covered ice chip up under the middle of the top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until the bleeding stops (do not freeze the lip or gum).
Rub a drop of Lavender oil over the bridge of the nose to unblock tear ducts.
Rub Lavender oil on dry or chapped skin
Rub a drop of Lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips.
To reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender oil on and around the affected area
Rub 2 to 4 drops of Lavender oil over the armpit area to act as a deodorant.
Rub a drop of Lavender oil between your palms and inhale deeply to help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever.
Rub several drops of Lavender oil into the scalp to help eliminate dandruff.
Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and place in your linen closet to scent the linens and repel moths and insects.
Place a drop of Lavender oil in your water fountain to scent the air, kill bacteria and prolong the time between cleanings.
Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and throw into the dryer, which will deodorize and freshen your laundry.
Put a drop of Lavender oil on a cold sore.
Diffuse Lavender oil to alleviate the symptoms of allergies.
Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn to decrease pain.
Drop Lavender oil on a cut to clean the wound and kill bacteria.
Apply 2-3 drops of Lavender oil to a rash to stop the itching and heal the skin.
PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article is based solely on the use of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils due to their high quality and tested purity.
The use of a brand of uncertain quality and/or purity will provide you with potentially dangerous, if not lethal, results. The author assumes no responsibility for your improper use of this information.
The statements about these oils have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Interest and motivation for creating a completely 'green' household is on the rise as awareness grows of the many potential hazards in the synthetic chemicals found in our modern lifestyles. Here are a few tips on going green by going 'purple', with the extremely versatile essential oil of Lavender. The flowering, fragrant purple tops of Lavender yield an essential oil that's inexpensive, and has diverse uses for your family's health and wellness. In many cases, Lavender can replace synthetic formulations that you just might not feel comfortable with for long-term use -- as you have little idea what the ingredients really are, if you are even able to pronounce them. So what can this wonder oil do? Let's have a look at some of its most common, simple to use applications.
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 in general. 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 lab rats, hamsters and mice in many university 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.
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 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 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, and is useful for many itchy and irritated skin conditions as well.
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.
Getting a nice, sweet Lavender essential oil is important when using it for stress reduction and as a sleep aid. Some Lavender's are labeled 'high-elevation'; this is because the plant produces a higher concentration of the more floral components of the oil when grown in mountainous regions. The most lovely aromatically are typically from France -- these oils might be higher-priced, but are worth it for these uses, especially as you only need a little at a time. If buying the oil for antiseptic and anti-inflammation, a medium quality oil can be acceptable. Looking for a real bargain is likely to be counterproductive, as a mass-produced poor quality oil will not have the same stress-relieving therapeutic effects no matter how much you use. The finer the oil, the less you're likely to need in any application -- and the more likely you and your family will make a lifelong friend with Lavender.
Both Ben Needles & Michael South are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ben Needles has sinced written about articles on various topics from Business Credit Cards, Anger Control and Business Credit Cards. About the Author (text)Rebecca Noel is the author of The Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Info Blog where you can find out everything you could possibly want to know about essential oils and their uses. With category links to aromathera. Ben Needles's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.
Michael South has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aromatherapy, Chocolate and Health and Essential Oils. The author is a regular contributor to natural health sites and ezines on the topics of . He may be contacted through www.a. Michael South's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.