Oh, the wonderful, magical herb that is Lavender!! If my son had been a girl, he would have been named Lavender, I kid you not π . The actual word, “lavender”, brings a smile to my face because I love it THAT much! Why all the lavender love? Let’s find out! β¨πβ¨
Lavender essential oil, aka, Lavandula angustifolia, is a historically prized essential oil for its multitude of uses, benefits, and for its incredible versatility for skin, hair, and overall health! Most commonly, lavender essential oil is known for its relaxing effect on the body, helping to ease tension and stress. This is just the very beginning of the immense properties that Lavender essential oil can offer! Read on to learn about ALL the amazing benefits! πβ¨
*This post contains both affiliate & non-affiliated links; I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use the links I provide. Read my full disclosure hereπβ¨*
What makes Lavender Unique?
- This beautiful, purple-hued plant has powerful benefits ranging from relieving tension and soothing the nerves, to its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic and antibacterial properties!
- Some studies I found reported that lavender essential oil can be an effective treatment for medical conditions dealing with neurological disorders of the nervous system, while other studies have shown that lavender essential oil can help with insomnia, hair loss, anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain. Wow, that’s a lot right there and I’m only getting started! π
- Additionally, across many cultures, lavender EO (Essential Oil) has been used profusely as a mood balancer to relieve tension and soothe the nerves. It’s an incredible oil for aromatherapy, and works wonders to treat acne, sores and joint pain to boot! It is also used as a remedy for depression, migraine headaches, toothaches, sprains and nerve pain.
- Adding a few drops of the oil in bathwater is said to boost blood circulation and improve mental well-being. *Please keep in mind that itβs harmful to ingest lavender essential oil (even if you read otherwise online); you can only apply it topically on your skin or hair. It is, however, perfectly safe to drink the dried lavender herb in the form of herbal tea, like this one or this one. *
Intrigued, yet? I certainly am!
What is Aromatherapy?
- First, let’s get into some aromatherapy properties and briefly review what aromatherapy actually is and how it functions in the body to produce these purported effects that I’ll list in further detail down below.
- According to aromatherapy practitioners, inhaling essential oil molecules, or absorbing essential oils through the skin topically allow the oil molecules to transmit messages to the limbic system β a brain region responsible for controlling emotions and influencing the nervous system. These messages are believed to affect biological factors such as heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, andΒ immune function.
- In a nutshell: essential oils have the ability to calm our minds, uplift our spirits, give us a grounding sense, and may even have aphrodisiac properties! πππ Topically, essential oils are used for a myriad of symptoms & reasons: pain relief, wound healing, bug bites, cramps, etc. A perfect example of this is how effective lavender essential oil is at treating sunburn and skin over-exposed to sun that’s on the verge of sunburn.
Over the summer, my lavender essential oil infused body oil has been a LIFESAVER when it comes to sunburn since I get notably red just from taking my dog for a walk around the block (I know, it’s ridiculous π). As a mom with an active boy, I get more outside time than I ever did in my life, so I’ve been putting this to the test and it hands down works like no other essential oil combo I’ve tried in the past for sunburn. My skin hasn’t peeled once this summer and it’s almost September as I write this! πWhenever I get pinkish-red and feel the heat on my skin, I slather on copious amounts of lavender essential oil in a carrier oil, like this one or this one and my skin is so much better in the morning! π
In terms of aromatherapy, lavender essential oil has many, many uses! Lavender essential oil is extracted through steam distillation from the flowers of the lavender herb. The fresh, clean, floral aroma of this essential oil has the power to calm restless minds, helping one to de-stress and RELAX.
I might be a bit biased, but lavender is hands down one of my all time favorite scents in the entire world that always helps me feel connected to the earth, grounded, and motivated to take deep, therapeutic breathes. My pre-schooler LOVES the smell of lavender, as well, and it’s become a big part of our daily routine to tame tantrums, boost our immune systems, for bug bites, wounds, rashes, and just the calming sensorial experience of spritzing lavender hydrosol in the mornings, before naptime/bedtime, and any time we need a boost!
Oh, that reminds me! Lavender essential oil is also an AMAZING bug repellent!! Mosquitoes simply can’t stand the stuff! So, not only is it good to apply if you do get a bug bite, due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it actually helps keep those pesky buggers away from you in the first place! I love Twinkle Apothecary’s Bug Away line because it’s safe for both me and my 3.5 year old (and you can save $5 off your first order here!).
Before I get into more benefits of lavender essential oil, I just want to quickly relay the difference between the real deal essential oil and the term they might put on packaging to trick you into thinking it’s the real deal.
Lavender Essential Oil vs “lavender oil”
- Lavender essential oil (EO for short) is not to be confused with “lavender oil”—this is just a general term used to describe the scent, which can be artificially derived, full of chemicals with absolutely none of the benefits of the essential oil simply to cut costs–so always look for lavender essential oil specifically on the bottle before making a purchase.
- Also, beware of cheap brands found at the supermarket or drugstores that can be made with low-grade oils or cheap fillers, as well as hidden synthetic ingredients. Lavender is still one of the most affordable essential oils on the market, so don’t worry! I’ll also list my carefully selected recommendations at the end of this post. π
Benefits of lavender essential oil:
Stress Relief:
- Studies show the inhalation of lavender has a soothing and calming effect on the nervous system, making it a great natural alternative for alleviating stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Nausea Relief:
- Studies have demonstrated that inhaling lavender scent can relieve feelings of nausea or motion sickness.
Pain Relief:
- Lavender EO can help ease muscles, joint pain, sprains and backache. Simply massage lavender EO mixed with a carrier oil onto the affected area. Lavender EO may also help lessen pain following needle insertion.
- Recent research says that inhaling lavender scent or massaging the oil into the temples, forehead, and neck (specifically behind your ears) can treat headaches/migraines.
- Applying lavender oil to the abdomen during your menstrual cycle can help alleviate menstrual cramps.Β
Skin Concerns/Issues:
- Lavender EO can help in treating skin problems like acne, eczema and wrinkles. It also helps form scar tissue, which is an essential process in healing wounds, cuts and burns. Lavender can also help in healing insect bites and itchy skin. Lavender is also wonderful at treating sunburn as I mentioned above!
- Lavender EO is packed with antioxidants that protect and nourish your skin, making it a perfect addition to any skincare formula.
- Lavender’s antimicrobial and antifungal properties make it an excellent choice to combat a cold sore.
- Lavender is antimicrobial and antibacterial. so it can be used to treat an acne flare-up or keep it at bay. My favorite carrier oil for my acne-prone skin is hemp seed oil or rosehip seed oil, which I mix with my favorite lavender essential oil. Applying a dilution of lavender oil and witch hazel and/or your chosen carrier oil to a wound can help stimulate cell regeneration and help heal the wound faster. I have chronic acne that I’ve battled since puberty and lavender is one of my go-to essential oils in my skincare routine!
- Consistently using a carrier oil with lavender EO in the formula can also minimize the appearance of sunspots.
- Lavender is an anti-inflammatory, so it can be used to relieve inflamed and itchy skin caused by eczema or insect bites. I’ve found that when it comes to eczema, my skin is so sensitive that I need to use a very low concentration of essential oil to yield a positive effect. Less is more in the case of really thin, fragile eczema prone skin!
- Healthy Hair:
- Lavender oil helps kill lice, lice eggs, and nits. Lavender is potentially effective for treating hair loss (hey, it’s worth a try!), boosting hair growth by up to 44 percent after just seven months of treatment, according to one study. Give it a go and keep me posted in the comments below! I know my husband got really excited when I told him about this finding!
- I also found recommendations to mix lavender EO with olive oil, castor oil, or any preferred oil of your choice, and massage it into the scalp to get rid of dandruff and other scalp imbalances, such as overactive oil glands. Lavender also stimulates blood circulation, which is why it is purported to greatly improve hair growth when applied to the scalp in an olive oil mixture.
Digestion Health:
- Lavender EO helps increase motility in the intestines and stimulates the production of bile and gastric juices, which is vital in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Therefore, lavender EO may help treat stomach pain, indigestion, colic, vomiting and diarrhea. Remember, please don’t ingest the oil. Rather, apply topically and/or diffuse with a diffuser or vaporizer.
Respiratory Health:
- Lavender EO’s antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties can help fight respiratory issues such as the common cold, flu, throat infections, cough, asthma, whooping cough, sinus congestion, bronchitis, tonsillitis and laryngitis. It can be applied on your neck, chest, or back, or inhaled via steam inhalation or diffused.
- Every Flu season in the Fall and Winter, I diffuse lavender throughout the house and in my son’s room daily. Now, after the covid-19 pandemic, lavender essential oil has been a daily staple all year round to keep our immune system strong! **Lavender is one of the few essential oils safe enough for babies (diluted or just a drop or two in a diffuser).**
Improves Blood Flow/Circulation:
- It helps lower elevated blood pressure levels, and can be used for reducing hypertension.
Uplifts Mood:
- The fragrance of lavender is very refreshing, which acts as a natural mood booster and has been found to have anti-depressant properties, as well as being helpful in relieving anxiety, stress, and tension. We can ALL use some of that in the midst of a global pandemic, right? Give me ALL the lavender!! π€
Improves sleep/insomnia:
- Lavender essential oil is touted as one of the best natural remedies to treat insomnia. Using lavender EO improves the overall quality of sleep by 60% which includes the length of sleep, time it took to fall asleep and reduced symptoms of insomnia. Adding a few drops of lavender EO to a diffuser next to your bed at night can help relax the mind and the body andΒ improve your overall sleep.
My Top Lavender Recommendations:
- Plant Therapy Lavender Oil is the best essential oil brand I’ve been able to find that’s also conveniently available on Amazon and it’s a brand I truly trust. It’s just as high quality as overpriced brands like Doterra or Young Living without the huge markup due to their MLM scheme.
- For the BEST Lavender Essential Oil produced by a small, female owned Canadian company is from Living Libations and they have a whole line of beautiful, carefully crafted skincare using plant-based oils and essential oils for different purposes and skin-care needs.
- I also highly recommend the Germ Destroyer Blend, which is comprised of Lavender, as well as other top immune boosting essential oils! Here is the Kid Safe Germ Destroyer blend, which is what I personally diffuse every day during cold and flu season, as well as throughout the current pandemic.
- Keep in mind, the term, “therapeutic grade” is not FDA regulated, so any brand can slap that term on their label. Plant Therapy has undergone lots of third party testing to ensure their products are the real deal!
- My favorite body oil with JUST Lavender Essential oil (you can always experiment with blends of different oils, but if you’d like to just try one oil at a time and keep things simple, especially if you want to use it for your small children), Twinkle Apothecary has a Lavender Body Oil that is heavenly and works wonders to moisturize without leaving a greasy residue! (You can save $5 off your first order using my referral link)
Favorite Diffuser Recommendations:
I’ve been diffusing essential oils for nearly a decade and I’ve tried A LOT of different types of diffusers from super cheap to super pricey. Here’s what has worked the best, priced from low to high.
This diffuser doubles as a humidifier and is the least expensive option with the best ratings within this price range.
This is the diffuser I’ve been using for the past 4 years in my living room and it’s the one I also have in my son’s room. I love how quiet it is and that it offers an auto-shut off feature with different diffusing time options.
This is the nebulizer diffuser I use in my bedroom and is considered the gold-standard of diffusers because it doesn’t use water at all, so you’re getting the most benefits out of the essential oils you choose to use. A nebulizer also allows for the aromatherapy properties to last as long as possible (with other diffusers, the scent will fade in a few hours).
To Sum Things Up:
- The amazing, almost magical benefits of Lavender simply can’t be understated! The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-microbrial properties provide seemingly infinite possibilities when it comes to the many, many uses of Lavender essential oil! From pain relief to immune boosting health properties, to the potential of increasing hair growth, what CAN’T lavender do?!
- Well, it can’t make me fly, unfortunately….π But, the scent of lavender itself evokes visions of fairy tale happily ever afters coming true. The scent itself may not be everyone’s cup of tea–I find people tend to LOVE it or aren’t the biggest fans of the clean, fresh, herbal floral scent that is lavender. Whichever camp you fall into, these 30+ Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil certainly speak for themselves in the realm of plant-healing power! ππβ¨
If you think I’ve missed any major lavender benefits, I’d love to hear your recommendations of what you’ve used it for! Learning and growing together is what the Green Living/Holistic Wellness Community is all about! π
Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before using essential oils to treat any medical concerns.
Don’t miss these related posts!
Guide to Twinkle Apothecary’s Natural Perfume that Doubles as Aromatherapy with Scent Descriptions!
Favorite Nostalgic, Natural Perfume Picks for Fall!
6 Effective Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety During the Pandemic
10 EASY & Effective Tips to Reduce Stress & Anxiety ON THE GO!
I truly hope you’ve found some inspiration in this post! The world of plant healing offers such a wide array of benefits, it’s simply amazing to experience it first hand and share it with the world! Nature has so many gifts for us to heal, to nurture our spirits, and to flourish in life!
Don’t forget to sign up for my email list to get notifications of new posts to inspire and empower you to achieve your ultimate Holistic Health and Wellness! ππβ¨
Love & Light,
Julie πβ¨
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