Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils out there, especially in aromatherapy. It has a long history of use, and its popularity has endured for thousands of years. Both the plant and the essential oil it produces are versatile and have a variety of uses and benefits, from relieving stress to protecting against dementia.
The oil is effective in inducing relaxation, which can help manage anxiety as well as insomnia. While these relaxing effects are what lavender oil is best known for, it actually has antiseptic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties as well. Thus, lavender oil has a number of other applications and uses that may surprise you.
If you want to make sure that what you're buying is indeed pure lavender oil, check the bottle's label. If it includes the scientific name of the plant that the essential oil is from, in this case Lavandula angustifolia, then what you have in your hands is real lavender oil.
Aroma Foundry ensures that our essential oils remain pure and undiluted, right from the moment of distillation until the moment of use. Check out our lavender essential oil and see for yourself!
We did a side-by-side comparison with two of the world's biggest essential oil brands.
History
Lavender has been used for over 2,500 years. Ancient Persians, Greeks, and Romans used to add lavender flowers to their bath water for purification. Many ancient texts say that these ancient civilizations also used lavender for medicinal and religious purposes. The Greeks and Romans burned lavender incense to please their gods, while the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Arabians used lavender as a perfume and a disinfectant. The plant also played a role in mummification.
Interestingly, the word “lavender” comes from the Latin word “lavare,” which means “to wash.”
In medieval times, meanwhile, lavender flowers were scattered on castle floors to ward off infections and bad odors. During the Great Plague of London, people believed that tying sprigs of lavender around their waist can protect them against the dreaded Black Death.
Lavender plants once only grew throughout northern Africa and the Mediterranean region, where they were considered essential to both people and wildlife.
Though lavender is native to northern Africa and the mountainous Mediterranean regions, it now grows throughout southern Europe, the United States, and Australia. It is now also used in many places around the world, be it as a garden herb, an ingredient in potpourri, or the source of its essential oil.
The lavender plants that give Aroma Foundry their essential oil are grown in fields right here at home in the United States. 49 out of 50 states grow lavender, and we didn't need to look far to find the highest-quality essential oil we can get our hands on. Even so, we were meticulous in making sure that we work only with the most dependable supplier.
We have high standards of quality, and it's only in this way that we can make sure that we give you the best oils to choose from.
Uses and Benefits
Lavender oil typically comes from the lavender species Lavandula angustifolia, an evergreen shrub that is easy to grow and produces clumps of beautiful violet flowers that have a pleasant aroma. The oil derived from these lavender flowers is one of the most useful, popular, and widely-used essential oils in the world.
It has a chemically complex structure, boasting over 150 active ingredients. It is also rich in esters, which are aromatic molecules with antispasmodic, calming, and stimulating properties.
The regular use of lavender essential oil in the home may provide resistance to a variety of diseases, since research has shown lavender oil to have antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help strengthen the body's immunity against diseases. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help manage certain symptoms and illnesses. Read on to find out more about lavender’s specific uses and benefits.
Improving sleep
Known for its calming aroma, lavender essential oil is used to help induce sleep.
If you’re struggling with insomnia, there are a lot of ways to be able to improve your quality of sleep. You can exercise, cut down on caffeine, avoid electronics an hour before bed, and reduce stress. However, lavender oil can also make it on that list -- as a bonus, it isn’t a hassle to use and you can easily incorporate it into your daily life.
Lavender essential oil’s calming scent has the ability to induce sleep. Thus, the oil is often used as an alternative treatment to insomnia and restlessness. Maybe you’re struggling with insomnia, but you can’t take sleeping pills for one reason or another. Lavender oil can be a good alternative or complement to medication.
You can put a few drops of lavender oil in a diffuser before you go to bed, and you can also just take a whiff of the oil to help you relax. It can also be used as an ingredient in massage oil, as long as you make sure not to use too much. You should also remember to dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut oil to avoid skin irritation.
If you’re the type that likes to relax in warm baths, there’s a way for to incorporate lavender oil into bath time. Check out the recipe section below for a lavender bath salts recipe.
Repelling insects
While the scent of lavender can be enticing to humans, it can actually repel mosquitoes and other irritating insects. Thus, if you apply lavender oil on the exposed parts of your skin before going outside, you’ll be able to roam around freely without worrying about bug bites.
However, make sure that if you use pure and undiluted lavender oil on your bare skin, you’ll use only a few drops. Of course, a few drops may not be enough to completely ward of insects, so you can dilute lavender oil in a carrier oil to make it safer to use on your skin.
The oil also has anti-inflammatory purposes. This means that if you’ve already been bitten by an insect and there are red and bumpy spots on your skin, you can apply lavender oil to reduce the irritation and itching. Even just a drop of lavender oil on an insect bite can already provide immediate relief.
Nourishing the scalp and hair
Our hair and scalp can take quite a beating on a day-to-day basis. There are a lot of pollutants in the air, and our hair is exposed to all of them whenever we go out. There are also hair products and hair treatments that can be quite drying and irritating to the scalp. Aside from this, lice infestations are also possible.
While there are products that can deal with these problems, there are times that it may be best to just step back from these products and all their harsh chemicals. Fortunately, lavender oil is a natural alternative that can not only help you improve the health of your hair and scalp, but get rid of head lice as well.
Because lavender oil has antifungal properties, it can help get rid of Malassezia fungi, which is the culprit behind dandruff. If you’re struggling with dandruff, lavender oil will be able to stop the spread of this fungi on your scalp.
Lavender oil is also anti-inflammatory, which can help you prevent other scalp issues. Because lavender oil can also repel insects, it can protect your hair and scalp from an infestation of head lice and their eggs.
Inducing calmness
Lavandula angustifolia is easy to grow, and it produces the graceful violet flowers used to make lavender essential oil.
The calming scent of lavender essential oil makes it a very effective tonic for anxiety and any ailments that are associated with it. With anxiety often comes depression, stress, and nervous tension. Fortunately, the aroma of lavender oil has been proven to be able to help manage restlessness and nervous exhaustion.
We all get anxious at times, and we all have different ways to deal with it. Some do breathing exercises, while some practice mindfulness or meditation. Lavender oil can help soothe feelings of anxiety as well, and you can use it in conjunction with other ways of dealing with anxiety. For example, you can put the oil in a diffuser while meditating or practicing your breathing exercises.
Keeping a bottle of lavender oil on hand can help you get through situations that make you anxious. Aroma Foundry’s lavender oil is high-quality and 100% pure, which means that you’ll be able to enjoy the the full range of what lavender oil has to offer.
Which other essential oils can help you induce calmness?
Keeping blood pressure down
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is something that’s present in many people. While it can be a manageable condition, it does have the potential to trigger worse ailments. When the flow of blood through the arteries is at a higher pressure, it can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
Luckily, lavender oil has an active ingredient called linalool, which can help keep blood pressure down. You simply have to inhale the scent of lavender oil, and the linalool can take effect.
Of course, it’s important to remember that lavender oil can only help manage hypertension. It is not a cure, and it cannot manage hypertension on its own. Thus, if you have hypertension, it’s best to follow your doctor’s advice when it comes to stress, diet, and exercise. You should also consult your doctor before using lavender oil for medicinal purposes.
Managing neurological damage and disorders
A stroke is very serious and can be potentially fatal. It disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, which leads to the death of brain cells. In turn, this can lead to paralysis or even death.
However, many can survive a stroke and eventually recover with the help of therapy. There is evidence that lavender oil can be helpful as a therapeutic agent in stroke patients, and can be a good addition to a stroke patient’s recovery process. It has neuroprotective properties that can help with the improvement of brain functions, which is vital in stroke patients.
These neuroprotective properties also enable lavender oil to help protect against dementia. Dementia patients can also use lavender oil to help them manage their symptoms better.
Which other essential oils can help with cognitive function?
Relieving respiratory problems
Lavender oil can help relieve respiratory problems like colds, the flu, throat infections, cough, asthma, whooping cough, sinus congestion, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. The oil is able to stimulate and loosen up phlegm, which relieves the congestion associated with respiratory conditions. This can speed up recovery and help the body naturally eliminate phlegm. This is due to lavender oil’s antibacterial properties, which can help fight the bacteria causing respiratory problems.
You can apply the oil to your neck, chest, or back. However, be sure to apply only a few drops of pure lavender oil, though it's best to dilute it with a carrier oil to avoid skin irritation. You can also diffuse or vaporize the oil, or add a some drops to a tub of hot water so you can inhale the steam.
Relieving body pains
Painkillers can undoubtedly be effective in relieving body pain, but they do come with a lot of possible side effects. Of course, there’s a possibility that these side effects won’t occur, but if you want a safer and more natural way to relieve pain, lavender oil is a great alternative.
Lavender oil has been found to be able to relieve various types of pain, like headaches, migraines, stomach pain, and muscle soreness. You can simply massage a few drops of the oil into the affected area and wait for the effects to take hold. Remember, though, not to use more than a few drops of pure lavender oil. If you need to cover a larger area, make sure to dilute the oil with a carrier oil. The effects should still be the same.
Which other essential oils can help you reduce stress?
Treating skin conditions
Although it is most commonly known as a relaxing oil, therapeutic-grade lavender is highly regarded when it comes to skin care, being both antiseptic and antifungal. It can be used to clean cuts, clear up bruises, and soothe skin irritations.
Lavender oil also has the ability to help you manage a number of skin problems. If you have eczema, you can simply mix lavender oil with a carrier oil and apply it onto the affected area on your skin.
Acne is also another condition that lavender oil can handle. The oil has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, which can help remove impurities as well as acne-causing bacteria from the skin. Lavender oil can also help regulate the secretion of sebum, and can also help get acne scars to heal faster.
Helps manage diabetes
Diabetes has a range of symptoms and effects. This includes an decrease in blood glucose level (hypoglycemia), weight gain, a slowing metabolism, and problems with the liver and kidney. It can be complicated to manage these symptoms, especially hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia in particular can be the result of medication, too much insulin, or even just delaying a meal.
However, researchers found that lavender oil may just be able to help people manage the symptoms of diabetes better. According to this study, lavender oil can function as a natural and complementary treatment for diabetes symptoms because it has antioxidant properties. While this research may just be a preliminary study, its findings are promising in terms of delving deeper into how lavender essential oil has the potential to help manage diabetes.
Precautions
As with all other essential oils, never apply undiluted lavender essential oil to your eyes or mucus membranes. When applying high amounts of an essential oil to your skin, make sure to first dilute it properly in a carrier oil. You can then test the mixture on a patch of your skin that isn’t very sensitive, like a spot on your arm.
In general, lavender oil is considered to be safe to use for most adults. However, to be safer, avoid using the oil on young children. You should also avoid ingesting too much lavender oil, since this can lead to poisoning. If you ingest lavender oil in high amounts, you may experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, a burning sensation in the throat, rashes, confusion, and unconsciousness.
If lavender oil poisoning occurs, immediately seek medical advice. Do not do anything before calling poison control, because attempting to manage lavender oil poisoning without the advice of a medical professional can make things worse.
Do not apply undiluted lavender oil directly onto skin. Make sure that you dilute the oil first either in a carrier oil or in water. Undiluted lavender oil can cause skin irritations.
There is also no evidence yet that lavender oil is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, so they should avoid using lavender oil in the meantime. There is also a chance that you may be allergic to lavender oil, which means that you may experience allergy symptoms if it comes into contact with your skin. Some people may also experience nausea, vomiting, and headaches due to excessive use of lavender oil.
Like other essential oils, lavender oil has the potential to interfere with the effects of certain medication. If you are taking sedatives like barbiturates and benzodiazepines, lavender oil may intensify the sedative effects of the medications. This can be dangerous in certain situations. Thus, remember to always consult your doctor before using lavender oil while pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication.
Recipes
Lavender oil remains quite popular, though this does have a downside. Because lavender oil is in high demand, there are sellers who offer diluted lavender oil instead of the 100% pure oil. The diluted oils may be cheaper, but they likely won’t be able to give all the benefits that pure lavender oil can. It’s also possible that the lavender oil has been diluted with something that you may be allergic to or may be irritating to your skin.
Thus, it’s always best to make sure that your essential oils come from the best sources. Aroma Foundry’s essential oils are guaranteed to be high-quality and 100% pure, and you can buy a bottle of lavender oil and other essential oils so you can try out the recipes below.
Lavender bath salts
Relaxing seems like it should be an easy and simple thing to do, but it’s definitely difficult sometimes. On some days, things may be too stressful and tiring for us to simply take a load off and relax. When this is the case, lavender oil may be able to help you clear your mind and ease the tension in your muscles.
Going to the spa is relaxing, but we don’t always have the time or the money to book an appointment. However, you can turn your bathroom into your own mini spa with lavender bath salts. Here are the things you’ll need:
- 25 drops of lavender essential oil
- 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
- ½ cup of baking soda
- 2 cups of epsom salts
Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. You’ll only need about a quarter of a cup for every bath, so you’ll need a glass jar with an airtight lid to store the rest of the mixture. To give your bath salts a longer shelf life and preserve their quality, you can use an apothecary jar or a screw top jar to store them.
If you’ve had a stressful day, or you’ve been having trouble sleeping, these bath salts may be able to help you finally relax and get a good night’s sleep. Because there’s peppermint oil in the mixture as well, you’ll be able to get relief from colds if you have them.
Lavender sanitary spray
There are actually many essential oils that have antiseptic properties and can function as a cleanser. With just a few of these essential oils, you can create a hand sanitizer that can double as an antiseptic spray. If you love the smell of lavender, you may want to try out this recipe. You’ll come up with a lavender-scented all-natural sanitizer that can be a perfect alternative to antiseptic sanitizers on the market.
Here are the things you’ll need:
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 10 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 10 drops of frankincense essential oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of witch hazel (try to find paraben-free witch hazel)
- 2 tablespoons vitamin E oil
Mix all of the ingredients together in a glass mixing bowl or jar, then transfer to a glass spray bottle. You can use the mixture to sanitize your hands as well as clean and deodorize kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Just make sure to shake the bottle well before use.
Lavender aromatherapy blend
Because of its gentle floral scent, lavender oil is one of the most popular essential oils in aromatherapy. However, you can bring out different dimensions to lavender’s aroma if you pair the oil with other essential oils. One great thing (among many) about lavender oil is that it’s very flexible, and it can feature in so many essential oil combinations.
You can choose between these combinations depending on what you currently want out of lavender oil. There are blends that can improve sleep quality, induce relaxation, or simply cheer you up.
If you’ve been having trouble falling asleep, try these blends:
- 3 drops of lavender essential oil
- 3 drops of bergamot essential oil
Or:
- 3 drops of lavender essential oil
- 3 drops of cedarwood essential oil
If you want to just relax, try these blends:
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 4 drops of tangerine essential oil
Or:
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
- 2 drops of lemon essential oil
- 2 drops of peppermint essential oil
If you want to reduce anxiety or generally just lift your mood, try these blends:
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
- 4 drops of tangerine essential oil
- 1 drop of lime essential oil
- 1 drop of spearmint essential oil
Or:
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
- 2 drops of lemon essential oil
- 2 drops of rosemary essential oil
Or:
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
- 2 drops of lemon essential oil
- 1 drop of rosemary essential oil
- 1 drop of peppermint essential oil
Pick one of these blends and add them to a diffuser. You can then sit back and just let the blend of your choice do its magic.
Check out a variety of essential oils you can use in these recipes.
Conclusion
NOTICE: Because of the recent surge of orders, our lavender essential oil is currently sold out--but new stocks should be available soon! In the meantime, please feel free to try our other essential oils or these lavender oils from Amazon.
Lavender essential oil is well-known for its skin-healing properties and its use as a sedative. It has a scent that’s a wonderful blend of fresh, floral, clean, and calm, and is extremely popular in the aromatherapy world. It is highly versatile, and can potentially improve as well as prolong your life.
Many aromatic blends and skin care products are made using lavender essential oil. It is also a great beginner oil for those learning about essential oils, and certainly a must for every home.
100% pure and all-natural lavender oil isn’t difficult to find. In fact, Aroma Foundry sells undiluted lavender oil distilled and bottled right here in the United States. Why look further when you can easily buy lavender essential oil today?
Bibliography
- 11 Health Benefits Of Lavender Oil That You Should Know https://naturallydaily.com/lavender-oil/
- Lavender Oil https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002711.htm
- Why Lavender Oil Is Superior To Many Prescription Medications https://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/lavender-oil.aspx
- Lavender Essential Oil Diffuser Blends Brittany Kelly - http://www.sunshinemomma.com/lavender-diffuser-blends/
- Things To Make With Lavender Oil | Recipes https://www.essentialoilsus.com/things-make-lavender-recipes/
- Plants used to treat skin diseases Nahida Tabassum, Mariya Hamdani - Pharmacognosy Review - 2014
- Wound healing potential of lavender oil by acceleration of granulation and wound contraction through induction of TGF-β in a rat model Hiroko-Miyuki Mori, Hiroshi Kawanami, Hirohisa Kawahata, Motokuni Aoki - BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine - 2016
- Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) essential oils attenuate hyperglycemia and protect against oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats Hichem Sebai, Slimen Selmi, Kais Rtibi, Abdelaziz Souli, Najoua Gharbi, Mohsen Sakly - Lipids in Health and Disease - 2013
- An orally administered lavandula oil preparation (Silexan) for anxiety disorder and related conditions: an evidence based review Kasper S. - International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice - 2013
- Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behaviour in severe dementia: a placebo controlled study Clive Holmes, Vivienne Hopkins, Christine Hensford, Vanessa MacLaughlin, David Wilkinson, Henry Rosenvinge - Geriatric Psychiatry - 2002
- Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) essential oils attenuate hyperglycemia and protect against oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24373672
Author Profile
Fagjun Santos is an avid reader who eventually decided to try her hand at writing her own stuff. After spending her teen years writing what can be considered to be Vogon poetry, she now writes things that aren't a pain to read. Her favorite Aroma Foundry scent is peppermint, with lavender coming in a close second.
- Overview
- History
- Uses and Benefits
- Improving sleep
- Repelling insects
- Nourishing the scalp and hair
- Inducing calmness
- Keeping blood pressure down
- Managing neurological damage and disorders
- Relieving respiratory problems
- Relieving body pains
- Treating skin conditions
- Helps manage diabetes
- Precautions
- Recipes
- Conclusion
- Bibliography