If you’re curious to explore the advantages of using herbs and essential oils for a low-tox life, an excellent place to start is lavender! This powerful little flower is more than just a popular decorative garden option. It has long been known as a pleasing scent for the home, an effective relaxation aid, and a potent medicinal herb.
Lavender is affectionately referred to as the “Swiss army knife of essential oils,” and for good reason! It’s difficult to imagine another plant having more versatility. However, not many people know about the herb’s background and the hundreds of other uses. So keep reading for a guided tour through the rich history of lavender, our favorite uses, as well as the benefits you may reap from using it.
The History of Lavender
The word “lavender” comes from the latin word lavare, which refers to the act of washing. Its history goes back some 2500 years! Indeed, this herb used to be a part of the mummification process as well as other cleansing rituals due to the belief that lavender was a great substance to purify one’s body and mind. The Romans are said to have used it to scent their baths, beds, clothes and even hair.
Ever since ancient times, lavender has been in use to treat a myriad of discomforts, including certain mental health issues, anxiety, insomnia, depression, headaches, and much more.
The Benefits of Lavender
So why use lavender? Why not default to a conventional prescription medication instead? Or just pop a scented plug-in into an outlet and call it a day? Great question!
Our bodies are uniquely designed to respond incredibly well to plants at a cellular level. Did you know that conventional medications are often synthetic versions of what we could find in nature? Yup! companies can’t patent something like lavender or peppermint, so they have to recreate it in a lab in order to have exclusive rights to the product. So you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone in the medical industry cutting into their bottom line by recommending something you could literally grow in your garden for pennies on the dollar.
Similarly, the “lavender” used in things like plug-ins or most conventional products is sadly not real lavender at all. There is very little regulation on the labeling claims companies are allowed to make, so unfortunately the packaging can say “100% pure lavender” and have as little as 5% plant matter in the product. The rest could be anything, but is likely artificial fragrance. This is obviously bad news in the toxin department, but it also won’t lend any of the benefits of authentic plants!
So let’s stick with the real deal, mmmkay?
Distilled from the plant Lavandula angustifolia, lavender essential oil has antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties along with detoxifying and sedative effects. Its versatility is enhanced by the fact that it can be taken orally, as a lotion on the skin or breathed in using a diffuser and aromatherapy. Lavender is commonly found in all kinds of over-the-counter products. It’s most popular in sleeping aids, such as roll-on oils that can help one sleep, and also in herbal teas. But that’s not even the half of it!
Top 5 Uses for Lavender
1. Aromatherapy
If you want your home to smell like a spa … lavender is your best bet. Because it has such a calming effect on the nervous system, it is often used to combat the body’s response to stress. Lavender essential oil is the most popular aromatherapy choice to promote relaxation, calm the nervous system, and reduce anxiety. The easiest way to do this is with a diffuser, which pumps cool water mist laden with oil molecules into your home, car, or office!
Got some little people with big emotions? I have personally used lavender oil to stop a tantrum in its tracks just by waving an open bottle under a little nose. It has also been used to relieve asthma symptoms. Because it is so calming, it can help stop that panicked stress response that makes airways swell. If you’ve ever walked through a lavender field in real life, you’ll be very familiar with the deep sense of peaceful relaxation experienced there!
Don’t have a lavender field nearby? I got you covered. Check out 56 essential oil recipes for your diffuser here.
2. Culinary Uses
We already mentioned how popular lavender is for use in relaxing sleepy time teas. It’s also commonly used in flavoring as well! The buds are useful as a garnish, or high quality food-grade essential oils for adding an exotic flavoring in dishes. My favorite option for this is lavender cupcakes … because who doesn’t love a delicious cupcake?
You can also use lavender to marinate foods, add a twist to baked breads, or even infuse it into your drinks for a delicious mocktail beverage or lemonade. Think of it like a slightly more floral version of fresh rosemary. French lavender is frequently included in the herb blend herbes de provence for a subtle floral essence. Lavender flowers also make a beautiful garnish for salads, desserts, and more.
3. Skin & Hair Health
Include lavender in your DIY oil blends, ointments, or creams to help soothe skin issues. The natural oils produced by the lavender help with inflammation that can occur with burns, cuts, and scrapes. I keep a bottle right in my kitchen for this reason!
The oil can also work to help combat any bacteria and offer an antibacterial barrier to the infected area. When mixed with other oils such as tea tree oil or Vitamin E, it can help restore the skin and reduce further issues as well as speed healing. Check out additional herbs for skin, burns, and scrapes here.
Because it helps combat inflammation, a drop may even help remove a tough-to-reach splinter during the extraction process. Bonus: it can also help calm the splinter sufferer down in the process.
Lavender is also a great aid for those who are struggling with chronic skin and hair conditions. For example, if you are dealing with alopecia aerate, applying lavender, thyme, rosemary and cedarwood on the areas where your hair has fallen out can help generate growth. Similarly, if you are struggling with eczema, dryness, acne, sunburns or if your child is dealing with diaper rashes, try making a homemade cream using lavender oil.
Drops of lavender can help in minimizing the impact of fungal infections and allergies. It’s a staple in skincare routines for its ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, and more.
4. Cleaning & Around the Home
For a DIY version of your favorite cleaner, add a few lavender oil drops to make the smell more enticing. This also helps to keep you calm and serene throughout the day! For a more advanced undertaking, you can even make your own soap at home.
Lavender is also a fun choice to decorate the house as it is quite a nice-looking herb. I keep a few dried sprigs in a vase on my bathroom counter along with some dried eucalyptus.
Aromatherapy isn’t just limited to diffusing. Create your own fresh-smelling laundry by adding a few drops to a wool dryer ball, coffee filter, or clean washcloth. Toss it into your dryer along with your clean laundry and enjoy! Not only will your health thank you, but the environment will as well. No more pumping synthetic fragrance out into the world outside. Win-win!
Its uplifting aroma is also a wonderful way to ensure bedrooms, carpets, closets, and linens stay fresh. Make a DIY spray with pure alcohol and a few drops of essential oil and spritz your clean linens. Alternately, add a few drops to a shaker with some baking powder. Dust this mixture over your carpet or mattress, leave it to sit for a bit, and then vacuum up afterward.
5. Feminine Care
Lavender can help reduce the menopausal hot flashes that many women experience later on in life. It’s even been used to naturally combat the growth of fungus and yeast! If you’re tired of making that awkward walk through the feminine care aisle at the local department store … check out my favorite feminine hygiene products here, including lavender tea tree melts that are not only amazing, but ship conveniently (and discreetly!) right to your door. In fact, studies have shown that applying lavender with sage and rose can even help menstrual cramp pain relief.
Takeaways
If want to start compiling a wellness tool chest of herbs for yourself and your family, the best place to start is with one of the most popular and versatile herbs available! Believe it or not, we barely scratched the surface of all the ways to use lavender.
So whether you are looking to sleep better, or want to reduce the feeling of menstrual cramps and the pain that accompanies them, using lavender or lavender oil can be of great help! If you want to make your own lavender products or even grow some in your garden, Mountain Rose Herbs is my favorite source for high-quality dried lavender buds and seeds!
Just remember, should you see an increase in symptoms or any side effects, you should probably stop using lavender for that particular ailment or consult with your holistic healthcare practitioner for advice.
So! Which usage or remedy are you most excited to try first? Let us know down below in the comments!
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