The Benefits of Lavender

 

Lavender smells beautiful and has healing powers

Lavender is a flower that many people think of when they think of the old days.

Long ago the washer women used to dry the ladies' washing by draping it over the lavender bushes. The clothing would be imbued with the scent of the lavender.

Lavender bags brought the scent into the linen closets. The heads of lavender were collected and put in a little bags then hidden between the sheets or underclothes in the cupboard. You may think of your grandmother when you think of lavender bags.

When the distillation process was established one of the favourite flowers to distill was lavender. People already liked it and had found uses for it.

Today lavender oil is one of the favourite essential or aromatherapy oils. People still like the perfume - or most do anyway.

The Benefits of Lavender Oil

Lavender aromatherapy oil can help ease headaches. Dab a little oil on your temples and massage it in. Take a rest while it works. You will find yourself calmer.

Lavender can help you drift off to sleep when you are restless at night. It soothes and calms. Put a few drops on your pillow when you get into bed.

Lavender can help relieve anxiety. Place a few drops on a tissue and keep it in your pocket throughout a stressful day at work, home or traveling.

Lavender can help relieve burns. The French scientist, when he was experimenting in the laboratory one day, burnt his hand then accidentally put it in a vat of lavender oil. To his amazement the burning and stinging eased quickly.

I always use lavender oil to kill off bacteria. Whenever I cut myself I always put a couple of drops of lavender oil directly onto the cut. It usually only needs to be done a couple of times for the cut to heal quickly. I find this useful whenever I have forgotten to wear my gloves in the garden. I always seem to get cuts and scratches easily and they usually get infected. However my beautiful lavender oil heals these for me quickly and pleasantly.

Lavender Hydrosol or Lavender Water

Lavender water was in use in the olden days as well as a perfume. Today, the water left over from the lavender distillation process is called a hydrosol. It can be ingested in small quantities for medicinal purposes but mostly it is used as a linen water or air spray. The linen water is sprayed onto the clothes before ironing, sprayed over the bed sheets to have them smelling pretty or sprayed around the room for a lovely fresh smell. This is much better than the chemical laden air fresheners bought in the supermarket.

It can also be used as a personal aura spray when we feel stressed. It is very calming.

The perfume from Aromatherapy oils and hydrosols does tend to evaporate. This is how you know that is the real thing. When the smell lasts for days and will not go away then you are much more likely to have a Fragrance oil. These fragrance oils are made from chemicals. I would not use these. They have no healing benefits.

Safety

Lavender oil is one of the safest aromatherapy oils and can be applied directly onto the skin. Do not use too much though. Always dilute it to use for a massage.