For the love of lavender

Lavender

My second favorite essential oil is lavender. There are so many wonderful things about lavender. Lavender is floral and is great for aromatherapy. It works great for reducing anxiety and emotional stress, it has antidepressant properties. My most favorite use for lavender is helping with relaxation and sleep. It really helps my mind settle down after a long day. Another use of lavender oil that I love is alone or mixed with peppermint oil it helps fight headaches.

Lavender has antifungal, antiseptic, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. These properties help heal wounds and burns. When used on bee stings or insect bites it can stop itching and reduce swelling because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Used on cuts lavender helps to stop bleeding, cleans wounds and kills bacteria. Lavender also works well to improve eczema and psoriasis. Lavender is on to the oils I use in the formula for the eczema salve that I make for my daughter that is improving her skin wonderfully. Lavender can also be used as a skin toner, on dry and chapped ski, and sun burned lips. Other skin benefits include restoring skin complexion, reducing acne, and slowing acne with powerful antioxidants.

Lavender also has benefits for the hair and scalp. It works well as a conditioner, it stimulates the scalp and leaves hair smelling great. Lavender is also great on dandruff and lice, is effective for hair loss by stimulating the scalp and increasing blood flow. Besides these benefits lavender has internal benefits including has antispasmodic properties that works great for me as I suffer from Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It also helps reduce bloating, it detoxifies, improves digestion, and helps with nausea and motion sickness.  Lavender has also been said to stimulate urine production. The analgesic properties of lavender also aid in relieving achy muscles especially when used as a massage oil and can be accompanied by other similar oils.

As with anything some people may be allergic and of course should avoid lavender. When taken by mouth lavender can cause constipation, headaches and increased appetite. Lavender is not recommended for babies under 6 months old. When used undiluted it may cause skin irritation. Pregnant and nursing women should avoid using lavender as well as people that are taking barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and chloral hydrates because it may increase their sedative effects.