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Lavender is one of the oils I buy most frequently. That’s because it’s highly versatile.
This sweet-smelling aromatic can help you unwind after a stressful day. It can also help you get a good night’s sleep. It’s a great remedy to have in the kitchen, if you happen to burn yourself. That’s because it contains compounds that help fight infections and appear to facilitate the regrowth of healthy skin.
If you’re coughing and sneezing, rubbing diluted lavender oil on your chest is thought to be good for your immune system. Although other aromatics are better known cold and flu remedies, lavender may also help.
So, if you’re on a tight budget, and can’t afford an extensive aromatherapy collection, lavender essential oil is one of the first you should consider owning.
In addition, lavender is considered a good headache remedy. You can also massage it into your aching muscles if you have a cramp, or you’ve overdone it with exercise. If you suffer from indigestion, lavender might be able to help. (You’d first want to dilute it with a bland carrier oil if you massage it on your abdomen.)
Homemade cleaning solutions get an extra punch when you add a few drops of lavender. For centuries, people have been used extracts from this flower for housekeeping. In fact, its Latin root name is Lavare, which means “to clean.”
In addition to freshening your home, and making it smell nice, lavender essential oil likely contains antibacterial compounds. It’s much safer than using chemical cleaners, and less expensive as well. You only need a little lavender to lift the dirt. If you’re looking for a good brand of lavender oil, I highly recommend Plant Therapy, which you can see below. This company has exacting standards. Each batch of oil is tested twice. One test is done by an independent lab. I’m convinced that Plant Therapy is one of the best alternatives to the MLM labels.
Plant Therapy Pure Lavender Oil
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Lavender Essential Oil Blend Recipes
As you’ve probably guessed, lavender is one of my very favorite aromatics. Here are some of the DIY lavender recipes I’ve used myself.
Once you start using lavender oil, you’ll probably come up with your own recipes. This oil blends very well with other florals, such as geranium and neroli. One of the things I like best about lavender, other than it’s amazing smell, is the fact that it’s potent, yet gentle. It has a soothing quality, which is why aromatherapists may recommend it for skin irritation.
I also like to use it in my homemade natural moisturizers. I add a little bit of lavender to a carrier, such as natural avocado oil, to put on my face. My skin tone looks so much better now that I’m using plant-based emollients, instead of chemicals.
Lavender Oil for Insect Bites
Lavender oil is also considered a good remedy for insect bites.
Here’s a recipe I recently used myself, when I was stung by a bee. Lavender oil quickly helped to reduce the swelling and redness. (If you have a bee allergy, however, don’t rely upon this as a DIY home remedy, and don’t neglect seeking emergency medical care.)
1/2 teaspoon of green clay (available here)
enough spring water to make a liquid paste
1 drop of lavender essential oil (available here)
I mixed these ingredients together and used them right away. I noticed the pain disappeared immediately when I applied this. Later in the day, I noticed swelling. Lavender oil without the green clay quickly made this go away.
Please understand, though, that I’m not a doctor, and I can’t give medical advice. Nor can I promise that any particular natural remedy will solve your health problems. All I can do is share my personal experience of using essential oils.
Lavender Oil for Headaches
My mild to moderate headaches seem to respond very well to certain essential oils. Our family uses aromatherapy in place of over-the-counter pain medications, which we never buy anymore. This seems to be a much safer approach, because OTC drugs have potentially serious side effects.
1 teaspoon of carrier oil
1 drop of lavender oil (available here)
1 drop of peppermint oil (available here)
The way I’d use aromatherapy for headache relief is to take a small amount of the above mixture and massage it into my temples, and on my forehead. I could reserve the rest for later.
Lavender Oil to Help Sleep
Lavender oil can help fight insomnia. One of the easiest ways to use it is to sprinkle a drop or two of lavender essential oil on your pillow. However, if you’re looking for a really good sleep remedy, you can also use lavender as a massage oil. Here’s a very powerful insomnia remedy I recently mixed. It’s so strong that you don’t want to use it during the day. I’d even go so far as to say you may not want to drive or operate heavy machinery after using it. Save it for when you want to sleep.
Combining multiple oils creates what aromatherapists call a “synergy.” This means that each oil tends to make the other more potent.
4 teaspoons of carrier oil, such as sweet almond or olive oil.
1 drop of lavender oil (available here)
1 drop of geranium (available here)
1 drop of ylang ylang (available here)
1 drop of vanilla oil (available here)
1 drop of patchouli (available here)
Massage a little of this mixture into the undersides of your wrist about 10 minutes before you go to bed. You can store whatever is left over in a clean, glass jar to use again. Make sure it’s not exposed to heat or light.
Lavender Oil for Dogs
Believe it or not, we also use lavender oil on our dog. We’ve seen very good results with helping to clear an outer ear infection, when mixed with other oils. It might also work well alone, but we like the synergy of mixing. We’ve also very successfully used lavender to clear up a hot spot on our elderly dog. Here’s a recipe very similar to the one we used. However, please keep in mind that I’m not an animal healthcare expert. Always check with your vet before using essential oils on a dog. Never use these aromatics on a pregnant or nursing female.
2 ounces of coconut oil
2 drops of lavender oil (available here)
2 drops of Roman chamomile (available here)
We applied this mix once to the hot spot, and never had to use it again. Just for the sake of accuracy, the recipe we used on our dog was a bit different. We used tea tree oil instead of Roman chamomile. In retrospect, I would have used chamomile instead, because I noticed our dog licking his wound. In high concentrations, tea tree is not good for dogs.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. People with health concerns should discuss them with a doctor. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils, unless under the direction of a health care professional.
I’m not a healthcare professional, so all of the above statements are my personal opinion, and are not intended as medical advice.
For Additional Reading
Lavender Oil for Wound Healing
