What You Didn't know About Lavender Oil

Important information to note:

• Always dilute essential oils properly before topical application to avoid skin irritation.
• Consult with a healthcare professional before using lavender oil during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Perform a patch test before first use to check for allergic reactions or sensitivities.
• Store lavender oil in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight to maintain its therapeutic properties.

About Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil promotes relaxation and believed to treat anxiety, fungal infections, allergies, depression, insomnia, hair loss, eczema, insect repellent, nausea, and even PMS. Create the perfect environment for relaxation by ensuring you have quality lavender oil and understanding its many therapeutic applications.

Reducing Anxiety and Stress

This is perhaps one of the most well-documented benefits of lavender oil, where people experience significant relief from daily tension and stress-related symptoms:

A study published in Physiology & Behaviour in 2005 focused on 200 people awaiting dental treatment and found that breathing in the scent of lavender both lessened anxiety and improved mood. The calming properties of lavender work through the olfactory system to trigger relaxation responses in the brain, making it an effective natural remedy for managing stress and anxiety in various situations.

Helps Promote Sleep and Fight Insomnia

This therapeutic application is perfect for those who struggle with sleep disorders, restlessness, and it can also help improve overall sleep quality and duration.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine found a combination of sleep hygiene techniques and lavender essential oil therapy helped college students get a better night's sleep than sleep hygiene alone. The study of 79 students with self-reported sleep problems also found inhaling lavender at bedtime improved daytime energy and vibrancy. Another 2018 study published in Holistic Nursing Practice confirms lavender's effect on sleep. In this study of 30 residents of a nursing home, lavender aromatherapy was found to improve sleep onset, quality, and duration in an elderly population.

Hair Growth and Scalp Health

A promising area of research suggests lavender oil may help with hair loss and scalp conditions, offering hope for those experiencing thinning hair or alopecia.

A few studies over the years have suggested that lavender oil may reverse hair loss. A 2016 study on mice showed that a diluted topically applied lavender essential oil did lead to dramatic hair growth. An earlier study (1998) looked at people with alopecia areata showed improvement in hair growth with a topically applied combination of lavender, thyme, rosemary and cedarwood. Apply diluted lavender oil to the scalp with gentle massage motions to stimulate circulation and potentially promote hair growth.

Natural Antihistamine Properties

An effective natural remedy for allergy sufferers, lavender oil can provide relief from seasonal allergies and environmental sensitivities without the side effects of conventional medications.

Many essential oil proponents recommend using a combination of lavender, lemon, and peppermint oil to relieve allergy symptoms, and claim that lavender is a natural antihistamine. The anti-inflammatory compounds in lavender oil help reduce the body's histamine response, making it useful for managing allergic reactions, respiratory issues, and skin sensitivities naturally.

Skin Care and Healing

Lavender oil offers comprehensive skin care benefits, from treating acne to soothing chronic skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Lavender oil works to kill bacteria, and this can prevent and heal acne breakouts. It unclogs pores and reduces inflammation when you put it on your skin. Eczema can show up anywhere on your body. With eczema, your skin gets dry, itchy, and scaly. Since lavender has antifungal properties and reduces inflammation, it can help keep eczema at bay. Lavender oil can also be used to treat psoriasis, helping cleanse your skin and lessen redness and irritation.

Lavender oil can aid in skin lightening since it reduces inflammation. It can reduce discoloration, including dark spots, and helps lessen blotchiness and redness. If you have hyperpigmentation on your skin, lavender oil may be able to help with that as well. Free radicals are partly responsible for fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Lavender oil is full of antioxidants, which help protect you from the free radicals.

Pain Relief and Healing

The natural pain-relieving properties of lavender oil make it valuable for treating various types of discomfort and promoting faster healing.

Painful inflammation can be treated with lavender oil. The oil's pain-relieving and numbing effects help soothe the inflammation, while the beta-caryophyllene in the oil also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. If you have a burn, cut, scrape, or another wound, lavender oil may help speed up the wound-healing process. In a 2016 study researchers found that lavender oil promotes the healing of skin tissue.

Natural Insect Protection

Lavender oil provides dual protection against insects - acting as both a repellent and a treatment for bites that have already occurred.

Lavender oil does double duty for insect bites. It acts as an insect repellent, and it can relieve itching after a bite occurs. Many commercial mosquito repellents contain lavender oil. Both candles and sprays can be used to repel mosquitos and other bugs. You can add seven drops to the candle and put it outdoors. Because it's a natural remedy, you can spray it on your body and your clothes before you go outside. Insect bites cause redness, itching, and pain. Lavender oil helps relieve insect bites by warding off bacteria and reducing inflammation. It also naturally helps relieve pain. Lavender oil also works well for treating poison ivy.

Pediatric Applications

Research shows lavender oil can be safely used to help children with various health concerns, particularly post-surgical recovery.

Lavender oil has been shown to reduce the amount of painkilling medicine required after a tonsillectomy. A team of researchers at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, carried out a study to determine whether aromatherapy with Lavandula angustifolia essential oil might reduce symptoms of pain in children after the removal of the tonsils. The study included 48 children aged 6 to 12 years. They were randomly separated into two groups of 24 participants. One group took painkillers alongside lavender, and the other took only painkillers. The frequency of each child's acetaminophen use and nocturnal awakening due to pain was monitored for 3 days after surgery. The group using lavender oil was shown to use acetaminophens less frequently.

Women's Health Support

Lavender aromatherapy shows promise in helping women manage premenstrual symptoms naturally and effectively.

A study involved 17 women, aged on average 20.6 years, with mild-to-moderate premenstrual symptoms. The participants spent one menstrual cycle with no lavender aromatherapy treatment, and another undergoing lavender aromatherapy. The study concluded that lavender aromatherapy could alleviate premenstrual emotional symptoms, providing a natural alternative for managing PMS-related mood changes and discomfort.