Image courtesy of Pixabay/Hans
Do you have something you carry with you everywhere? In your wallet or maybe your cosmetics case?
If you open mine, you’ll find a little bottle. Dark in color. The label is quite difficult to read at this point.
Just because it’s been there and thoroughly used for some time. When you unscrew the lid, you immediately recognize a familiar scent.
Even if you’ve never used essential oil of lavender, you’ll still feel like you know it.
This is because lavender essential oil is so commonly used. It’s in many different cosmetic preparations – soaps, creams, shampoos, cleaning products, and more.
Lavender belongs to Mint family that’s native to the Mediterranean region. It’s also common in France and England.
Almost a decade ago, I went on vacation with a girlfriend of mine. We never flew together before.
Even though she warned me, she didn’t like to be on a plane, I didn’t really understand how much she hated flying until the plane started to take off. Her white knuckled hand was tightly gripping mine.
I didn’t expect what happened after, how this experience would affect me in a surprising way.
I love to travel, and used to be one of those people who’d get on the plane, find my seat, and pretty much fall asleep even before the plane was ready to take off. Typically, I’d wake up to the pilot’s announcement welcoming everyone to the destination city.
After traveling with my friend, every time I’d get on the plane, I’d worry and stay awake throughout the trip, unable to calm my nerves.
Nothing seemed to work.
One day, I heard a lecture on benefits of lavender oil. I literally got to experiment within the next few days during my upcoming trip.
Participants were taught to carry a small bottle of oil during travels and use a direct inhalation technique.
You place a single drop of lavender oil into your palm and rub them together. Immediately you put your face in your palms and deeply inhale the scent of lavender.
Since I started using this trick my plane rides returned back to normal. The direct inhalation technique and a couple of deep lavender-infused breaths help me to calm down and relax.
Even if you are not planning to use lavender for your long-distance travel, this is a great plant to get to know.
It is used in a variety of situations topically (in oils, creams, salves and bath salts) and internally (in teas, syrups and honeys).
I love to infuse honey with lavender. To do so, you need to fill a quarter of a container with dried lavender flowers and top it off with honey. It’s a good idea to turn the jar over several times to coat the flowers well. You can strain the honey after a couple of weeks. Or you can leave the lavender in a jar and just make a nice tea.
These are my top 5 reasons why you should consider giving lavender a try:
1. Sleep enhancer
Lavender inhalation has been studied and effectively used for its sedative effects in animals and humans.
2. Mood elevator/Anxiety reducer/Emotion stabilizer
Lavender tea was effective in patients taking anti-depressant medications to further decrease their symptoms of depression .
In a pilot study of women who just gave birth, lavender aromatherapy was helpful in decreasing symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety similarly to other reports.
Lavender aromatherapy was also helpful in reducing premenstrual emotional symptoms.
3. Learning and Memory enhancer
Lavender has been described as a plant that enhances learning, reverses learning deficits, and possibly helps with behavioral symptoms of dementia.
4. Nerve protector/ Pain and inflammation reducer
Due to its antioxidant effects Lavender oil can potentially protect animal brain from damage due to stroke. Other interesting uses include enhanced pain control and decreased inflammation.
5. Antibacterial and anti-fungal agent
As other Mints, Lavender has compounds that produce its’ lovely aroma. These molecules are also great fighters of bacteria and fungi.
[tweet]Even if you are not planning to use lavender for long-distance travel, this is a great plant to get to know.[/tweet]
Questions: Which of these uses look most interesting or surprising to you? Do you know where to buy good quality essential oils and herbs?
10 Comments
bill georgaqui
January 30, 2016 - 3:29 pmI always try to carry both Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils in small 5 ml bottles
The Lavender essential oil to sooth, destress and simply relax me in stressful moments and the Tea Tree essential oil in case of a burn, scrape or cut in my travels.
Both essential oils have been helped others including strangers just as much as they have helped me in my travels.
Lana Dvorkin Camiel
February 1, 2016 - 9:35 pmThank you, Bill! Does your lavender typically come from France?
Digna Mejia
January 31, 2016 - 2:11 amAfter reading this article, I went to Whole Foods to get Lavender oil and found it too strong. I am afraid the strong smell will trigger a headache. I just planning to used it on my feet before dancing to avoid sweating smell.
Lana Dvorkin Camiel
February 1, 2016 - 9:43 pmDigna, thank you for a great reminder that a lot of tastes and smells are acquired (like coffee, wine, beer and even essential oils). We grow to like these with time. I love lavender, but any essential oil can seem strong, just because it’s a concentrated essence of the plant. That’s why I never use more than a drop, and try to dilute them. You can add a drop to a powder for your feet, or a couple of drops if you grow to like it to bath salts in the future (don’t add essential oils directly to water). Let me know if this is working. Thanks again for your thoughts!
Anne
February 1, 2016 - 6:31 pmThank you for sharing this. I have learned so much from your site.
Anne
Lana Dvorkin Camiel
February 1, 2016 - 9:44 pmThank you, Anne! I always learn something from you! 🙂
dr vipin joshi
February 3, 2016 - 7:40 pmnice information
I will surely try it
Lana Dvorkin Camiel
February 5, 2016 - 7:10 pmThank you!
Drew Mirque
February 9, 2016 - 5:04 pmGreat article. I’m a big BIG fan of lavender; I grow a number of lavender varieties for both the healing properties and as part of my ‘herbes de provence’ spice fix. Years years ago I was travelling in Europe and the B&B owner had pillows into which small lavender bags were inserted. I don’t do that, but I keep a small bag of dried lavender in my nightstand and will use it now and then in my pillow case for its calming properties. Thanks for the article, Lana!
Lana Camiel
February 10, 2016 - 2:58 amThank you, Drew! I love to use lavender in eye pillow case too, thank you for sharing!