Lavender

As if its beauty were not enough, lavender blesses us with a wide range of medicinal uses and is considered an essential herb to have on hand in one’s home apothecary. 

Native to the Mediterranean, lavender has been associated with cleanliness ever since Romans added it to washing water. In fact, the word comes from the Latin lavare (meaning to wash). Possibly why it is a popular fragrance in so many of today’s commercial cleaning products. 

Part of the fragrant mint family 'Lamiaceae', which also houses other aromatic plants such as Rosemary, Spearmint, Thyme, and Melissa (Lemon Balm), this beautiful, fragrant, and hardy plant is a cure-all with many culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal uses.

Parts Used: 
Flowers 

Constituents:
Flavonoids, linalool, eucalyptol, volatile oils, geraniol, limonene, sesquiterpenes, coumarins, tannins

Actions: 
Carminative, anti-spasmodic, anti-depressant, rubefacient

Medicinal Uses:
Lavender has profound relaxing, calming, and uplifting effects. It is a mild anti-depressant and can act as a gentle strengthening tonic of the nervous system.  It can be used in states of nervous debility and exhaustion and is a helpful aid to promote natural sleep. It is one of the best herbs to use in a bath to relieve tension, stress, and insomnia. Combined with feverfew it is an effective remedy to alleviate migraines and headaches. 

Considered a universal first aid oil lavender’s effectiveness as a traditional anti-bacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic is useful in treating a host of infections. It helps prevent airborne bacteria spread and can be used alone or combined with tea tree oil applied directly to the skin to treat scrapes, wounds, burns and fungal infections. Use it to heal burns, sunburn, abscesses, splitting skin or chapped skin, blisters, insect bites, and cold sores.

Lavender has been an herb traditionally known to imbue courage and strength and is still a favourite herb used to strengthen the heart and mind in stressful situations. It has been used by midwives in birthing rooms to help improve concentration levels and instill calm. A warm poultice of lavender flowers held against birthing mothers lower back can bring gentle relief.

Cosmetic Uses:
One of the most valued oil for skin care and helpful for all skin types. It balances sebum, helps heal and prevent acne, eczema, and psoriasis. A cell regenerator it prevents scarring and stretch marks, it has a reputation for slowing wrinkles.

Emotional Attributes: 
It is specific for the central nervous system where many studies have shown the scent alone helps counter insomnia, depression, mental stress, anger and anxiety. 

Used In:
Belly Jelly, Herbal Hug Baby Oil, All Heal Salve, Sitz Bath, Carry-On