The Latin name of lavender is Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its particularly pleasant aroma. Lavender essential oil is long loved for its calming, soothing fragrance. Most commonly known for its relaxing effects on the body, therapeutic-grade lavender has been highly regarded for the skin. It may be used to cleanse cuts, bruises and skin irritations. The fragrance is calming, relaxing and balancing – physically and emotionally. Today, lavender is the most used essential oil in the world.
The various health benefits of lavender essential oil include the following:
Reduces anxiety and emotional stress
Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and anxiety issues. Not only does it smell good, but there is a scientific reason behind why it helps us to relax. One study found that people taking tests showed a significant decrease in the mental stress and anxiety, as well as increased cognitive function when they inhaled lavender oil and rosemary oil before taking the test. Because lavender increases alpha waves in the part of the brain that’s responsible for relaxation. Traditionally, lavender has been used to treat neurological issues like migraines, stress, anxiety, and depression. Which is why it is frequently used as a treatment for insomnia and also been shown to reduce symptoms and development of Alzheimer’s disease!
Heals burns and wounds
Lavender has a rich history of being used to prevent various infections and combat bacterial/fungal disorders. If you suffer from an injury, whether it’s a cut, burn, scrape or other skin wounds, you definitely want to put some lavender on your skin as ，its powerful antimicrobial properties help to prevent infection and combat bacterial and fungal disorders. For burns or eczema, mix lavender oil with coconut oil in 1:5 ratio for rapid healing.
Improves sleep
Lavender essential oil induces sleep which has made it a common recommendation for an alternative treatment of insomnia. A study on college students found that using lavender oil improved the overall quality of sleep by 60%. This included length of sleep, time it took to fall asleep, restfulness and reduced symptoms of insomnia. If you are trying to improve your quality of sleep, put a diffuser by your bed and diffuse oils while you sleep at night or in the family room while you’re reading or winding down in the evening. Also, can be rubbed topically behind your ears for the same benefits.
Restores skin complexion and reduces acne
Lavender essential oil is one of the most beneficial oils in the treatment of acne, Lavender essential oil inhibits the bacteria that cause the initial infection, helps to regulate some of the over-excretion of sebum by hormonal manipulation and can reduce the signs of scarring after the acne has begun to heal. While you might think that putting an oil on your face would worsen acne, plant oils like lavender won’t clog your pores and the natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties can offer an ideal solution.
Improves eczema and psoriasis
It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions. It is commonly used to speed up the healing process of wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns because it improves the formation of scar tissues. Lavender oil is also added to chamomile to treat eczema.
Alleviates headaches
According to a study published in the European Journal of Neurology people struggling with migraine headaches saw a significant reduction in pain when they inhaled lavender oil for 15 minutes. Probably the most effective natural treatment for headaches is combing lavender oil with peppermint oil and rubbing these oils on the back of the neck, the temples on the lateral side of the forehead along with inhaling it. Typically 2 drops of each oil in the palm of your hand then rubbed into the areas works perfectly.
Relieves Pain
Lavender essential oil is known as an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore and tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache, and lumbago. A regular massage with lavender oil can provide relief from pain in the joints. A study done on postoperative pain relief showed that combining lavender essential oil vapor into the oxygen significantly reduced the amount of pain experienced, versus those patients only revived with oxygen after a major surgery.
Hair Care
Lavender essential oil is useful for hair care because it has been shown to be very effective on lice, lice eggs, and nits. Furthermore, lavender essential oil has also been shown to be very helpful in the treatment of hair loss, particularly for patients who suffer from alopecia, an autoimmune disease where the body rejects its own hair follicles. A Scottish study reported that more than 40% of alopecia patients in the study reported an increase in hair growth when they regularly rubbed lavender essential oil into their scalp. Therefore, lavender oil is sometimes recommended as a preventative measure for male pattern baldness.