The health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to
eliminate nervous tension, relieve pain, disinfect the scalp and skin,
enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. The Latin name
of lavender is
Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its aroma which has a particularly clean aroma.
Lavender oil is extracted mostly from the flowers of the lavender
plant, primarily through steam distillation. The flowers of lavender are
fragrant in nature and have been used for making potpourri for
centuries. Traditionally, lavender essential oil has also been used in
making perfumes. The oil is very useful in aromatherapy and many
aromatic preparations and combinations are made using lavender oil.
Lavender oil blends well with many other essential oils including cedarwood,
pine,
clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg. Today, lavender essential oil is
frequently used in various forms including aromatherapy oil, gels,
infusion, lotion, and soaps.
HEALTH BENEFITS
The various health benefits of lavender essential oil include the following:
Bug Repellent: The smell of lavender essential oil
is potent for many types of bugs like mosquitoes, midges, and moths.
Apply some of the lavender oil on the exposed skin when outside to
prevent these irritating bites. Furthermore, if you do happen to be
bitten by one of those bugs, the lavender essential oil has
anti-inflammatory qualities that will reduce the irritation and the pain
associated with
bug bites.
Sleep: Lavender essential oil induces sleep which
has made it a common recommendation for an alternative treatment of
insomnia. Frequent studies on elderly patients have shown an
increase in their sleep regularity
when their normal sleep medication is replaced with some lavender
essential oil being placed on their pillows. It has such a relaxing
impact on people that it can often replace modern medicine for sleep
issues.
Nervous system: Lavender essential oil has a calming
scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and anxiety
issues. Therefore, it can also be helpful in treating migraines,
headaches, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. The
refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness while also
increasing mental activity. It has a well-researched impact on the
autonomic nervous system,
which is why it is frequently used as a treatment for insomnia and also
as a way to regulate heart-rate variability. One study showed that
people taking tests showed a significant decrease in mental stress and
anxiety, as well as
increased cognitive function when they inhaled lavender oil and rosemary oil before taking the exam!
Acne: According to dermatologists and aromatherapists, lavender essential oil is one of the most beneficial oils in the
treatment of acne,
which is a very uncomfortable and embarrassing condition that primarily
affects young people as they move through puberty, but can also afflict
adults. It is characterized by red, raised sores on the face and body
that develop due to a bacterial infection near the sebum gland. When
sebum cannot be properly secreted from the sebum glands on the face, it
begins to build up, particularly because puberty stimulates extra sebum
and bacteria feeds off of it, creating a vicious cycle of irritation,
infection, and visible sores that can result in serious scarring.
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. Adding a small amount of lavender essential oil
to other skin creams or ointments can greatly increase the potential for
relief and healing.
Pain relief: 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 also 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.
Urine flow: Lavender essential oil is good for urinary disorders because of its stimulating effect on
urine production.
Furthermore, it helps in restoring hormonal balance and reducing
cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any
associated cramps with these and other disorders.
Respiratory disorders: Lavender oil is widely used
for various respiratory problems including throat infections, flu,
cough, cold, asthma, sinus congestion, bronchitis, whooping cough,
laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapor
or is applied on the skin of the neck, chest and back. It is also added
to many vaporizers and inhalers that are commonly used for colds and
coughs. The stimulating nature of lavender essential oil can also loosen
up the phlegm and relieve the congestion associated with respiratory
conditions, speeding up the recovery process and helping the body
naturally eliminate phlegm and other unwanted material. The vapor of
lavender essential oil also has
antibacterial qualities which can battle respiratory tract infections.
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 Sottish 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!
Cancer: Although more research needs to be done on
human subjects, there is significant research on the effects of
lavender, in combination with other essential oils, as a way to prevent
the occurrence of breast cancer in mice. However, this could be an
indication of an increased chance of lavender battling other
carcinogenic effects and the
presence of cancer.
Blood circulation: Lavender essential oil is also good for improving the
circulation of blood in the body.
It also lowers blood pressure and is often used for hypertension. This
means that not only do the organs increase their levels of oxygenation,
promoting muscle strength and health, but brain activity can have a
noticeable boost, skin remains bright and flushed with blood, and the
body is protected from the risks of heart attack and artherosclerosis
that is often associated with poor circulation. Finally, in terms of
diabetic patients, the application or inhalation of lavender essential
oil can prevent some of their serious risks of low circulation, which
can lead to dangerous or even fatal complications.
Digestion: Lavender oil is useful for digestion
because it increases the mobility of food within the intestine. The oil
also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile, thus aiding
in the treatment of indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence,
vomiting and diarrhea.
Immunity: Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to a variety of diseases. It is well-known that lavender has
antibacterial
and antiviral qualities that make it perfect for defending the body
against rare diseases like TB, typhoid, and diphtheria, according to
early research in the 20th century.
General Skin care: The health benefits of lavender
oil for the skin can be attributed to its antiseptic and antifungal
properties. 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.
Other: Other health benefits of lavender essential
oil include its ability to treat leucorrhoea. The oil can also used to
repel mosquitoes and moths, which is why you will find many mosquito
repellents that contain lavender oil as one of the primary ingredients.
As with many other essential oils, pregnant and breastfeeding women
should avoid using lavender essential oil. It is also recommended that
patients with diabetes stay away from lavender oil. It may also cause
allergic reactions to people that have unusually sensitive skin. Some
people may also witness nausea, vomiting and headaches due to either
common or excessive use of lavender oil.