Lavender Essential Oil: Flower Power
Lavender essential oil is a favorite of those who practice aromatherapy. Lavender has always been associated with perfumes, and it is from this fragrant beginning that its essential oil and all the corresponding benefits were discovered. Lavender is cultivated in rows separated by equal spaces. A walk through a lavender field can be visually stimulating as well as mentally calming. The bright hue of the lavender flower has a wonderfully sedative effect all on its own. Lavender essential oil has all of the properties of the flower, and you probably have a bottle on your shelf if you've tried aromatherapy at some point.
Love And Lavender Don't Come Cheap
Lavender essential oil is not cheap; a 2 oz bottle can set you back about $50. It is said that in England, in the not-too-distant past, young boys would scrimp and save their pocket money just to buy a little bottle of lavender scent for their mothers on Christmas. And apparently, all those thousands of bottles would magically be empty on Christmas Eve, just in time for the mothers to say: "Oh how lovely Charles (or James or Henry or Percival), it's just what I hoped to get this Christmas". Worked like a charm to help companies meet their annual targets for sure, if nothing else. However, being very potent, it is usually used only to inhale or after heavy dilution in water. It is generally sold as a clear liquid, or can be pale yellow, depending on the constituent compounds. The aroma, obviously floral, is sweet and slightly smoky, and seasoned perfumers often say that it smells a bit like cannabis buds, although one wonders what that smells like.
Lavender Essential Oil: For Burns And Bones
The most common use of lavender oil, apart from making perfumes, is as a pain reliever for minor burns and sunburns, and sometimes for sunstroke and infected wounds. The cooling properties act swiftly and effectively. Since lavender is an antiseptic as well as an analgesic, it can be used to treat insect bites and stings as well. A diluted application brings immediate relief. In fact, some say it will even work on an injured ego or a broken heart, but that requires prolonged inhalation to the point of unconsciousness. It can also be used along with massage oils and rubbed into the joints to bring temporary relief from arthritic pain and muscle aches. Again, its analgesic properties make it perfect for this use. In fact, periodic use can bring about long-term relief from joint pain, and is the oil of choice for the well-to-do Arthritic.
Lavender Essential Oil: Of Head And Chest
Although the phenomenon is not completely understood, a few drops of lavender essential oil in a hair rinse will rid you of lice and nits. Just wash you hair as you normally do, and use a fine-tooth comb to remove them. Do remember to comb them off onto a white cloth, or else you won't be able to see them to trash them after. The diluted oil is also used as a chest rub to reduce the symptoms of a number of respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and throat infections. It can also be inhaled as a vapor with equal effectiveness. For this reason it may be found as an active ingredient along with eucalyptus oil in commercial rubs and syrups.
Lavender Essential Oil: Buy Safe And Fare Well
When buying lavender oil, whether through an online retailer or a wholesale store, be sure that the store has been around for at least 5 years. That way you'll know that they're genuine and that they do have some faithful customers. It's also a good idea to check out their shipping and returns policy to see if anything's amiss. Even a few sound companies will not offer refunds on essential oils. This is to ensure integrity of their product; instead, they will sell sample packs of .5 or 1 oz for you to check the quality before you invest a lot of money and buy in bulk. On the other hand, some may offer refunds, but charge you a restocking fee. This is also to show the customer that they will not resell returned oils. It's a perfectly acceptable business practice and several companies do that now. It's also meant to keep them safe from fraudulent purchases.
If you're ready to go out and buy your first bottle of lavender, then congratulations are in order. Whether you plan to sniff it direct, vaporize or nebulize it before sniffing, bath in it, be massaged with it, or be sprayed with it, lavender essential oil will set you on the right path to a healthier, more organic life. And let me leave you with the final thing that lavender brings â€“ Good Luck.