Lavender
When I think of lavender essential oil I think of serenity, a beautiful feeling of calm and happiness. Close your eyes and think of walking thru a field of lavender on a beautiful summer day. Rows upon rows of the purpley- blue buds gently swaying in the soft breeze, wafting that sweet fragrance up into the air, practically enveloping you in a sense of well-being.
Lavender has long been known for its medicinal properties. Lavender is a key essential oil in a health and wellness routine, it really is a jack of all trades type of oil. One of the most predominant uses of Lavender is to help calm feelings of anxiety. Lavender essential oil is a great way to calm down anxious feelings on the spot by simply putting a drop or two on the hands and inhaling. Some Lavender essential oils can be taken internally, however, I caution you to use a therapeutic or food grade essential oil.
Benefits & Uses
Lavender is also one of the main oils used to help promote healthy sleep. There are many different ways to use Lavender essential oils to help you sleep better at night.
- Diffuse it alone or with Ylang Ylang and/or Roman chamomile.
- Make is mist of ½ cup of water and 4-5 drops of Lavender essential oil and mist your pillows and sheets. If the scent is too strong, reduce the amount of oil. Make sure you shake well before use.
- Apply Lavender oil and a carrier oil of your choice to the soles of the feet before bedtime. I suggest putting socks on before getting into bed or allow it to absorb first.
- Lavender essential oil can be taken internally to promote calm and sleep. Please discuss this with a medical professional before taking anything.
- Lavender, either essential oil, infused oil, fresh or dried can also be added to different foods. It is especially good with recipes that call for citrus; the lavender will calm the citrus and add a nice flavorful twist.
- Lavender can be added to shampoo or conditioner to help balance the scalp and keep it clean and healthy.
- Adding lavender oils in form of bath salts (recipe below) to a bath can help with relaxation.
- According to DoTerra, Lavender Essential Oil may help support the immune system during times of seasonal threats, may support the heart and cardiovascular system, synergistically calms and soothes the nervous system, can be particularly helpful in supporting moods during menstruation and menopause.
Lavender Essential oils have also been used to help calm skin irritations. According to The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy and Reference Guide for Essential Oils lavender can be used to help calm prickly heat in children under 2-years old up to adults. It has also been used as a disinfectant wash with thyme and eucalyptus to keep insects that bite and sting away, or can be used after a bite or sting have occurred.
Lavender is one of the most important essential oils to have in a basic emergency kit. It can be used for animal bites, bruises, bumps, burns, tummy troubles, dry, flaky skin, physical exhaustion, heat exposure, fevers, cuts/ grazes, headaches, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, infections, insect bites, insect repellents, jet lag, over-exercised muscles, prickly heat, rashes, sleeplessness, sprains/strains, sunburn, sunstroke, swelling vomiting, windburn and wounds just to name a few. The majority of the above-mentioned ailments use lavender in conjunction with other ingredients in holistic treatments.
Now for the Fun Stuff!!!
Just a few fun DIY’s to show you how to use Lavender and Lavender Essential Oils to make your life better!
Who doesn’t love a good bath? I know some men might be groaning right now, but, give this awesome DIY bath salt a try and I am sure your tune will change!
Here is a super simple Lavender Bath Salt recipe to help induce the calm!
Lavender Bath Salts
1 ¼ cups of Epsom Salts ( Get here)
¼ cup dried Lavender flowers ( Get Here)
3-4 drops Lavender Essential oil (Get Here)
Muslin bags ( Get Here)
To make:
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar.
To use:
Put a scoop in the muslin bag, tie tight, and put in the bath as the tub fills with water.
As a bonus, this makes a great gift! Tie a ribbon and a tag and present it to the lucky person !
Enjoy!
Lavender Lemonade
Lavender Lemonade can be made a few different ways, with fresh squeezed lemon juice, or from a bottle, with sugar or honey, with fresh lavender, dried lavender or Lavender essential oils. All of these amounts can be adjusted or swapped depending on which way you would like to make it.
12 cups of Water
1 cup of honey OR 2-3 cups of sugar
6-9 lemons OR 1 cup of bottled lemon juice
1-2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil ( make sure it is therapeutic/food grade like Doterra or Young Living)
OR
1/4 cup of dried Lavender (get it here) OR 1/3 cup fresh lavender flowers
Springs of Lavender and Lemon slices to garnish.
Making Lavender Lemonade
Juice lemons or add lemon juice to 12 cups of water
If using honey, add honey to a pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil until honey is dissolved. Cool and add to the rest of the water/lemon mixture.
If using essential oil add drop(s) to mixture, stir well, refrigerate and enjoy.
If using dried or fresh lavender add the lavender to the pot of water with honey, bring to a boil until honey is dissolved. Remove from heat cover and let steep for 20 minutes, then strain thru a fine mesh sieve, add to the mixture stir well, refrigerate and enjoy.
If using sugar add equal parts of sugar and water to a saucepan heat until all sugar is dissolved.
If using dried or fresh lavender add lavender to the water/sugar mixture on the stove, heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat cover and let steep for 20 minutes, then strain thru a fine mesh sieve, add to the mixture stir well, refrigerate and enjoy.
Any which way you decide to make lavender lemonade, it will help relieve stress and anxiety and promote feelings of calm.
All of these different methods can easily be changed to suit your personal taste, more or less sweetness, more or less lemon, more or less lavender. Add a drop of red and a drop of blue food coloring to give it that beautiful Lavender color!
A quick note about lavender, there are two different kinds of lavender, english and french. English Lavender tends to be smaller and more mild. French lavender is larger and contains more camphor, which makes it a more pungent smell and taste to the bud.
You always want to make sure you dilute Lavender Essential Oil with a carrier oil, like olive oil, safflower, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil, just to name a few. Using straight essential oils can cause an irritation or reaction. While Lavender Essential Oil is safe for infants and children, make sure you use the proper dilution, which is 1% Essential Oil to Carrier Oil. If you plan on using any oils on a child, please consult your medical professional first.
I like to use DoTerra’s Lavender Touch, which is already diluted with Fractionated Coconut Oil. I have put this oil on the soles of my little guys feet at night when he is super cranky and just needs help to calm down. It is also great for me to throw in my purse and use on the go.
I hope you enjoyed this lavender post! Leave me some words and tell me how you like to use lavender!
*Disclaimer*
I am not a medical doctor. You should always check with a licensed medical professional before trying any recipe, workout routine, supplements etc. The Wellness Copywriter cannot be held liable for any illness or injury that occurs from the use of these products, recipes, routines, supplements, etc.
