Lavender Essential Oil Benefits And Uses

There are hundreds of varieties of lavenders, but for a safe use and good results the best one to use is the Lavendula augustifolia or lavendula officinalis. Lavender gives one of the essential oils that has the most properties. Therefore, lavender essential oil is a major remedy to have in one's medicine chest.

Lavender essential oil has many health benefits:

1. When used externally, lavender essential oil helps to heal skin problems ( burns, insects bites, scratches, acne, eczema...) and to get rid of lice and scabies, thanks to its healing, antiseptic, antivenin and insecticide properties.
2. When used internally, it is recommended to use lavender essential oil to fight insomnia, nervousness, migraines, rheumatism, respiratory ailments ( asthma, bronchitis, whoopping cough, cold and flu...), high blood pressure, leucorrhoea, dizziness, enteritis, colitis...

• to treat minor burns: When you burn yourself, the first thing to do is to cool down the burn as soon as possible with cold water. Let the water run on the affected area for about 5 minutes. Then apply this mixture on the burn: mix in a tablespoon of honey 5 drops of lavender essential oil and 2 drops of niaouli essential oil.
• to treat scratches, minor cuts...: to desinfect the wound, use this lotion that you can prepare yourself by mixing half a cup of boiled water, half a cup of apple cider vinegar, 30 drops of lavender essential oil and 30 drops of tea tree essential oil.
• to get rid of lices, make this natural shampoo: put in 5 cups of boiling water one ounce of soapworts roots, then leave it to soak all night. The following morning, bring the soapworts water to the boil. Filter. Add 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops of geranium essential oil. Keep it in a corked bottle. Shake it before each use. And, if at your children's school there are lice, to prevent them from getting them, massage their scalp every morning with this lavender vinegar: mix in half a cup of spirit vinegar, 50 drops of lavender essential oil.
• to heal insect bites and stings (ants, bugs, mosquitoes, bees...): apply on the bite one drop of lavender essential oil. This will help reduce the itching, swelling and inflammation.

• to treat headaches and migraines: massage your temples, forehead and the nape of your neck with a drop of lavender essential oil. If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lavender essential oil by half with a vegetable oil.
• to treat dizziness: prepare this ancient remedy, the smelling salts. Put 4 tablespoons of Epsom salt (or kosher salt or sea salt) in an air-tight bottle. Then add 20 drops of lavender essential oil, 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and 2 drops of basil essential oil. Close the bottle. When you feel dizzy, open the bottle and breathe deeply the salt.
• to treat rheumatism: mix 2 drops of lavender essential oil and one drop of juniper essential oil in a tablespoon of honey in a glass. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Then add water to make a glass and drink it. Follow this treatment 2 to 3 weeks. Caution: essential oil should always be diluted in honey when taken orally.
• To relieve a sciatica, prepare this massage oil: mix in half a cup of vegetable oil, 50 drops of lavender essential oil, 20 drops of juniper essential oil and 10 drops of rosemary essential oil.
• To get rid of a sore throat: put in a cup half a teaspoon of salt, one drop of lavender essential oil and one drop of tea tree essential oil. Fill the cup with hot water. Mix well. Gargle this solution without swallowing it.
• To treat a heat stroke: soak a hankerchief in some cold water, then add a few drops of lavender essential oil. Apply the hankerchief on your forehead. Renew as soon as the hankerchief is hot. You can also make yourself a lukewarm (almost cold) bath. Mix 20 drops of lavender essential oil in some milk, then pour this in your bath. Stay at least 20 minutes in this bath. Caution: always use essential oil with a dispersant such as milk, because essential oil are not soluble in water.
• To treat high blood pressure: after your meal, take a teaspoon of honey in which you've added one drop of lavender essential oil. You can also use this lavender honey to sweeten an olive leaves tea (which is also recommended in case of high blood pressure). Caution: essential oil should always be diluted in honey when taken orally.
• To lower stress: diffuse in the air of your home a few drops of lavender essential oil.
• To treat blisters: mix in half a cup of vegetable oil 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 4 drops of geranium essential oil. Apply this oil in compress after bursting the blisters.