Lavender

Lavender essential oils have been used for centuries in skin care and aromatherapy, for pain relief and wound healing, and for treating skin disorders and soothing burns. The pleasantly scented lavender flower has gained a reputation as producing one of the most valuable, healing and gentle essential oils in existence. The oil has antibacterial properties and is often used in herbal remedies for a variety of ailments. It is also used in natural deodorants, fungicides and insect repellents, and in homemade soaps, shampoos and massage oils.


The most common lavender oil is made from Lavandula augustifolia, also known as true lavender, or Lavandula officinalis. These oils are most frequently found on store shelves and through mail order venues. Essential oil made from Lavandula augustifolia is the most sought-after variety, however, because it contains the least amount of camphor after the distillation process. This give the resulting oil a strong floral aroma and makes it extremely effective in aromatherapy when inhaled.


Another type of lavender oil known as lavandin is made from a hybrid lavender plant created by crossing spike lavender with true lavender. Spike lavender, or Lavandula latifolia, is also used to make essential oil, though it is perhaps the least desirable. It retains a higher percentage of camphor after distillation than other types, but still provides an attractive fragrance. In comparison to other types, however, it is used less often.


You can use Lavender essential oil in a variety of ways, and to help with a variety of home care needs. Lavender oils have been used for many years, and while it is more commonly associated with its health and beauty benefits, Lavender has plenty of home care uses as well.


While it is easy to find out what to use lavender oil for, it can be difficult to figure out how to use lavender and lavender oils for these purposes. Here you can find a couple different uses for lavender and how to use them for your home care needs.

What Is Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an alternative method of healing that makes use of the healing effects of volatile plant oils. These volatile plant oils are composed of some very important essential oils. Aromatherapy is found to be effective for the physical conditions as well as for the psychological conditions.


Aromatherapy is the science of using essential botanical oils in a way that promotes an improved sense of well being. It is often used to alter mood, personalize a room or create an atmosphere. It works with your olfactory senses like this; as scents are inhaled, the smell travels across the olfactory nerve inside the nose, then travels up to the part of the brain that controls mood, memories and our ability to learn.


Aromatherapy only uses essential oils which are considered pure or true oils. Not all essential oils are safe to use in aromatherapy and not all oils you can buy are true or pure essential oils. Synthetically or chemically manufactured oils are not used in aromatherapy, these oils do not contain any of the beneficial chemicals of the real item.


In the case of aromatherapy, benefits that are both well known and desire by many people include an increased ability to cope with stress, and a lasting feeling of peaceful clarity, assuming that the person is engaging in these types of therapy sessions regularly. It's not just about using the sense of smell to allow the fragrance of the oils to permeate the mind, because there's a much more profound physiological reaction at work here as well. While you are peacefully allowing the powerful fragrance of the concentrated oil essences to flow into your lungs, the herbal ingredients are being passively absorbed directly into your bloodstream, where they can have the most rapid effect possible on your body as a whole.


While repeated sessions are always recommended by experienced therapists, a person can begin to experience the positive effects on their first try, so that they can quickly relax and begin to feel much better about things that are going on in their lives. Aromatherapy benefits both the body and the mind, and by inhaling the essences of horrible treasures that are found in nature, we cause the balance of chemistry in our bodies that affects its inherent ability to resist injury and sickness to be altered just slightly. These chemical changes can stay with us to provide a lasting positive affect, and without any of the unnatural side effects that can come along with taking some sort of pill that is supposed to accomplish the same thing.