A little while back, I used to associate lavender with the old Yardley perfumes displayed on the feature counter at Bodgers department store as a child. And the powdery smell of my aging aunties when they’d tenderly go in for a hug, not forgetting to remind me just how much I’d grown. Lavender, as a young’un, was the official smell of an older sort of aura.
But when I was heavily pregnant with my first child, suffering from inevitable bouts of insomnia by virtue of metamorphosing into a whale, I needed something, anything, to send me into a dreamy state, lying in whatever position my body slumped into.
And there it was. Lavender. Pure, unadulterated, blissful, in a purple bottle, lavender essential oil. Smeared across my forehead and inhaled via my electric diffuser buddy, this little beauty remarkably came to the rescue.
In this article, not only will you explore how lavender essential oil can help ease you into a state of much needed tranquility but some interesting facts about its history and uses through time. You’ll also gain insight into its unique properties, that make it such a wonder.
Table of Contents
Is it a herb, a flower, or a shrub?
Actually, Lavender is a versatile plant that falls under the category of both herb and shrub. And as it’s renowned for its aromatic qualities, it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers.
Botanically speaking, lavender belongs to the Lamiaceae family, part of the mint family, which includes herbs such as Basil, Rosemary and Oregano. However, some lavender varieties can grow into small shrubs, especially in garden settings where they can reach a bigger size.
So, lavender essentially embodies the best of both worlds – the herbal charm and the woody stature of a shrub.
Where does it come from?
Lavender is predominantly native to the Mediterranean region but with numerous lavender varieties and its adaptability, it can thrive in many parts of the world including the high altitudes of the Himalayas.
Closer to home, it can be found in Provence, France, and of course, England, where certain types of Lavender are well suited to our temperate conditions. In Provence, lavender fields stretch as far as the eye can see, painting the landscape shades of purple.
French lavender essential oil is a staple in perfumery and aromatherapy, used in everything from designer fragrances to body oils. It is even used in culinary pursuits!
Back in ancient Egyptian times, lavender was used for embalming and cosmetics. The Romans enjoyed Lavender in their bathing rituals, using its aroma for relaxation and rejuvenation. It’s fascinating to have an idea of what the Romans, thousands of years ago, used to smell of after a bath! Lavender.
At home, English Lavender has been a source of pride for hundreds of years. Introduced in the 1600s, it was mostly used in teas, jams, and for medicinal purposes. Its main use now is in relaxation and stress relief via aromatherapy or sleep-inducing oils.
Even with all the new stress relief products on the market, I still occasionally use my lavender stuffed neck pillow which I place around my neck to soothe away any tension from the day. And of course, if you remember from childhood, you may have delicately arranged those little purple lavender sachets in your sock drawer and enjoyed that waft of lavender every time you opened it!
What are the key ingredients of Lavender?
Lavender, with its sweet, soothing aroma and vibrant purple blooms, has long held a special place in the world of natural remedies. But what exactly does it contain, to make it so beneficial for various applications? In this account, you’ll discover the essential compounds that contribute to Lavender’s wide array of therapeutic properties.
- Linalool: The Calming Elixir
Linalool (try saying that three times!), is one of the most prominent and impactful components of lavender essential oil. This terpene alcohol is responsible for the characteristic floral and slightly citrusy scent. But its benefits go far beyond its pleasing aroma.
Linalool has demonstrated amazingly, the potential to soothe the nervous system. It can modulate the activity of a type of neurotransmitter in the brain, which has a repressive effect on the central nervous system. This interaction results in reduced stress and anxiety levels, making lavender a go-to remedy for relaxation and emotional balance, particularly helpful at night.
- Linalyl Acetate: The Soothing Agent
Linalyl acetate is an ester that contributes to the sweet, fruity undertones of lavender’s fragrance. This compound is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which when applied topically, make it a valuable asset for pain relief and reducing inflammation.
- Camphor: The Cool Breeze
Camphor is present in lavender in smaller quantities but is still noteworthy. It contributes a slight, cool, and an even slighter medicinal scent to the overall aroma profile.
- Caryophyllene: The Balancing Act
Caryophyllene has a spicy and woody scent and plays a role in the overall complexity of lavender’s aroma. Beyond its aromatic involvement, caryophyllene is known for its ability to balance various body systems, with the potential to boost mental well-being.
- Lavandulol and Lavandulyl Acetate: The Enhancers
These compounds are minor constituents in lavender, but they enhance the overall profile of the oil. These components combined, give off a floral and sweet aroma, and are thought to have relaxing properties, further accentuating lavender’s soothing effect.
So how can lavender help you?
I’m sure you’ve already been at the receiving end of Lavender essential oil and its profound benefits. But just to reiterate, here are some key advantages.
- Relaxation and Stress Reduction: Lavender is renowned for its calming properties. Inhaling its aroma can help you to reduce stress, anxiety, and promote a sense of relaxation, making it perfect for unwinding after a long day.
- Better Sleep: Diffusing lavender oil in your bedroom can improve the quality of your sleep. It may help you fall asleep faster and enjoy a deeper, more restful slumber. In fact, my daughter is a little partial to having diluted lavender essential oil rubbed behind her ear every so often, when she’s feeling a little restless at night. I’ve seen first hand, how quickly it sends her to sleep.
- Mood Enhancement: The pleasant scent of lavender can elevate your mood and alleviate symptoms of mild depression. It’s a natural mood booster.
- Pain Relief: Lavender oil may have analgesic properties. Inhaling it or using it in massage oils can help ease headaches, muscle aches, and joint pain. I often rub it into my trapezius muscles where tension tends to reside.
- Respiratory Health: Lavender aromatherapy can alleviate symptoms of respiratory conditions like colds and allergies. It helps reduce congestion and is particularly useful in a eucalyptus blend to add to an electric diffuser.
- Cognitive Benefits: While lavender is known for its calming effects, it may not necessarily induce drowsiness in you. Some people find that the calming influence of lavender can create a more conducive environment for concentration and focus. By alleviating stress and anxiety, lavender may indirectly support cognitive function.
- Lavender’s impact on focus can be seen as a balancing act. By promoting a sense of calmness, it may help you redirect your attention away from distractions and stressors, allowing you to concentrate better on the tasks at hand.
- Emotional Balance: Lavender oil may help you balance emotions. It can be beneficial in managing mood swings, irritability, and nervousness. The linalool and linalyl acetate in lavender oil work in tandem to affect the central nervous system, helping to reduce the production of stress hormones. Whether inhaled or used in a compress, lavender’s gentle aroma creates a tranquil atmosphere, allowing you to feel more emotionally secure.
- Aid for Headaches and Migraines: In the throes of a pounding headache or a persistent migraine, lavender oil offers much-needed respite. I’ve suffered from the occasional migraine in the past and the constant thumping and sickness normally means my day is a right off. But something as simple as applying diluted lavender oil to the temples or inhaling its scent can help ease the pain and tension if done at regular intervals.
- Repelling Insects: Did you know that when Lavender contains higher properties of camphor it can repel mosquitoes and other unwanted insects? This makes it an excellent choice for a natural insect repellent.
- Improved General Well-being: Regular use of lavender aromatherapy can contribute to an overall sense of well-being and a more harmonious environment. Diffusing lavender oil in your bedroom or adding a few drops to your pillow can work wonders in helping you drift into a deep and restful slumber which of course has a knock-on positive effect on your overall well-being. Aromatherapists often recommend lavender oil for those seeking a peaceful night’s sleep without the grogginess associated with synthetic sleep aids.
It’s important to note that some people may find that the calming properties of lavender essential oil enhance their ability to focus, while others might mostly experience the sedative effects. I’m the latter! If I have a lavender infused bath on a Sunday morning, chances are, I’ll be in relaxation mode for the rest of the day!
Also, the method of use – either inhaling or massaging, can influence the outcomes.
Incorporating lavender into your environment, whether through diffusers, massage oils or candles, gives you a chance to discover how it affects your mental state. As with any wellness practice, see how lavender best works for you, before incorporating it into your routine.
Lavender FAQs
1. Is Lavender Essential Oil Safe for Children?
For a comprehensive guide on the use of essential oils in children, please refer to this The New York Times article.
According to a paper written by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Lavender oil has been studied on children and found to be safe and effective to inhale from the age of 3. But it is important to choose only the purest oil, not synthetic, from a reliable source.
Lavender oil should be diluted in a carrier oil such as coconut, almond, or jojoba and mustn’t be used concentrated. It must not be used directly on a child’s sensitive skin.
According to essentialoil.com, lavender essential oil when used taking the necessary precautions can be very beneficial to kids for creating a calming, sleep inducing environment. As you know, many children’s products including bubble bath and creams contain safe quantities of lavender essential oil.
2. What Are the Best Lavender Essential Oil Blends
Lavender is excellent when infused with equally relaxing and healing essential oils. It also works beautifully with more uplifting, citrus tones or soothing woody elements. Below is a much researched list of the best quality lavender blend essential oils taking into account their highest purity and customer satisfaction.
Nature’s Best Relaxing blend is a fusion of lavender, geranium – known to calm the nerves, sage -known to clarify the mind and ease fatigue and balancing citrus. Nature’s best are proud to have a fully traceable supply chain and their essential oils are sourced by specialists in the field.
The Calm Blend of 100% pure essential oils from Boucle has lavender, rosemary and Clarysage. I’m a huge fan of this blend, as it not only smells divine but helps you gain perspective and tends to melt away any lingering anxiety.
Boucle are dedicated to their sustainable, highest quality natural ingredients and mindful production ethic. All their essential oils are labelled correctly including any allergens according to EU guidance.
Nikura’s Anti-anxiety Essential Oil blend features French lavender, Ylang Ylang and Bergamot. Now this particular blend with lavender is probably my all time favourite. There’s something about the lavender and ylang ylang partnership that evokes pure joy in my opinion.
Ylang Ylang is made of star shaped flowers and also contains linalool like lavender. According to the renowned wellbeing brand Neom Organics, when used in aromatherapy it actually helps boost self-esteem due its calming effects.
Nikura are a family run business with production based in London. They place ethical, cruelty-free, wellness practices at the forefront of their values, resulting in 100% natural ingredients, sourced with care and expert suppliers.
Neom Organics Luxury Essential Oil Blend. And now we come to Neom’s expert blend of lavender, with another big player in relaxing aromatherapy, sandalwood and the beautiful floral effects of Jasmine. This is a fantastic product to use in an electric diffuser as the scent throw is strong giving you an almost instant mood lift.
Now this potent, specialist blend Stressed Mind, from Anatome, although expensive, may end up being more economical, due to its luxurious, highest quality ingredients.
Stressed Mind Sensory Point Sleep Oil has 15 essential oils to make up its signature blend leading with three different types of Lavender, centred with Chamomile and Clarysage, and grounded with Frankincense and Peppermint.
Users highly recommend this product and reveal how essential its become to their bedtime routine. According to customers, with its instant relaxing effects, it calms the mind and improves sleep, better than some other sleep oils.
The Yoga Life Oil from Aroma Energy is a blend of Lavender and the woody, comforting Cedarwood and this particular blend is hard to find. But the reason why I’ve included it is because of its super relaxing effects.
Essential oil connoisseurs have rated this blend extremely helpful towards drifting off into a deep, sound sleep. If you like a balanced, warm lavender blend, the aroma itself is a lovely fusion of outdoorsy, woody notes with the sweeter, floral elements of Lavender, which may be just what you’re after.
3. What’s the Shelf Life of Lavender Essential Oil
According to many experts including Tisserand and lavender specialists, once opened, lavender essential oil needs to be stored in a cool dry place with the lid tightly screwed back on and must be used within 12 months of first being opened.
4. Where Can I Buy Authentic Lavender Essential Oil?
Authentic lavender essential oil can be bought from reputed brands such as, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Holland and Barret and Tisserand at Boots. Online, you can find authentic, 100% pure Lavender oil via the following:
Highly recommended lavender products
The following are a few highly recommended lavender products that use potent, natural, lavender essential oils to give the fragrance authenticity and wholesomeness, helping you ease into a state of relaxation.
One or more of these may very well end up being your hero too! This is an ever-evolving list, just like the rest of Mists and Melts, so feel free to share more lavender-based products that you deem exceptional too!
Millennials Lavender. Mixed by in-house mixologists based in Saddleworth, east of Oldham, consists of fresh French lavender, Chamomile and Camellia flowers (rose-like aroma) and base notes of vanilla and cedarwood. Luxe candles use 100% plant ingredients and use zero chemicals. And you may be pleased to know for every order placed, they plant a tree!
With its creamy, floral fragrance, balanced with vanilla and woody cedarwood, it’s a good candidate for the ‘aaaaaaaand relax’ collection for lovers of refined candles.
This particular creation from Dytpique exudes the strong, bold aroma of fresh French lavender. Incredibly intense and long lasting, the price is deemed justifiable by its many fans. With a five star rating and delighted users, this seems worth investing in.
The lavender candle from Castle Farm, the UK’s largest lavender farm, is all natural plant based, smooth burning and scented from 100% pure Castle Farm Lavender Essential Oil. It has a soothing but equally fresh fragrance that lifts the mood. A high quality lavender creation, it’s a huge hit with candle lovers.
Neom’s perfect night’s sleep covers all basis when it comes to lavender induced joy!
Infused with Jasmine and sweet basil, the scent throw is reputed for being strong and soothing creating an ideal, relaxing ambience.
I find Wax Lyrical products to be surprisingly strong and fragrant for the price and this lavender offering boasts longevity too. You’ll notice the scent straight away and with its pure, alcohol free formula the intensity is natural and distinctly lavender.
Those neck wraps previously mentioned are worth repeating again, in this much more modernised and higher quality lavender wheat wrap from SMUG, a renowned well-being brand. They are dedicated to boosting your health through better sleep with affordable, effective products such as this. You can find them on Instagram using #sleepsmug.
This robust, high-strength offering from The English Soap Company from Sussex, now a global brand exporting to over 40 countries has a blend of dried English lavender flowers, hay and vanilla, mixed perfectly with Cedar and Musk. This formula takes the whole experience of resting in its aroma to higher realms.
As you can imagine, sustainability is at the forefront of the business. Cotton wicks, clean soy wax and lavish pourings of the highest grade essential oils are used to create a masterful ambience. With a huge following and repeat customer base, you may want to find out for yourself what all the fuss is about!
If you’re after a reed diffuser that truly fills the room with a sense of comfort and relaxation, Vallentte’s Relaxing Lavender Diffuser is a tremendous hit amongst its vast fan base. With 100% pure aromatherapy essential oils the scent throw is substantial and infuses the room effectively with the fresh, floral, inviting scent of lavender.
Vallentte are passionate about giving you a therapeutic, soothing experience with this creation and customers are impressed with its longevity and the tranquil vibes it radiates.
So there you have it. Lavender has come a long way from times of spreading it on your toast and infusing in your tea! But feel free to try these as well… I admit I’m a little intrigued. With so many mind and health benefits, it seems a no brainer to seamlessly include Lavender’s attributes in our everyday lives.
Feel free to get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to comment about this article or share about your experiences. For more lavender infused products visit The Aroma of Relaxation.