Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Overview
Lavender may also be referred to as True lavender, English lavender, Common lavender, Garden lavender, Narrow-leaved lavender, Lavandula angustifolia maillet, Lavender maillet. It is typically processed in Bulgaria, France, China, Ukraine, Spain, & Morocco using steam or hydro distillation as a method for extracting oil from the leaves and flowers/buds.
Summary
Lavender is a very useful and popular essential oil. It comes from the flower tops of Lavandula angustifolia (Lavandula officinalis) plants and is extracted by steam distillation. It has a flowery scent and a balancing effect on the body and mind.
Essential Facts
- Aroma Description:
- Common Name(s): True lavender, English lavender, Common lavender, Garden lavender, Narrow-leaved lavender, Lavandula angustifolia maillet, Lavender maillet
- Botanical Family: Lamiaceae
- Botanical Genus: Lavandula
- Chemical Family: Esters, Monoterpenols
- Major Compounds: Linalyl Acetate, Linalool, (Z)-B-Ocimene, Lavandulyl acetate, Terpinene-4-ol, B-Caryophyllene, (E)-B-Farnesene, (E)-B-Ocimene, 3-Octanyl Acetate
- Perfumery Note: Top/Middle
- Consistency: Thin
- Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium
- Color: Clear with a Tinge of Yellow
- Countries of Production: Bulgaria, France, China, Ukraine, Spain, & Morocco
- Indigenous Country: Native to the Old World, from South Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, & Asia to southeast India
- Cultivation: Unsprayed or organic
- Processing Methods: Steam or Hydro Distillation
- Part Typically Used: Leaves and Flowers/Buds
- Shelf Life: 6 years
- Ethically and sustainably sourced
- Organic
- Vegan
- Not recommended or safe if pregnant or nursing
Essential Details
Benefits & Uses
May be benefitial for addressing the following ailments:
Aches Arthritis Asthma Athlete's Foot Autoimmune Diseases Blisters Bronchitis Bruises Burns Cellulite Chicken Pox Deodorant Depression Eczema Feet : Tired & Aching Fever Fleas ( Dogs ) Flu Head Lice Hepatic Intoxication Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure) Insect Bites Insect Repellents Insomnia Jetlag Libido Menstruation : Cramp ( Dysmenorrhea ) Menstruation : Excess ( Menorrhagia ) Migraine Muscle Stiffness Nervous Conditions / Tension Obesity Poor Blood Circulation Scabies Scar Tissue Sinusitis Skin : All types Skin : Dermatitis Skin : Dry Skin : Sweaty Sore Throat Spots ( Acne ) Stress Stretch Marks Sun Burn : Mild Sweaty Feet Swellings Tantrums Travel Sickness
Therapeutic Benefits of Lavender:
Analgesic Anti-anxiety Anti-bacterial Anti-convulsant Anti-depressant Anti-epileptic Anti-fungal Anti-infectious Anti-inflammatory Anti-microbial Anti-oxidant Anti-rheumatic Anti-septic Anti-spasmodic Anti-viral Calming Cicatrisant CNS depressant CNS sedative CNS tonic Cooling Decongestant Deodorant Diuretic Energizing Estrogenic Hypotensive Immuno-stimulant Nervine Relaxant Sedative Tonic Wound healing
Other Uses for Lavender:
Blends
Cautions & Safety
Cautions when using Lavender:
Don't use lavender oil during the early stages of pregnancy.
Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Lavender Essential Oil. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 325-328.]
Safety Precautions for Lavender:
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Energetic, Spiritual, and Emotional Qualities
Energetics and Chakras Qualites of Lavender:
2nd Chakra - Relationships 3rd Chakra - Personal Power 4th Chakra - Unconditional Love 7th Chakra - Higher Information Balancing Creation Energy Transformative Unconditional love Uplifting
Articles
Lavender Articles or Publications:
- PubMed: Preservative activity of lavender hydrosols in moisturizing body gels.
- PubMed: Isolation and functional characterization of a τ-cadinol synthase, a new sesquiterpene synthase from Lavandula angustifolia.
- PubMed: [Histo-anatomical researches of two subspecies of Lavandula angustifolia Mill].
- PubMed: Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. 'Budrovka': a comparative study with L. angustifolia Mill.
- PubMed: Antibacterial activity of essential oils from palmarosa, evening primrose, lavender and tuberose.
- PubMed: Differential accumulation of volatile terpene and terpene synthase mRNAs during lavender (Lavandula angustifolia and L. x intermedia) inflorescence development.
- PubMed: The effects of aqueous extract of Lavandula angustifolia flowers in glutamate-induced neurotoxicity of cerebellar granular cell culture of rat pups.