The Essential Oil of Lavender, a Wonder for The Skin and for The Home

In addition to its essential oil, we can take advantage of the properties of lavender if we make a concentrated infusion and even if we prepare our own alcohol with the medicinal herb.

The essential oil of lavender has too many beneficial properties to not take advantage of. It is excellent for health, for the skin and even for the home.
Do you want to know all its uses?
Discover in this article all its properties, as well as the different ways to use it.

The lavender

If we think of lavender, the image of the purple French countryside comes to mind.
This wild plant, which is characterized by its small violet flower, is common throughout the Mediterranean basin and in some areas of Africa, Asia and India.
Lavender grows in fields and dry hills, in very sunny areas.
Lavender is rich in essential oils, acids, coumarins and tannins and saponins, in the case of flowers.

Properties for health

• Its main characteristic is its high soothing power , which has been known since antiquity. In Roman culture lavender was used for relaxing baths.
• It is useful in cases of nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, stress, etc.
• It has antiseptic properties that help to disinfect, soothe and heal any type of wounds, burns , stings and bruises.
• Lavender is antiviral and antibacterial, two properties that make it an excellent remedy to prevent and treat respiratory diseases such as laryngitis, pharyngitis and angina, as well as genital infections.
• It improves some skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczemas, as it reduces inflammation and calms itching.
• It promotes good digestion and calms the nerves that affect the stomach.
• Its anti-inflammatory and soothing virtues make essential lavender oil a good remedy for pain.
• Helps combat dizziness in travel.
• It slightly reduces high blood pressure.
• Prevents hair loss.

Oils and other extracts

The essential oil concentrates all the properties and the aroma of the lavender in very little quantity.
This oil is obtained by a distillation process, for which a still is needed, so we can not make it in a homemade way. However, we can find it in herbalists and other natural products stores.
What are the alternatives that we can do at home ?

• Maceration of lavender flowers in base oil (almond or olive ): The ratio is 1 part of plant per 10 of oil.

We will macerate it in a glass jar and expose it to the sun in a place outside. We will shake it from time to time.

• Maceration in alcohol for a week: Fill the glass jar of dried lavender flowers and add ethyl alcohol.
• Concentrated infusion of dried flowers: The most common and simple use is to make a concentrated infusion with the flowers of the plant .

It is the best option to consume this plant, to make gargles and body or foot baths.

Uses of lavender

Use for Health

• Infusions to combat insomnia and states of nervousness .
• Garages to reduce inflammations of the upper respiratory tract.
• Relaxing massages with lavender oil to combat stress.
• Scrub with lavender alcohol to relieve rheumatic pains, lumbar, foot, migraine and torticollis.

Uses on skin and hair

One of the best ways to apply lavender to your skin and hair is to add a few drops of your essential oil to our cosmetic products:

• Added to facial and body cream helps to calm tensions, combats skin conditions and improves their regeneration.
• If incorporated into the shampoo, it prevents hair loss .

This oil, moreover, has the virtue of enhancing the effects of the other natural components.

Uses in the home

At home we can impregnate our cleaning products (cleansers, detergent, softener, air fresheners, etc.) to have a delicious aroma and also achieve the following objectives:

• Shoot away insects.
• Promote states of relaxation in the family.
• Eliminate fleas on dogs and cats.

In addition, we can make very simply some  sachets with lavender flowers with which we can perfumar the cupboards .

Also made by hand are larger sacks of fabric, like a cushion, which we can heat in the microwave and place ourselves on the cervical area to favor a good rest.


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