How To Use Lavender Oil

Lavender Essential Oil is one of the most used essential oils on the earth.  If you were to ask an essential oil expert what oils to start out with this would surely be at the top of their list.  It is a very versatile oil and extremely safe as well. Lavender oil can be used in so many ways. This article will only begin to touch the surface, but hopefully I can begin to teach you about the benefits of this oil.

It is called “the grandmother” of essential oils because it cares for and nurtures us through such a variety of physical and emotional stresses.

Lavender oil has analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cholagogue, deodorant, diuretic, emmenagogue, insecticide, nervine, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, and vulnerary properties.  So as you can see, it can treat a wide variety of issues, lets take a look at some of them.

Lavender Essential Oil Uses

Emotional:

• Anxiety/Stress: Place a couple drops of lavender oil into the palm of your hands and rub them together, cup your hands and inhale and exhale slowly. Place a drop at the base of your neck or on your temples to relieve stress and anxiety. Lavender oil is a great oil to diffuse, this is the diffuser I use in our home frequently.
• Insomnia: Place a couple drops of lavender oil on your pillow or add a few drops to a spray bottle with some water and mist your pillow and sheets before bed.  You can also diffuse lavender in your room before going to bed.  One thing to be wary of is that when used in excess, especially with children, it can start to have a stimulating effect if used too frequently or in excess.  I have a friend that can attest to this.
• Fatigue: Place a few drops of lavender oil in a tub of warm water and soak your feet for a few minutes.  The pours on your feet are the largest pours on your body and will soak up the oil into your bloodstream and create a soothing effect on your body.

Physical:

•  Aching Muscles: Add a few drops of lavender oil and 1 c. epsom salt to a hot bath and soak to relieve sore muscles.
• Acne: Add 1-2 drops lavender oil to a plain moisturizer like almond oil  and massage over face.  Lavender inhibits the bacteria that cause the skin to break out.
• Burns: Cool burned area under cold water for a couple minutes and then apply lavender oil directly to skin.
• Cuts and Wounds: Apply lavender oil to cleaned cut to prevent pain, prevent infection and reduce scaring.
• Eczema: Rub a couple drops of lavender oil mixed with a carrier oil like sweet almond oil into dry, itchy skin.
• Insect Bite: Rub on bite to reduce itchiness and swelling.
• Sunburns: Spray lavender oil diluted with water over burned area, you can also add a couple drops of oil to a dime sized amount of carrier oil like almond oil to your hand and gently rub over sunburn.
• Headache: Make a compress with a washcloth soaked in icy cold water then sprinkled with a few drops of lavender oil and apply to the forehead, or massage a few drops into the forehead, temples and nape of the neck.
• Earache: Warm a bottle of lavender oil in hot water for a minute or two, then gently massage a few drops into the skin around the ears and throat. For babies & small children, add 2-3 drops of the warmed oil to a little almond oil and massage into the skin the same way.
• Fevers: For babies or small children (and adults), mix a few drops of lavender oil with warm water.  Dip a cloth into mixture and blot the body, being careful not to let them get chilled.  You can also apply lavender oil directly to the bottom of feet.
• Motion Sickness: Place a drop of lavender oil in your hands, rub together and inhale. Place a drop behind ears. You can also keep a cotton ball in a small bag in your pocket and take a whiff every now and then when you feel yourself starting to get sick.
• Cold Sore: Rub a drop of lavender oil on cold sore repeat multiple times daily until cold sore goes away.
• Dandruff: Add a few drops of lavender oil to your shampoo.
• Body Care Products: Because lavender oil is so great for the dry skin and also acts as a deodorant, it can be added to many homemade body care products with ease.  Try adding lavender to this Dry Skin Salve, Homemade Lip Balm, and Homemade Deodorant.

Other Uses:

• Moths: Place lavender oil on a few cotton balls and place in drawers and closets to repel moths and insects.
• Laundry Freshener: Place a few drops of lavender oil on a clean rag and toss into the dryer with wet clothes to deodorize and freshen your laundry.
• Natural Room Freshener: Mix 15 drops per ounce of water of lavender oil in a small spray bottle with distilled water and spritz the air to freshen.  Add witch hazel (25% of solution) to keep oils emulsified with water.  You need to use witch hazel that has alcohol in it for this to work.  If not using witch hazel then just shake each time before you spray to mix the oil and water.  Keep in bathroom as a great replacement for the chemical laden air fresheners.

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