Using Essential Oils: Lavender

(picture from my garden is Lavendula stoechas or maybe Spike Lavender - not sure which but I don't have my own still so it's not really an issue.)

Let's start with one most everyone is familiar with and go over how it's used.  Lavandula angustofolia is the lavender most folks are talking about when they say lavender essential oil but there are also Lavandula latifolia, Lavandula stoechas, Lavendula x burnati and even more species of course and they all have quite different properties.  So, first thing's first, when buying essential oils one wants to check the Latin name!   For lavender you definitely want Lavandula angustofolia because stoechas for instance is high in some chemicals that one may not wish to mess around with at all - there are some dangers associated with it.  It is high in camphor and shouldn't be used with children for instance while lavandula angustofolia is perfectly safe for children - one of the first even aromatherapists often reach for.

Lavender unlike most other essential oils can be used NEAT - that is straight - although for a bigger area you'll want to dilute it.   When using on skin one is not going to overdose unless one jumps in a vat of it.  It can however actually weaken skin in too big doses or used repeatedly so while it's not going to kill you or anything like that unless you have a most unusual reaction or are allergic there's little point to purposely hurting yourself.  In my experience, lavender in a straight dose can weaken nails (this is what I get for prying off the euro-dropper with ungloved fingers.  If you are going to sit down to blend a bunch of essential oils or work with them often to save your nails best just to get in the habit of donning some gloves when you work with them).  They can and do eat through plastic rather rapidly so it's no wonder it can cause some skin or nail weakness when it comes into contact with them regularly.

Okay so why use it straight then.  If you have a cut that is not bad enough to warrant the emergency room a few drops of lavender applied to it acts as an antieptic (for a small cut dribble a few drops on).  Despite this tendency to weaken skin/nails (this is just my personal experience by the by), it is a well-known skin healer - especially for burns.  It is notoriously good for burns one might say!  But I would recommend for a burn to get some "Aloe Gelly" (this is an actual brand name) and stir in 2-5% lavendula angustofolia (see chart on previous page showing percentage measures) depending on whether you wish to relax or kill pain too - then go with the higher number - it will make you slightly drowsy or at least relaxed.  If you are out and about or busy or driving soon go with a lower percentage so that you don't sedate yourself.   The amount of sedation will depend on the area of the burn or how much of your skin area is going to receive a dose of lavender.

Anyway once you mix the lavender into the Aloe Gelly really well, slather that on the burn.  In my opinion that would be the best way to treat a first degree or not too bad second degree burn that is over a sizable area (bigger than say a burn from hitting your arm on the side of the oven - where just a couple drops of lavender essential oil neat will do).  I hope that makes more clear how it can be used NEAT and how it is better put to use in a carrier.  For burns also you don't want to use an oil or butter while the burn is still warm as that will just hold the heat in and make it feel more warm and uncomfortable.  But a couple days later to help deal with the dead skin using a butter with lavender in it is nice to keep it soft and not peeling too badly.

Similarly for cuts lavender is great to disinfect.  Just dribble the drops right on there - it will not only disinfect but also aid in the skin knitting back together.  Why it can cause skin weakness and also cause skin to heal is a bit baffling but when you work with them long enough you get to know first hand how a one time dose and repeated use on the same area definitely give different reactions.  So one of the "rules' of using essential oils is to avoid repeated exposure - you can become "sensitized" to the oils by repeated exposure and aromatherapists who do massage have to watch carefully for this.  Different folks are more or less likely to get easily sensitized and one doesn't really know which kind of person one is until it is too late - so better safe than sorry.  One way to avoid sensitization is to wear gloves when handling oils and another is to always dilute properly and the last is to not use the same oils daily over an extended period of time.  This is one area where you don't want to use say orange oil every morning for months or years running or even more than a few weeks tops really - you are much more likely to develop a sensitivity that way!

Lavender can also be used for respiratory infections, as a sleeping aid, to help with a cold, headache, tension, muscle spasms, sparins/strains, and even for some more serious diseases but I am not going to go too far with it just yet.  I am slightly hesitant just due to being warned off.  I am not in the business of giving medical advise yet that seems to be what I am doing no?  Well in aromatherapy they call it supporting the terrain.  Your body being the environment that we wish to keep fit by watering and feeding it etc - another way to support your bodily environment or terrain is to use essential oils - but this seems a bit of a play on words hmm?  Thing is we wouldn't be able to have aromatherapists or herbalists for that matter were it not for this distinction so I'm going to use it!!!

I am not offering healing advise but caring for your terrain advise LOL (more along the lines of first aid I guess - this is for the homemaker/individual in their home).  It's the truth though - these are not medicine and truly one can use orange juice or baking soda to good affect in taking care of your body as well - think of essential oils thus!  (Except maybe take a little more care with the essential oils right??  :)  )  Probably many of you were aware of how to use lavender essential oil but I figure we want to make sure we are on the same page here and you can see that indeed I know my subject matter and just to confirm that this is how you are using it - and perhaps you weren't aware of Aloe Gelly?  It's GREAT!!
aloe gelly sources -Amazon
or ebay

I sell Soap too - It's handmade by myself!  www.cyncreations.com, www.etsy.com/shop/CyncreationsByScottwww.facebook.com/cyncreations4/

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.

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