The Healing Power Of Lavender

Lavender is a true adaptogen; and is a universally healing herb. What is does for the mind and body is amazing and the healing power of lavender is evident in its vast uses. Let’s take a look at the background, types, uses, benefits, and contraindications…

Six Background Facts about lavender:

Lavender is a perennial shrub belonging to the mint family.
It grows in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean Mountains.
The word Lavender comes from the Latin word “lavar” meaning to wash.
The Romans used lavender for its antiseptic and deodorizing properties.
Lavender stands for purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness.
Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement, and luxury.

Types of Lavender:

There is a variety of lavender plants that hold various colors of flowers. All are harvested for their essential oil. Each region harvests Lavender for a certain other purposes.

French Lavender:

Has light flowers with a mild scent. They bloom from Spring to Fall and grow to be twelve to thirty-six inches in height. French lavender is a sweet-smelling plant that is perfect for perfumes, potpourris, and sachets.

Spanish Lavender:

Contains white, pink, and purple flowers with long petals. They are beautiful, with fragrant leaves. The essential oil of the Spanish Lavender plant is very important, as it is extracted for use in potpourris and sachets. The plant grows eighteen to twenty-four inches high and blooms in Spring to Summer. Planted in containers, the Spanish Lavender can aid in pest control. Not used in the culinary arena.

Portugues or Spike Lavender:

A stronger scent that the English Lavender is present in Portugues Lavender. It has pale lilac flowers, blooms in Spring to Summer, and grows one to three inches high. The oil of this plant is the favorite for anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral use.

English Lavender:

Grows to be about two feet high. Is a compact, woody plant with spikes of purple, lavender, pink, or white flowers that bloom from late Spring to Mid Summer. This plant is highly fragrant and grows in well drained soil. English Lavender is fragrant; used in perfumes, in soaps, in sachets, in potpourri, and in flavoring. This is the culinary Lavender.

Lavender Provides Extensive Benefits To The Entire Body:

Medicinal Benefits:

Lavender improves the production of scar tissue; it is an anti-septic in bug bites, minor wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburn. Lavender is and anti-inflammatory agent. It helps with insomnia and restlessness, aids in the healing of fungal infections, and helps stop and reverse hair loss. Lavender relieves pain from head aches, sprains, tooth aches, and sores.

According to Spa Goddess, mindfully infusing your space with lavender sets the intention for a peaceful, grounded energy. Lavender clears your thinking, reduces worry, and balances emotions. It nurtures creativity and self-expression. Aromatherapy grounds you and solidifies an experience. Making art, studying, practicing yoga, meditating, stating affirmations, or praying are heightened with aromatherapy use.

The healing power of lavender in aromatherapy is immense; as it eases anxiety and helps with depression. The scent of lavender can alleviate premenstrual emotional symptoms.

Beauty Products:

Lavender soothes and calms the skin, reduces redness, balances oil production, heals blemishes and stimulates circulation for improved skin tone. Many products stem from the use of the essential oil or Lavender buds in beauty products.

A soothing after shave is born from the use of Lavender buds and essential oil added to witch hazel. A wonderfully scented perfume is the product of the buds of the flowers steeping in pure grain alcohol. You can use essential oil if pure grain alcohol is not available in your state.

Food Products:

Tea products heal. The resulting tea product created from lavender buds can help alleviate digestive problems. Vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas, upset stomach, and abdominal swelling can be healed from drinking Lavender tea.

Dried lavender buds incorporated into culinary dishes adds flavor. You will find many cookies and other baked goods with lavender infused into their mixes. Many spice shops have bulk lavender buds for sale.

Essential oil is never used in culinary dishes. It is toxic.

Other Uses for Lavender:

Lavender is effective critter repellent. Cut flowers and container plants can help deter pesky insects.

Contraindications:

Supplements combined with any drugs that induce sleepiness or reduce blood pressure are dangerous. Lavender increases these effects. Taking both together can slow down the central nervous system. Therefore, seek doctor inquiry into whether or not to use lavender if you are taking sleeping aids.

How to Care for Lavender:

Lavender requires well-drained, alkaline soil and full sun. Water deeply and allow to dry between watering sessions. Deadhead any spent flowers to encourage re-blooming and prune the plants in the fall, making sure to cut out any dead branches.