Lavender Essential Oil ranks among the most popular and versatile essential oils. From ancient history to today, lavender has had much of the same uses. The Romans used it in their soaps; the Egyptians in their perfumes; and the French, during the Renaissance era, used it to wash their clothing. Today, lavender is one of the most recognizable scents and is often used in flower bouquets to provide a mild but satisfying floral aroma. A middle note in perfumery, lavender is known to have sedative properties and reduce stress and anxiety. Lavender essential oil is among the safest of essential oils, and when diluted properly, can be used to treat minor cuts and scrapes on children.

• Botanical Name: Lavandula Angustifolia
• Origin: Bulgaria
• Extraction Method: Steam Distillation
• Type: Conventional
• Plant Part: Leaves; Flowers/Buds

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender is one of the most popular and useful essential oils. Derived from the flowers of the aromatic shrub, it is prized for its medicinal qualities as much as for its perfume, in the form of the Lavender Essential Oil. A versatile component of many calm-inducing aromatherapy blends, it has been used in perfumery, potpourri and in cosmetics for centuries. The name itself derives from the Latin word ‘lavare,’ meaning ‘to wash,’ and it is one of the seven ‘polyvalent’ oils, which refers to its many uses. There are three basic types of lavender that are used for essential oils: True Lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia; spike lavender or Lavandula latifolia; and a hybrid cross of the two, Lavandin, or Lavandula x intermedia, which is not commonly used for medicinal purposes.

HISTORY OF LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

The lavender plant is perennial shrub in the mint family, and its use in both medicine, perfumery and cosmetics dates back more than 2,500 years. Believed to have origins in the Mediterranean, the ancient Greeks referred to it as ‘Nard’ after the city of Naarda. It is mentioned often in the Bible, where it is referred to as ‘spikenard.’ The stories tell of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with the spikenard ointment, and it is also mentioned in ‘The Song of Solomon’.

The Romans used it for many things: to scent their bathwater, their bedlinens and their hair, and burned as incense to scent the air around them or to help tame wild lions and tigers. In ancient Egypt, lavender was used in embalming, and something resembling lavender ointment has been found in many Egyptian tombs. Because of the locales at which it has been discovered, it is thought to have only been used by the nobility and high priests for cosmetics, medicines and added to massage oils.

In 16th and 17th century France, you could find lavender in just about any medicinal compound, as it was widely regarded as a cure-all. During this time, it was deemed useful for preventing many diseases, and during the black plague years it was in particularly high demand.

Queen Elizabeth I was known to put lavender in her tea to treat severe headaches, and Charles VI, the King of France, filled his seat cushions with it. Queen Victoria was also a lavender enthusiast, and during her time it was a very fashionable scent for young ladies at court. Whether dried to put in sachets in order to repel insects in the closet or applied to the scalp to treat head lice, it found its way into many household products, from furniture polish to hand soap.

Rene Gattefosse, a French scientist of the early 20th century and considered the founder of modern aromatherapy, was able to soothe the pain and heal a burn sustained in a laboratory accident with lavender oil. It was widely used on the WWI battlefield to treat as well as prevent infection, prized for its antiseptic qualities.

Today, it is considered a must-have in any essential oil collection. In fact, for some, it is the only essential oil they use