Monday, October 16, 2006

How to Use Therapeutic-grade Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil is often referred to as the universal oil, because there is such an aray of uses for this delightful essential oil, such as cuts, bruises, burns, headaches, and insomnia. I recommend that everyone keep a bottle of lavender on hand! The following "fact sheet" is exerpted from the Essential Oils Desk Reference Guide(to buy this book, see the book link in the left column, published by Essential Science Publishing.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia)
(item # 3575)



ACTION: Antiseptic, analgesic, antitumoral, anticonvulsant, sedative, anti-inflammatory. Lavender is beneficial for cleansing cuts and wounds and is ideal for skin care, since it prevents the build up of excess sebum, a skin oil that bacteria feed on. Lavender has also been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects.

TRADITIONAL USES: The French scientist René Gatefossé was the first to discover lavender’s ability to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing when he severely burned his arm in a laboratory accident. Today, lavender is one of the few essential oils to still be listed in the British Pharmacopoeia.

INDICATIONS: Burns (cell renewal), sunburns (including lips), dandruff, hair loss, allergies, convulsions, herpes, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, high blood pressure, menopausal conditions, nausea, phlebitis, tumors, premenstrual conditions, scarring (minimizes), skin conditions (acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes) and stretch marks. It may be used to cleanse cuts, bruises, and skin irritations.

OTHER USES: Lavender is a universal oil with many different applications. It may help arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, convulsions, depression, earaches, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, hives (urticaria), insect bites, laryngitis, nervous tension, respiratory infections, rheumatism, and throat infections.

A few idea's of the multitude of ways to use your Therapeutic Grade Lavender oil:

• Rub Lavender oil on the feet for a calming effect on the body.
• Rub a drop of Lavender oil on your palms and smooth on your pillow to help you sleep.
• Put a drop of Lavender oil on a bee sting or insect bite to stop itching and reduce swelling.
• Put 2-3 drops of Lavender oil on a minor burn to decrease pain.
• Drop Lavender oil on a cut to stop the bleeding.
• Mix several drops of Lavender oil with V-6 Vegetable Mixing Oil and use topically on eczema and dermatitis.
• To alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness, place a drop of Lavender oil on the end of the tongue or around the naval or behind the ears.
• To stop a nosebleed, put a drop of Lavender oil on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice. Push the tissue covered ice chip up under the middle of the top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until the bleeding stops (do not freeze the lip or gum).
• Rub a drop of Lavender oil over the bridge of the nose to unblock tear ducts.
• Rub Lavender oil on dry or chapped skin.
• Rub a drop of Lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips.
• To reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender oil on and around the affected area.
• Rub 2 – 4 drops of Lavender oil over the armpit area to act as a deodorant.
• Rub a drop of Lavender oil between your palms and inhale deeply to help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever.
• Rub several drops of Lavender oil into the scalp to help eliminate dandruff.
• Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and place in your linen closet to scent the linens and repel moths and insects.
• Place a drop of Lavender oil in your water fountain to scent the air, kill bacteria and prolong the time between cleanings.
• Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and throw into the dryer, which will deodorize and freshen your laundry.
• Put a drop of Lavender oil on a cold sore.
• Diffuse Lavender oil to alleviate the symptoms of allergies.
• Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn to decrease pain.
• Drop Lavender oil on a cut to clean the wound and kill bacteria.
• Apply 2-3 drops of Lavender oil to a rash to stop the itching and heal the skin.

FRAGRANCE INFUENCE: Calming, relaxing, and balancing, both physically and emotionally.

THE PROVERBIAL DISCLAIMER
The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.

And please, do not attempt any of the above with store bought Lavender as it is NOT the same quality.

To purchase therapeutic-grade Lavender essential oil (item # 3575) visit my website at: The Very Essence