Perhaps you're just venturing into natural health for you and your family -- you know it's the right thing to do, but there are SO many varieties of medicines, herbs, tinctures and supplements that getting started is a little daunting. Have you given Lavender essential oil a try yet? Of the huge array of natural health products available online and at your local market, Lavender is a truly dependable choice. It has a broad range of effects, and can replace a number of not-so-natural items in your medicine chest and around your home. So if you're making the effort for natural health and happiness, here's a few tips on using this wonderful medicinal aromatic.
Lavender's key actions are calming and regenerating; it imparts these on our physical body as well as our psyche, leading to a variety of useful applications. The synergy of these actions is important, as both our physical bodies and our spirits need stress relief before healing can occur. Bumps and bruises need the swelling to go down, scrapes or burns need the inflammation to clear, and our psyche has to let go of tension for us to live happy and healthy lives. Lavender's sweet aroma brings calm to nearly everyone -- it's anxiety-relieving effects have been proven in several university studies, and this is perhaps the easiest medicinal action to utilize. Lavender is exceptionally safe; it can be worn as a perfume, sprinkled about our space, or used in an aromatherapy diffuser for this effect. And only the smallest amounts are needed; just a hint of the aroma will bring about the flower's calming properties.
Another favorite stress reduction technique is the Lavender bath: just add 20-30 drops of Lavender to an already drawn bath for a soak. If one needs to unwind before they make it home from work, small diffusers are available that plug into the cigarette lighter of a car. A few drops placed on the pad can really go a long way to relieving the tensions of the day while still in the evening commute!
Associated with its calming effect is Lavender's ability to improve sleep. One headline proclaimed 'Lavender Beats Valium' in sleep studies. If you or your children have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, Lavender can be a profoundly effective home remedy. For a really simple method, sprinkle just a drop or two (really just a little as too much can actually be a stimulant for some folks) on the bed sheet, on-top-of, or under the pillow before bed. It's especially nice to fall asleep to a hint of Lavender, and catch another whiff if one wakes again in the middle of the night. For some, it works well to utilize a diffuser set to run on low all night long, or one on a timer that cycles on for a minute or two every hour. Think about how the scent is relaxing your whole body; using lavender regularly this way may continually improve the aroma's effectiveness as a sleep aid over time.
Lavender essential oil is a surprisingly effective wound healer. We sometimes think a product needs to be more medicinal smelling, or sting at least a little bit to work, but it was actually Lavender that began the modern 'medicinal' aromatherapy revolution. Dr. Rena Maurice Gattafosse, a French scientist, burned his hand in a laboratory accident; he thrust it immediately into the closest vat of liquid, which happened to be filled with Lavender essential oil. He recovered from his injury so quickly that he was inspired to write the first book on the medical use of essential oils, coining the term 'Aromatherapy' as the title.
As you can guess, Lavender works exceptionally well on burns. It can be used neat, undiluted, on any burn where the skin is unbroken; it will bring quick pain relief and speed healing. Lavender is considered anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and regenerative, so virtually all cuts, bruises and scrapes will also respond well. You can use in combination with Helichrysum for burns and bruises (Helichrysum is a powerful anti-inflammatory/regenerative/pain reliever as well), or with Tea Tree for a stronger, yet still soothing anti-bacterial formula (a 50/50 mix of Lavender and Tea Tree can replace any sort of topical anti-bacterial formula used under band-aids and small dressings). Lavender can work well on a sunburn, at a 10% dilution in water dabbed over the area. A drop of lavender on a bug bite or sting is also highly effective, and is useful for many itchy and irritated skin conditions as well.
Lavender's antiseptic properties make it an excellent natural household disinfectant. Sprinkle baking soda and Lavender in place of chlorine-based cleansers and scrub away! Add a little lemon essential oil too for greater potency, and a very uplifting scent. Lavender and Lemon can be added to a bucket of water (use about 30 drops of each) for larger surfaces and floors.
Finding a therapeutic-grade Lavender oil is most important for stress relief. The finest Lavender's are grown in mountain regions of Europe and particularly France. The 'Lavendula angustifolia' species grown in these certain climates produces an essential oil with high levels of linalool, a chemical constituent of Lavender oil known for it's calm-inducing effects. Other Lavenders will also be excellent for burns, scrapes and bug bites, though the it is the most pleasingly fragrant ones that will put you and your children in the best of moods and deepest of sleeps. Sample a few -- your nose won't let you down, and the right Lavender for you will certainly bring a smile to your face.
Lavender's key actions are calming and regenerating; it imparts these on our physical body as well as our psyche, leading to a variety of useful applications. The synergy of these actions is important, as both our physical bodies and our spirits need stress relief before healing can occur. Bumps and bruises need the swelling to go down, scrapes or burns need the inflammation to clear, and our psyche has to let go of tension for us to live happy and healthy lives. Lavender's sweet aroma brings calm to nearly everyone -- it's anxiety-relieving effects have been proven in several university studies, and this is perhaps the easiest medicinal action to utilize. Lavender is exceptionally safe; it can be worn as a perfume, sprinkled about our space, or used in an aromatherapy diffuser for this effect. And only the smallest amounts are needed; just a hint of the aroma will bring about the flower's calming properties.
Another favorite stress reduction technique is the Lavender bath: just add 20-30 drops of Lavender to an already drawn bath for a soak. If one needs to unwind before they make it home from work, small diffusers are available that plug into the cigarette lighter of a car. A few drops placed on the pad can really go a long way to relieving the tensions of the day while still in the evening commute!
Associated with its calming effect is Lavender's ability to improve sleep. One headline proclaimed 'Lavender Beats Valium' in sleep studies. If you or your children have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, Lavender can be a profoundly effective home remedy. For a really simple method, sprinkle just a drop or two (really just a little as too much can actually be a stimulant for some folks) on the bed sheet, on-top-of, or under the pillow before bed. It's especially nice to fall asleep to a hint of Lavender, and catch another whiff if one wakes again in the middle of the night. For some, it works well to utilize a diffuser set to run on low all night long, or one on a timer that cycles on for a minute or two every hour. Think about how the scent is relaxing your whole body; using lavender regularly this way may continually improve the aroma's effectiveness as a sleep aid over time.
Lavender essential oil is a surprisingly effective wound healer. We sometimes think a product needs to be more medicinal smelling, or sting at least a little bit to work, but it was actually Lavender that began the modern 'medicinal' aromatherapy revolution. Dr. Rena Maurice Gattafosse, a French scientist, burned his hand in a laboratory accident; he thrust it immediately into the closest vat of liquid, which happened to be filled with Lavender essential oil. He recovered from his injury so quickly that he was inspired to write the first book on the medical use of essential oils, coining the term 'Aromatherapy' as the title.
As you can guess, Lavender works exceptionally well on burns. It can be used neat, undiluted, on any burn where the skin is unbroken; it will bring quick pain relief and speed healing. Lavender is considered anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and regenerative, so virtually all cuts, bruises and scrapes will also respond well. You can use in combination with Helichrysum for burns and bruises (Helichrysum is a powerful anti-inflammatory/regenerative/pain reliever as well), or with Tea Tree for a stronger, yet still soothing anti-bacterial formula (a 50/50 mix of Lavender and Tea Tree can replace any sort of topical anti-bacterial formula used under band-aids and small dressings). Lavender can work well on a sunburn, at a 10% dilution in water dabbed over the area. A drop of lavender on a bug bite or sting is also highly effective, and is useful for many itchy and irritated skin conditions as well.
Lavender's antiseptic properties make it an excellent natural household disinfectant. Sprinkle baking soda and Lavender in place of chlorine-based cleansers and scrub away! Add a little lemon essential oil too for greater potency, and a very uplifting scent. Lavender and Lemon can be added to a bucket of water (use about 30 drops of each) for larger surfaces and floors.
Finding a therapeutic-grade Lavender oil is most important for stress relief. The finest Lavender's are grown in mountain regions of Europe and particularly France. The 'Lavendula angustifolia' species grown in these certain climates produces an essential oil with high levels of linalool, a chemical constituent of Lavender oil known for it's calm-inducing effects. Other Lavenders will also be excellent for burns, scrapes and bug bites, though the it is the most pleasingly fragrant ones that will put you and your children in the best of moods and deepest of sleeps. Sample a few -- your nose won't let you down, and the right Lavender for you will certainly bring a smile to your face.
About the Author
The author is a consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy, found at http://www.anandaapothecary.com. More resources are available on fine aromatherapy essential oils through the website.
Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com
No comments:
Post a Comment