Natural Beauty Products: Lavender and Why You Need It

All sorts of natural beauty products use lavender essential oil as one of their main ingredients, from soap, to cleanser, face cream and shampoo. It's easy to assume that this is a fragrance issue, that lavender is included in these products because of its scent, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Modern chemical trials have shown that there's a lot more to lavender than just the smell.

The power of lavender seems to have been known from ancient times. Lavender ointments were discovered in Egyptian tombs, and lavender is mentioned in the Bible under its original name of nard. Roman soldiers traveled with lavender and bathed in it for its antiseptic properties and because it repels insects. Far from being the unpleasantly aromatic place we imagine, the ancient world may actually have smelled of lavender and other sweet smelling herbs!

The invading Romans brought lavender from the Mediterranean to the UK and over time the plant became associated with English country gardens, in fact the best and most aromatic lavender essential oils are said to come from what is now known as English lavender.

Throughout the centuries, lavender has been a popular scent and a popular remedy. Queen Victoria enjoyed lavender and in World War I it was used in hospitals as other, more conventional products were difficult to obtain. Modern studies of the benefits of lavender oil had begun just a few years before. Rene Gattefosse, a member of one of the great perfume 'families' of France, studied not just the perfumes and essential oils, but their medicinal effects. When, in July 1910, he was badly burned in a fire, he made note that his skin was covered with a 'rapidly expanding gas gangrene.' Having researched lavender for 3 years, he plunged his damaged skin into lavender oil. He noticed that it not only healed quickly, it stayed free from infection and left no scar. Gatefosse went on to become the founder of aromatherapy.

Recent studies have shown that lavender essential oil is extremely beneficial in many ways: as an anti bacterial, an anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic. Although all substances can cause allergies, allergic reactions to lavender appear to be extremely rare, making it an ideal ingredient for natural beauty products. Lavender is one of the few essential oils which can be applied to the skin directly without first being diluted.

These days English lavender, or lavandula angustifolia (narrow leafed lavender) is famous world wide for its very sweet scent and the power of its essential oil, but there are many products around which are merely lavender scented, how can you be sure that you have a genuine lavender product with all its associated skin care benefits?

Always check the label for ingredients, avoid those with long chemical names and look for 'lavandula augustifolia' or 'organic lavender extract', then you can be sure you're buying natural beauty products which include pure essential oils.

The Natural Muscle Relaxant: Lavender

If there is a specific cause for muscle pain such as Arthritis or disc problems, there are also a number of specific remedies that can help deal with these ailments. But for pain relief, most people seek prescription pharmaceutical medication, which can have bad side effects and can even cause allergies, aside from the fact that it can be damaging to our bodies. If one is looking for a muscle pain relief but is worried about drug interactions and its adverse effects, then they may consider using natural muscle relaxants.

For general muscle relaxation, a massage using two teaspoons of almond or olive oil mixed with 3 drops each of essential oils of lavender, a natural muscle relaxant can help bring relief. lavender is as old as humankind. Already in use by different civilizations for more than 2,500 years, this beautifully-scented herb has been used in the following ways such as perfume, disinfectant, deodorant, aphrodisiac, and insect repellent.

Lavender, the bushy perennial with the refreshing and delightful scent, has a long history of medicinal uses. It is calming and has an uplifting influence. Warm lavender tea applied as a compress can relieve a headache. In the bath water, lavender oil relaxes one, and gets rid of tension, thereby making one feel better.

Lavender was also used in ancient times to tame lions and tigers. Perhaps the ancient people intuitively knew what researchers are finding out about lavender. Researchers have proven that it calms anxiety and provides natural stress relief. lavender has also a long list of medicinal properties, making it a natural health superstar. These days, lavender is enjoying renewed popularity as an alternative natural muscle relaxant.
lavender was also used in earlier days as a condiment and for flavoring dishes to comfort the stomach. It has aromatic, carminative, and nervine properties. Though largely used in perfumery, it is now not much employed internally, except as a flavoring agent, occurring occasionally in pharmacy to cover disagreeable odors in ointments and other compounds.

Red lavender lozenges are employed both as a mild stimulant. More than just lozenges, the red lavender product is also a favorite after-dinner treat because of its pleasant taste. The essential oil, or the spirit of lavender made from it, proves admirably restorative and tonic against faintness, palpitations of a nervous sort, weak giddiness, spasms, and colic. It is agreeable to the taste and smell, provokes appetite, raises the spirits and dispels flatulence. The dose is from 1 to 4 drops on sugar or in a spoonful or two of milk.

A few drops of the essence of lavender in a hot foot bath is often prescribed as a means of effectively relieving fatigue. If applied outwardly, it relieves toothache, neuralgia, sprains, and rheumatism. In hysteria, palsy and similar disorders of debility and lack of nerve power, lavender will act as a powerful stimulant.

Before you reach for over the counter drugs for your next muscle relaxant, why not do what ancient Egyptians did and look to nature first. After all, if lavender could tame tigers, imagine what it could do for Monday mornings at the office? Definitely, lavender, is the ultimate natural muscle relaxant.