Lavender: Nature’s Extraordinary Secret

Toronto, ON, Canada –September 6, 2007 – Lavender has long been regarded for its splendour and uniquely breathtaking fragrance. It is more than just a flower that gives an exquisite view to its surroundings. It also has the power to heal, not only for physical injuries but also for emotional stress. With the ever-increasing popularity of natural skin care products, Lavender is fast becoming known as nature’s healer. Aromatherapists have known for a while about its benefits and with its supreme versatility it has led some to call it a medicine chest in a bottle.

With its different species and various uses, all could be beneficial to health as Lavender which is part of the Labiatae family, has long been used extensively in herbal medicine. The English lavender or Lavandula angustifolia highly yields an effective essential oil with a very sweet aroma. This extract may be utilized as an ointment, balm, fragrance, make up ingredient, tea, compress and many other significant applications. The essential oil that yields from French lavender or Lavandula dentata, has a higher content of ester which adds a stronger tinge to the scent. The Spanish lavender or Lavandula stoechas is not used in medicine; it is utilized mainly for landscaping purposes.

Lavender oil is an essential oil, derived from plants by the steam distillation of the flowers. Lavender is a native of the Mediterranean countries but the main source of Lavender is France. Its essential extract is used in aromatherapy for its antiseptic, healing, antispasmodic, bactericidal, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In World War I, this essential extract was used in hospitals to disinfect the surroundings. Prior to the Greeks and Romans discovered that lavender does not just give a delightful scent but that this flower’s oil was also found to be a perfect ingredient for so many home-making chores. It kills germs and can be used in a diffuser to purify the air and reduce the spread of colds and viruses. This is the safest essential oil to use for babies and children, but of course it should still be properly diluted with carrier oil such as Sweet Almond, Avocado or Grapeseed.

Lavender essential oil is excellent for the skin and adding its extract to soaps and bathwater gives off a fresh fragrance. It also helps repair skin problems while making the skin feel invigorated. With both antiseptic and sedative properties, this highly aromatic oil refreshes and tones the skin. Because of its soothing capabilities of the nerves and due to its high ester content, it is said to calm nervous heart complaints.

Lavender oil can be used topically to moisturize and revitalize the skin’s dermal layer as this flower’s extract is used for treating all sorts of skin disorders. Examples of these are blisters, acne, oily skin, boils, burns, cold sores, sunburn, wounds, psoriasis, and parasites such as lice. It is also used to counter the itching effect of insect bites and stings a traditional treatment of such skin disorders in Iran.

Other possible uses include acne, allergies, anxiety, asthma, athlete's foot, bruises, burns, chicken pox, colic, colds, cuts, cystitis, depression, dermatitis, dysmenorrheal, earache, flatulence, flu, headache, hypertension, heal burns and wounds, insect repellent, insomnia, itching, labour pains, migraine, nervousness, oily skin, rheumatism, sensitive skin, scabies, scars, sores, sprains, strains, stress, stretch marks, sunburns, reduce cramps, vertigo and whooping cough. This flower also embraces the female health and as previously stated has a healing effect on the skin, which prevents scaring and balances the tone. To use Lavender in this manner a tea is created to alleviate ailments or dropped as an essential oil to heal burns and skin infections.

Lavender tea has a lot of uses for the body. Drinking lavender tea is an accepted remedy for headaches. It also soothes upset stomachs and eases up bowel movements. Cooled lavender tea is also an effective mouthwash as it doesn’t only leave a wonderful scent but also draw a smile on the face. To make a lavender tea, immerse two tablespoons of dried lavender flowers in one litre of hot water. This may also be applied to treat bruises or wounds. The warmth and the antiseptic qualities of the flower combine to help heal the wound. This can be done as a compress by dipping strips of dressing cloth or sanitized linen in the warm liquid until it can be applied on the bruised or wounded areas of the skin. Moreover, this flower’s extract could help ease the pain of sunburn and sunstroke.

Chest congestion can be treated with a warm lavender tea compress. By placing a warm compress of the tea on top of the chest, it could bring relief to the patient. It can also ease up breathing by inhaling the vapour of lavender. To do this, place the newly boiled lavender tea in a basin then cover it and the patients’ head with a bath towel allowing the patient to inhale the steam. This would make the patient absorb the scent to clear the airways from the nose to the lungs.

Lavender oil is one of the most favorite essential oils not only because of its wonderful qualities but also because of its great smell. Its calming and relaxing scent helps to combat stress and anxiety and can also be used as an anti-depressant for treating apprehension and depression. Its aroma has a soothing effect on the physical and mental stability of a person, as it is also superb for helping with asthma and migraines.

This flower's soothing properties are very well known for people who are stressed. Soaking in lavender scented bath is extremely comforting and rejuvenating. While cleansing and energizing the skin, the weariness of the day may just drift away. This flower is commonly used to facilitate sleep and relaxation in aromatherapy as it helps people sleep and be refreshed the next day shunning away the troubles of the past day.

Feel your tension and anxiety melt away with this soothing scent while its relaxing fragrance promotes a peaceful sleep. For a serene night’s sleep placing a bag of lavender buds under the pillow or a few drops of the essential oil on the pillow will create a soothing fragrance that can help calm anyone at the end of the day. A recommended relaxing and calming Lavender tea drink before bedtime can be made from steeping one teaspoon of lavender flower heads added to a cup of boiling water. These combined will help achieve a peaceful night’s sleep.

Lavender oil has been one of the most favorite essential oils not only or its breathtaking scent but also for its healing and flavorful properties.

bluebasins bath & body is a new online all natural skin care product company which uses Lavender Essential Oil in a variety of their products. They can be found at www.bluebasins.com.


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Lavender Oil – How Its Works?

Lavender essential oil contains up to 40% linalyl acetate and 30% linalol. Linalol is a terpene alcohol that is non-toxic to the human organism, yet naturally germicidal. Linalyl acetate has a pleasant, sweet fruity-floral aroma. The combination of antimicrobial and sweetness is the key to lavender's effectiveness in cosmetic and aromatherapy preparations.

Lavender oil has been popular since ancient times. It has a wide variety of uses, and Nature's Sunshine procures the finest oil of the right species to bring you a host of benefits far more pleasing than inferior substitutes commonly sold today. Taking its name from the Latin lavare, meaning "to wash," lavender possesses a clean, pure aroma. And, like an adaptogen, it encourages balance for the entire nervous system.

Use Lavender essential oil in a spritzer bottle to spray on sheets and blankets at bedtime for a deeper relaxing sleep. It also repels insects.

Aromatherapy with lavender may slow the activity of the nervous system, improves sleep quality, promote relaxation, and lift mood in people suffering from sleep disorders. Blended lavender oil, when used for massage produces a relaxing, calming effect. A few drops of the oil in a hot bath will relieve anxiety and produce a pleasant drowsiness. In a cool bath the oil will refresh and energise. Lavender oil makes a superlative skin or facial oil for troubled skin conditions such as acne and gives temporary relief to the symptoms.

Dried lavender is a tool to experience the sheer aromatic properties in a relaxed ambience. To dry your lavender, strip the leaves or the just opening flowers from the stalk and spread out in a warm place, before using in pot pourris to fragrance your rooms. Around your home, dried lavender stalks can be burned like incense sticks or burned on the fire for their wonderful fragrance.

The most versatile of essential oils, lavender is relaxing, uplifts the spirits and helps relieve muscle pain. It is apt for rejuvenating tired muscles. It can also be used to treats burns, as it reduces scarring. Lavender oil helps to relax, calm nervous system, and is a good sedative. Lavender was used in earlier days as a condiment and for flavouring dishes to prevent indigestion and stomach disorders.

Lavender is just a beautiful herb in your garden. It has gray-green, pointing leaves that grow in a bushy, spreading manner. It is crowned with tall spikes of beautiful pale violet flowers during summer. As an ornamental flower, lavender is unique, sporting exotic fragrance, beauty and a rich harvest of sweet smelling blooms. Old English Lavender, a popular inhabitant of a cottage garden, can grow up to two to three feet high, producing fragrant grayish leaves and blue/purple flowers.

Lavender essential oil can help reduce anger and frustration, while improving your self esteem. Lavender is found to elicit the emotion of happiness. Lavender has a property of calming and sedating effects. You can also use lavender, by scenting a relaxing and antiseptic bath by slowly adding lavender droplets and letting the bath water run over it as it fills the bath. Fresh lavender flowers are excellent for bath too.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lavender-oil-how-its-works-391154.html

Essential Oils and Burns - Why Many People Choose Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential Oil

The essential oil of lavender is one of many natural and pharmaceutical products available for treating burns. It is my treatment of choice, and has been the treatment of choice for a number of people since the ancient Egyptians, if not before.

An Example

Recently, a friend emailed me to ask what essential oil I might recommend for first and second degree burns on his face. He had been out burning tree branches, when he became careless and got too close.

People who have studied essential oils for any length of time have learned that the highest choice for burns of any kind is a pure, therapeutic grade lavender essential oil.

Why Lavender?

A therapeutic grade of lavender essential oil is made up of over a hundred different compounds that do more than just help with burns.

1. One of these compounds has analgesic (pain relieving) properties.

2. Another compound in lavender gives it antiseptic properties.

3. Some medical doctors - mostly in Europe and Ecuador - also use lavender to prevent scarring.

4. The bottom line is that the constituents in lavender oil have many healing properties.

How to Use It

There are a number of ways to use lavender essential oil on such a burn, and here are three ways that come to mind first.

1. Diluting therapeutic grade lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) with a high quality, organic vegetable oil 50:50 and applying it on the burn.

2. With therapeutic grade lavender essential oil, some people would not dilute it at all.

3. Putting therapeutic grade lavender essential oil in a spray bottle with purified water and spritz on.

Two Cautions

Before you go out and buy the first bottle of lavender essential oil that you can find, there are two extremely important cautions you should know about, because there are two types of "lavender" oils that can make burns WORSE.

1. Lavender that has been adulterated with synthetic chemicals. This includes the "lavender" that says "pure" on the label, but according to U.S. law, might have as little as 5% lavender and who knows what else as the other 95%.

2. Lavandin that has been labeled as lavender, or even mixed with lavender. Lavandin, because of its camphor content, will make burns worse!

If you or someone you love gets a bad burn, therapeutic grade lavender essential oil is one choice. For more free tips and tools on using essential oils, I invite you to visit

http://www.EssentialOilsLady.com and click on Newsletter or Resources.

This article is written with the assumption that my readers are using only therapeutic grade essential oils, and that they and their health care professional consult with the Essential Oils Desk Reference. And when you're ready to get started using essential oils, I invite you to visit

http://www.EssentialOilsProducts.com and look for the Essential 7 Kit, which contains lavender essential oil.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathryn_Caywood

The Many Uses of Lavender Essential Oil

The versatile Lavender with its light floral soothing scent is one of the most beloved and used aromatics in the world today. Its seems that you can find just about anything with a hint of lavender added to the ingredient list, this is due to the fact that most individuals find it to be a very pleasing and appealing scent. In the aromatherapy world it is considered a must because it is considered to be easy to use and is the most useful.

Lavender essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the fresh flowering tops of the Lavandula augustifolia plant and list of therapeutic uses is indeed vast. We will however discuss a few applications to get you started.

1. Lavender essential oil is considered a must have for various skin ailments including acne, dermatitis, rashes, sunburn, eczema and psoriasis. One of the many benefits of this oil is that is it one of the few that can be applied neat, therefore to use on skin issues simply apply a few drops to a cotton ball or cotton pad and apply directly to affected area. This application also works well in treating bee or wasp stings.

2. Lavender essential oil is believed to promote hair growth. To use mix two or three drops of the oil to your favorite unscented leave on conditioner and massage into your scalp.

3. If you are suffering from a bout with the flu try adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil to your diffuser or use a steam inhalation to alleviate symptoms.

4. Adding a satchel to a closet or drawer has been done for years however adding a couple of drops to a cotton ball and placing in a strategic position will not only provide a wonderful scent but will also keep moths away from your clothes or linens.

5. Massage a couple of drops directly into your temples, or make a cold or hot compress for your head if you are suffering from a headache or migraine.

6. Lavender essential oil is also believed to help relieve insomnia and can be used as a sleep aid. There are several different applications that can be implemented including using a diffuser with three drops of oil or adding a few drops to a cotton ball or cloth and placing it into your pillow case. Another application that can be utilized is adding eight drops of oil to your bath water. It is also said that adding Lavender essential oil to your bath can also guard against nightmares.

The applications mentioned above can also be used to alleviate anxiety, depression, nervous tension or stress and to balance mood swings.

7. For respiratory issues including asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever use two or three drops in a diffuser or as a steam inhalation. Other options are to use in a bath or by adding several drops to a carrier oil and massaging directly onto the chest. A hybrid of Lavender known as Lavandin is also a great choice for respiratory issues as it has very similar benefits but is considered to be more penetrating.

8. If you experience problems with Premenstrual Symptoms or irregular menstruation then try massaging your abdominal area with a mixture of five drops of Lavender essential oil and one ounce of your favorite carrier oil.

Lavender essential oil is a wonderfully easy oil to use. It can be used neat and also mixes well with all of your other aromatherapy oils. As a beginner it is a great essential oil to start with because it can safely be used and experimented with.

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Bathroom Accessories In Lavender

Bathroom accessories can make or break a bathroom's decor. Bathroom accessories come in many styles. Bathroom accessories come in many colors. The careful shopper will take time to choose both the right style and the right color.

Bathroom accessories in lavender are an example. Lavender bathroom accessories can be had in a variety of styles and a variety of hues. You can find bathroom accessories in dainty lavender flowers on pristine white ceramic. You can find bathroom accessories in lavender wicker with chrome, brass, or bronze bases.

As you seek out bathroom accessories in lavender, you will want to ask yourself several questions. These will help you zero in on what you really want before you begin shopping.

1. Color: There are many shades of lavender. Visit a paint store and find the shade you wish to feature. Are you looking for lavender blue or lavender green? You may remember the old lullaby lyrics that begin with the words, "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green. When you are king, dilly dilly, I shall be queen." You may want to copy out the lyrics and frame them for your bathroom wall. Set a theme with them, and combine bathroom accessories in lavender blues and lavender greens.

2. Style: Do you want bathroom accessories in lavender flowers, or in abstract swirls? Do you prefer simple, clean lines, or more ornate designs? Do you enjoy retro purple lavender or watery, pearl lavender?

Think about the color of your walls and floor before you make decisions on your bathroom accessories. Remember the secret to ideal color combinations: the 60-30-10 rule. Use about 60 percent of one dominant color in your bath decor. Use 30 percent of a lesser color. Use only 10 percent of your accent color.

In this case, lavender bathroom accessories will probably comprise your ten percent of accent color. The lavender should go well with the dominant and lesser colors on walls, floors, and fixtures.

Bathroom Accessories in Lavender Flowers

If you prefer flowers, you might want to look for lavender/purple flowers such as the following on bathroom accessories.

1. Lavender itself - flowers from the herb
2. Lavender iris
3. Lavender and yellow pansies
4. Lavender wisteria
5. Lavender lupine

Other Bathroom Accessories in Lavender

Lavender bathroom accessories are available in more than just flowers.

Dragonflies are often depicted in lavender on shower curtains, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, dispensers, and other bathroom accessories.

Whimsical cherubs in lavender, gold, and white are featured in some bathroom accessories. In others, these colors appear on the gossamer gowns and wings of woodland fairies.

Plain lavender bathroom accessories are readily available. The color and style are simple and cooling. They blend well with most bath decors.

Towels and rugs in lavender should match or closely complement the hues used in your other bathroom accessories.

Budget Bathroom Accessories in Lavender

Your budget will go further if you shop garage sales and thrift stores for bathroom accessories in lavender shades. You might want to be creative by selecting objects such as a lavender tumbler or simple vase for a toothbrush holder. Add a lavender dessert dish to hold your soap.

Helpful Tip

When using bathroom accessories in lavender, include a lovely bouquet of dried lavender. Its cool color and relaxing aroma can quickly turn your bath into a luxury retreat.

Article Tags: Bathroom Accessories, Lavender, Lavender Flowers

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/bathroom-accessories-in-lavender-177858.html

All About Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil is often referred to as the universal oil, because there is such a multitude of uses for this oil, such as cuts, bruises, burns, headaches, and insomnia.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia)

ACTION: Antiseptic, analgesic, antitumoral, anticonvulsant, sedative, anti-inflammatory. Lavender essential oil 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 Rene Gatefosse 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. He immediately immersed his arm into a bowl of liquid sitting on a table near him.

The liquid was Lavender essential oil. The pain quickly went away and the wound healed in a short time without scarring. Today, Lavender essential oil 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

FRAGRANCE INFUENCE: Calming, relaxing, and balancing, both physically and emotionally.University of Miami researchers found that inhalation of lavender oil increased beta waves in the brain, suggesting heightened relaxation. It also reduced depression and improved cognitive performance (Diego et al., 1998)

Aromatherapy uses Lavender essential oil when treating psychological problems such as nervousness, insomnia, stress, depression, melancholy, fear and irritability. This oil helps stimulate and regenerate the nervous system and bring a feeling of calm

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 Note Caution: If you are going to put Lavender essential oil on a burn you had better make sure it is 100% therapeutic grade essential oil from a reputable company you trust!

When you actually have a burn that you are trying to treat with Lavender essential oil and you are unknowingly instead putting more caustic chemicals onto your burn this can be serious trouble.

Lavender essential oil that is produced commercially is often distilled for only 15 minutes with a steam temperature of up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 155 pounds of pressure. Although the oil is easily marketed and sold, it is of very poor quality.

Some people are more concerned about the price than the quality. You can easily sell inexpensive Lavender essential oil if you can produce a pound of oil in 15 minutes instead of a pound of oil in an hour an a half by using lower heat and lower pressure to preserve the integrity of the oil.

In the larger fields of the world at distillation time, you can see chemical trucks hooked into the distillers pumping solvents into the water already in the boiler. This increases oil production by as much as 18 percent.

However, when you put a chemical in the water and force it with steam into the plant, it causes a fracturing of the molecular structure of the oil, altering its fragrance and constituents. Also you cannot separate the chemicals from the oil after they come through the condenser.

Today most of the Lavender oil sold in America is a hybrid called Lavandin, grown and distilled in China, Russia and Tasmania. It is brought into France, cut with synthetic linolyl acetate to improve the fragrance, added to propylene glycol or SD 40, DEP, and DOP (solvents that increase the volume), and then sold in the US as lavender oil.

Oftentimes Lavandin is heated to flash off the camphor, and then synthetic linolyl acetate is added so that it appears as lavender. Consumers do not know the difference and are happy to buy Lavandin for $5 to $7 per half ounce in health food stores, and through mail order.

These synthetic and adulterated oils can cause rashes, burns, or other irritations. We wonder why we do not get the benefits we were expecting and conclude that essential oils do not have much value. When synthetic fragrance constituents are added, the essential oil becomes weaker and weaker with each stage of distillation.

Many people have jumped on the bandwagon because of the money making potential they see in essential oils. They buy cheap oils, rebottle them, label them as 100 percent pure essential oils, and market them without ever knowing their origin or who was responsible for distillation.

It is critical to make sure you are using 100% therapeutic grade essential oils from a reputable company that you trust.

To ensure that you are getting therapeutic-grade essential oils, find a company that submits their oils for routine testing by independent laboratories and whose oils are from organic source, distilled without chemical solvents at minimum temperatures and pressures, and are bottled straight from the still with no alterations or adulterations.

Oils with warnings on them about potential toxicity are probably not therapeutic or safe to use, except in massage, where they are diluted down to a 2-5% concentration in neutral carrier oil. The proof of an oil's quality is in its manifested benefits when you use it.

A few ideas of the many ways to use 100% Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential 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.

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 to 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.

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this article is based solely on the use of 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils due to their high quality and tested purity.

The use of a brand of uncertain quality and/or purity will provide you with potentially dangerous, if not lethal, results. The author assumes no responsibility for your improper use of this information.

The statements about these oils have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Tags: Short, Quickly, Designed, Show, Takes, Lavender

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Uses of Dried Lavender Flowers

Lavender flowers and products provide soothing fragrance and relaxation. Some varieties of lavender maintain nearly their full aroma when dried. The Provence and Grosso lavender variety is has excellent fresh and dried fragrance: this is the type of lavender grown at Laura’s Lavender. Dried lavender flowers can be used in sachets or arranged in bowls for adding soothing scents to your home. Dried lavender flowers can even be used in cooking such as recipes for shortbread cookies. Dried lavender can also be added a bubble bath to make fragrant as well as fun!

Some of the choices you have for putting to use your dried lavender flowers are discussed here:

Insect repellent – lavender is a natural insect repellent. Hang bunches near your door and on the window sill to keep insects at bay. Place a handful of dried lavender blossoms under the doormat. Dried lavender flowers can also be used under your car seats or in the trunk to keep insects away.

Lavender oil – bunches of dried lavender flowers are used to extract lavender essential oils. A good recipe for making some lavender oil at home is this: 1) Tie some dried lavender flowers together and lightly crush them; 2) Place the crushed blossoms in a jar with some olive oil and let sit in a dark place for 7-10 days; 3) Strain and discard the crushed lavender blossoms and bits, cap tightly and use the oil for cleansing, moisturizing and massaging.

Freshener – If you want to avoid sewing your own sachets, simply tie up some of the dried lavender flowers together into a loop by bending up the stems. Leave the ends free; tie the bunch with a ribbon. Hang the dried lavender bundle in your wardrobe to freshen up your clothes. A loop of dried lavender flowers can even be slipped under the seat of your car.

Sachets or pouches – for those people, who have the skill to sew, make pouches or sachets with muslin cloth and fill them up with handfuls of dried lavender flowers. Use these under your pillow to fight insomnia and dream of beautiful lavender filled fields! Hang in clothes closets and drawers to ward off moths. Dried lavender flowers have and even a stronger aroma when it is warm so place them in sunny locations around the house.

Tea – Dried lavender flowers can be added to green tea to add flavor and fragrance to your daily cuppa! Lavender tea can also be prepared and many recipes are available online.

Gift wrappings – during the holiday season or for a wedding gift, use handfuls of dried lavender buds and flowers and add them to the wrapping. Dried lavender flower may also be spread at the bottom of the box before wrapping up the gift. Wedding/ birthday gifts can be made special by adding some dried lavender flowers in the folds of tissue papers! These could also be added to greeting cards as fragrant confetti. Not only will the soothing scent of lavender bring a smile to the recipient, it will keep the gift fragrant for weeks.

Cooking – dried lavender flowers can be used to simmer over the stove. Lavender is a member of the mint family and increases the flavor and appearance of food. Try adding some dried lavender flowers to your salads for a fragrant flavor! English lavender is considered the sweetest and is used most commonly in cooking.

As you can see, dried lavender flowers have many uses and many more are possible with a little creativity!

Article Tags: Lavender, Lavender Blossoms

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/uses-of-dried-lavender-flowers-457877.html

Lavender Oil Aromatherapy

There are many types of oils used in relation to aromatherapy, all different in order to achieve different effects. Aromatherapy oils are most commonly divided into several different categories. These categories include:

* essential oils
* absolutes
* floral waters (hydrosols)
* resins
* carrier oils
* infused oils

Lavender oil aromatherapy falls into the first category listed, the essential oils category.

Lavender oil aromatherapy is a liquid most often distilled from the purple blossoms of the lavender plant, or also known as lavendula officinalis. Lavender oil is usually extracted by using a delicate process involving water or steam. Being extracted this way, lavender oil aromatherapy most often captures the absolute essence of the lavender plant itself. It is normally so highly concentrated that a few drops is all that is necessary to reap lavender oil's full therapeutic benefits.

The appearance of lavender oil is normally clear, with just a hint of yellow. With it being called lavender oil, one may think it is an oily substance. However, despite it's name, lavender oil aromatherapy is not oily. To the contrary, the consistency of lavender oil aromatherapy is one of the thinnest among all of the other essential oils.

Because the consistency of lavender oil aromatherapy is so thin, the smell of this scent only goes to a medium level. However, once the medium scent starts to settle in the air, lavender oil aromatherapy can be one of the most relaxing scents there is. It is not too strong, and it is not too light. Lavender oil aromatherapy smells very fresh, as well as sweet, with just a twist of a floral aroma. Some people think lavender oil also smells a little fruity.

As with most aromatherapy oils, lavender oil aromatherapy is most often used by diluting it with carrier oils. These carrier oils can include:

* sweet almond oil
* apricot kernel oil
* grape seed oil

Once the oils are blended, they are usually applied to the skin for the best adsorbtion.

In addition to applying lavender oil aromatherapy to the skin, it may also be used by careful inhalation. Once the lavender oil molecules enter the lungs, these oils can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This will provide you with the therapeutic benefits you need to soothe whatever ailments you may be experiencing.

There are a wide variety of ailments that lavender oil aromatherapy may help treat. Some of these health issues can include:

* acne
* allergies
* anxiety
* asthma
* athlete's foot

Lavender oil aromatherapy can also help treat ailments such as bruises, burns, colic and chicken pox. Those with cuts, who are suffering with depression, or have an earache may also benefit from the therapeutic benefits of lavender oil aromatherapy. Other possible uses for this healthy oil can include headache treatment, treatment of hypertension, as an insect repellant, to relieve itching, to help reduce labor pains, to treat oily skin, skin scarring, stretch marks, as well as to treat whooping cough.

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