Lavender Part 1:

I love lavender so much that I have to talk to you about it in two or three parts- Today we are going to talk about the oil itself and what it does.

Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential Oil

• It is distilled from the French, sweet, or true lavender plant
• It takes 250 lbs of raw lavender to make 16 oz of essential oil
• Once distilled, the essential oil must be kept in a dark container and away from direct sunlight

Therapeutic Uses for Lavender

• Stress-relief
• Relieves Insomnia
• Heals skin abrasions such as: burns, sunburns, infections
• Relieves mild depression symptoms
• Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial

How do essential oils work?

• Essential oil molecules are so small that they are able to cross the blood/brain barrier
• Only alcohol, drugs, and essential oils can do that
• This means they can affect the signals your brain sends to your body - helping the body to naturally heal itself
• Most effective when inhaled and absorbed through the skin

Lavender is the safest and most versatile oil. It can be used on infants, pregnant and nursing women and all other children and adults (there are a few adults who are allergic so it is always important to test a small area first). Next time we will talk about how to use this oil - but I wanted to give you time to buy some first. You can try your local health food stores or order some at these websites:

Cosmicflower

Mountain Rose Herbs

If you are interested in learning more about all of the essential oils this is my favorite reference book by Julia Lawless:

Lavender

So, lets talk about lavender. If you are interested in using essential oils you should start with lavender. It is the safest and most versatile oil. In addition to my massage therapy license, I am also a certified aromatherapist. This just means that I have studied essential oils in depth, and know how to safely use them medicinally.

Lavender can be used to heal all kinds of ailments, but I will just list my favorites.

• stress reduction



• skin abrasions/burns



• anti-viral



• anti-bacterial



• insomnia

So how should you apply lavender? You can mix it with a carrier oil, such as sunflower, jojoba, safflower, or olive oil and massage it into your skin. Use 4 or 5 drops to a 1/4 cup of oil. You could also put a few drops in some milk and pour it into your bath (the milk helps the oil distribute through the water, otherwise it will just float on the top). You can put several drops on a cotton ball and inhale deeply if you don't want the scent to stay on your skin.

How do essential oils work?

Please be careful when you use any essential oils. They are not merely a fragrance, they are a powerful, concentrated substance.

Lavender is safe to use on infants, pregnant/nursing mothers, and everyone else (except the few people who are allergic to it).