Lavender: an essential home remedy

Every home should have a bottle of lavender essential oil. It has many beneficial properties, and can be used for many conditions and ailments.

Historically, lavender has been a popular essential oil in Aromatherapy and has been used in healing for thousands of years in many cultures. It was used in linen drawers to keep moths and insects at bay due to its insecticidal properties.  The Romans used it to bathe and cleanse wounds as it has powerful antiseptic qualities and was popular in the Elizabethan and Stuart ages as a perfume.


With it's many uses, lavender is a most versatile and indispensable remedy.  It is naturally antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, detoxifying, a decongestant and a sedative. 

Lavender has amazing skin healing properties and can help prevent scarring as it works to promote the regeneration of skin cells. In fact, applying lavender neat to a burn produces remarkable results as the skin can return to normal within days, whereas without applying lavender, a blister would form and later scar. It is said to be effective against ageing and damaged skin conditions and has a marked healing effect on sunburn, acne and scarring, eczema and psoriasis. In fact, I recently used neat lavender to treat sunburn on my hand due to my SPF protection being washed off as I watered my plants on my allotment! Although it blistered, my skin healed quickly and did not itch nor peel. 

It is also safe and effective on sprains, strains and rheumatic pain as it helps with muscular spasms.  Use it to purify the air, soothe headaches, calm sunburn and relieve insomnia.  It is also safe to use on pets and is effective when used as a natural cleanser in the kitchen for tables and tiles.

Lavender is a valuable ingredient in many commercially produced products including all types of soaps, detergents, cosmetics, toilet waters and colognes.  A natural way to gently scent your clothes is to add a few drops of Lavender oil to your de-ionised water whilst ironing.  Cheaper and much more environmentally friendly.
Lavender is suitable for all skin types.

Note: It promotes and regulates menstrual flow, so should be avoided by those in the early stages of pregnancy.