FRAGRANT CONVERSATION- LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Lavender is my all time favorite oil. Ever since my father gave me a small bottle of Yardley English Lavender perfume I have fond memories of lavender. My love for oils probably stems from that.

Lavender vibrates at 118 MHz, resonates with  the Heart Chakra- All issues concerning love. (According to Keri MC Dermott)  Lavender is at the top of the musical scale according to Gill Farrer-Halls as it is a top note oil.

Did you know that Lavender comes from the Latin word lavare, meaning to wash? This is because in ancient Rome lavender was used as a ritual bathing herb. Lavender was recognized for its healing qualities and for washing. It was added to baths to scent the water and was thought to restore the skin. Baths were very important for the Romans who spent several hours at the bath houses daily. Lavender essential oil has long been known to offer emotional benefits that are so sought after in today’s world: Balancing, Calming, Uplifting Taken from the Young Living website lavender farm blog

According to Gary Young additional emotional benefits include providing strength, overcoming nervousness, decreasing stress and irritability. The A-Pinene and linalool/lynalyl in Lavender have a sedative effect.

Lavendula Augustifolia, therapeutic-grade Lavender, is an equalizer and enhancer, meaning it blends well with other oils to create a pleasant fragrance.

Lavender is the only oil universally approved to be applied without dilution.

The numerous varieties of Lavender can vary in grade enormously. Low-grade lavender (officinalis agustaflora) has at least 221 commercial uses other than cosmetic. Hybrid Lavendin can’t be reproduced and is used in most American lavender oils today. It is cheap and easy to dilute. It only takes 35 lbs. to produce one ounce of oil, compared to the pure Lavender formula below. It is used chiefly in the perfume and cosmetic industry.

It takes about three years for lavender plants to be mature enough for distillation.

1 oz of pure Young Living Lavender oil requires 200-300 lbs. of plant material distilled for an hour-and-a-half at 200 degrees at zero lbs. psi .

Many of you already know the story of French scientist Rene Gattefosse’s discovery of Lavender’s ability to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing when he severely burned his arm in a laboratory accident and unknowingly put his arm in Lavender rather than water producing rapid healing.

During WWII, Jean Valnet, a student of Rene Gattefosse, used Lavender and other essential oils to treat soldiers when they ran out of antibiotics on the battlefield. The antibacterial properties of the oils helped the soldiers heal not only faster but better!

My personal medicinal experiences with Lavender include applying to an amputee with no legs who had fallen out of bed. She had massive bruising on her upper torso and shoulders. I applied Young Living Lavender topically on the bruises. The next day, to my complete amazement, there wasn’t even a hint of bruising! That is when I really became a believer!

My other Lavender story is about a client who had rosacea on her face. I recommended applying Lavender, undiluted, directly on the affected area. It was the only thing that worked. A note of caution, if using lotions or cosmetics, the Young Living Lavender will try to eliminate the chemicals in those products and you may end up with something worse than the original skin condition. Make sure the skin surface is naturally clean before applying directly to the skin.

Uses of Lavender:

To calm and relax–best at nighttime to release workday stresses.

For a full body massage–5 drops of Lavender oil in 4oz of vegetable oil is excellent for well-being and relaxation.

For a quick fix–best place to apply Lavender is the nape of the neck and shoulders.

Here are some relaxation formulas and testimonials from the lavender farms blog

Quick tips for including Lavender essential oil in your daily personal care routine: Keep a bottle in the shower and add a drop or 2 while shampooing your hair. Take deep breaths while massaging the scalp, then rinse. It’s a great way to start your day!

1. Get your beauty sleep with the help of Lavender linen spray. Add 4-8 drops to 4 oz. of distilled water in a spray bottle. Lightly mist your pillows and bed before going to sleep.

2. Skin soothing at-home spa treatment–Lavender bath fizzers. In a small bowl mix 2 TBS. baking soda and 2 tsp. citric acid. Add 8-10 drops Young Living lavender essential oil and 1-2 sprays of water into mixture. Stir and repeat sprays of water until mixture sticks together like clay when compacted. Press small amounts into candy molds or into small balls. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, turn molds over and release fizzers onto wax paper. Let dry until hardened all the way through. Drop into warm water and enjoy a soothing soak in the tub!

3.        Pretty pedicure time with our exfoliating Lavender foot scrub. Stir together 1/4 c. Dead Sea salt or Epsom salt, 1/4 c. Young Living V-6 Oil or unscented massage oil, and 3-6 drops Young Living lavender essential oil. Mix well, pour into container. Place a small amount in hand and scrub feet that have soaked in warm water. Rinse and apply Lavender lotion. (Painting toenails a pretty pink is optional, but highly recommended!)
From Lynn: Lavender applied neat quickly cleared up infected sores on my scalp that no other prescription cream or product helped at all. Only a few days of Lavender and my scalp was healed and healthy.

I also use Lavender in my fabric storage area to gently scent the fabrics for doll/toy making and bandannas. WWW.AlaskaYoungLiving.com

From Karla: Many of you may know that the Thieves Spray will take off permanent marker instantly, however, did you know that Lavender oil applied neat does just as good of a job?!!! We were delightfully surprised!

From Brenda: From feet to sheets and everything in between! Reading the comments on Lavender and its infinite abilities bring memories rushing back in!
As a Practitioner who works from home, my clients are greeted by Zoe the dog and O the cat. Those with severe allergic reactions to animals have yet to react in my care – as Lavender is applied to their feet soon after their arrival. Their need of medication is quickly forgotten – what a testimony! Lovely Lavender how we enjoy thee!

Lavender is beneficial to the skin.

It is one of the most effective immediate responses to burns. (It must be high quality Lavender According to Daniel Peneol in his book Natural Home Health Care using essential oils a good synergistic mix would be lavender with Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea tree) for cell renewal. Again, only a high-grade tea tree should be used.

Lavender also minimizes scarring, acne, dandruff, diaper rash, hair loss and stretch marks. It helps with boils, bruises, carbuncles, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and wounds. I personally use it to cleanse cuts and the wounds heal much quicker and without leaving a trace.

Lavender combined with numerous other oils enhances each and every one beyond their own capabilities:

Lavender’s anti-inflammatory properties, combined with mellaleuca is even better for Respiratory ailments such as asthma, whooping cough, influenza, bronchitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Combine Lavender with Ravensara and Mellaleuca for ear infections–gently massaged around the ear to ease the pain.

Other complimentary oils include helicrysum, cypress, peppermint, purification, Melrose, Panaway

Lavender also is recommended to increase visual acuity. Massage gently around the eye.

Lavender blends well and is complimentary to many oils:

For emotional benefits, blend Lavender with orange, blue chamomile, frankincense or ylang ylang

For high blood pressure, marjoram, cypress, rosemary, Aromalife

For fluid retention: tarragon, cypress, tangerine, fennel, Citrus Fresh, Aromalife, Endoflex

Hair loss: Ylang Ylang, clary sage

Flu: Lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, frankincense, oregano, thyme, Melissa

Fever: Peppermint, lemon

Rheumatism: Birch, basil, rosewood, marjoram, cypress, Panaway, Aromasieze

Digestion: Patchouli, peppermint, rosemary, tarragon

Yeast infection/Athelete’s Foot: Mellaleuca, frankincense, rosemary, thyme, geranium, tarragon, Melrose, Purification, Endoflex

Nervousness: Marjoram, geranium, peppermint, Peace and Calming, Valor

Irritability: Marjoram, chamomile, frankincense, rosewood, ylang ylang orange, lemongrass, lemon, juniper

Mood Swings: Blue (German) Chamomile, frankincense, clary sage, bergamot, orange, spruce, birch, Dragontime, Mister, Valor, Peace and Calming

Strength, empowerment: Spruce, fir, cedarwood, sandalwood, cypress, frankincense, Valor, Sacred Mountain, Three Wise Men

As with all oils, Lavender is to be used in minute quantities. Using too much diminishes its effectiveness, not frequency of use.

Quite surprisingly Lavender and Peppermint mix well to uplift and calm at the same time.

And finally here is the wonderful Young Living recipe:

Lavender Farm Restaurant   Lavender Lemonade

7 lemons, peeled and juiced
2 limes, peeled and juiced
14 cups water
1 ½ c. Blue Agave Nectar
1 drop Lavender essential oil
Mix all ingredients together and chill. Add more water or Blue Agave, depending on the size and tartness of the fruit.

As Brooke Walker, the show’s host, mentions, there are more and more products appearing on store shelves. But an important point that consumers need to be aware of is that although the label says “lavender,” most contain very little and are frequently full of harmful chemicals. There is a big difference between perfume-grade and Young Living’s therapeutic-grade Lavender. Perfume-grade is diluted, adulterated and synthetically produced in chemical laboratories. Young Living’s therapeutic-grade Lavender is all natural, the purest, most potent form of Lavender essential oil available. To learn about the care and testing involved in the distillation and production process, please visit this website and click on the tab “Seed to Seal.”

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