Get to Know Lavender
If you’ve seen our Lavender tips on social media (Instagram or Facebook) you will clearly see why they say ‘When in doubt use lavender.’ True Lavender is one of the most powerful yet gentle and versatile oils around. It’s great for soothing and calming mind and body, supports sleep, mood. Just a few drops can boost and enhance your personal care product. Use it to soothe mild skin irritations, bug bites and ease discomforts in the body. It also has skin-loving properties. A must have in your first aid kit.
Caution: It’s important to know what is in your bottle so you can use it wisely. You want to make sure your Lavender is 100% True Lavender and has not been mixed with Lavandin. This is a common problem because Lavandin is less expensive. 100% pure Lavandin has great benefits but is not as gentle as True Lavender so it needs to be used with a bit of caution.
What do I look for when buying oils?
Essential oils are powerful so it’s super important to make sure that you’re getting 100% pure, therapeutic grade oils that are free of harmful, synthetic chemicals. We only use, and recommend, Young Living because we want to use the purest and highest quality therapeutic grade essential oils on the market. We trust their ‘Seed to Seal’ guarantee and the ethics as a company.
What is Lavandin? What should I be careful of?
Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a hybrid plant that was developed be crossing True Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and Spike Lavander (Lavendula latifolia).
True Lavender and Spike Lavander belong to the same botanical family ‘lamiacae’ but are different species with vastly different chemical compositions. As a result, the essential oils smell similar but they possess different properties. It’s important to know the difference between them so that you are using them for their correct purposes.
As mentioned before, Lavandula (angustifolia) or true lavender is one of the safest types of lavender essential oils. The one all our tips are based on.
Lavandin and spike lavender contain Cineole (eucalyptol) and higher level of camphor which makes them best suited for supporting the respiratory, circulatory and muscular systems.
This makes them effective at helping to clear occasional congestion, getting rid of bugs, freshening rooms, deodorising as well as soothing the body after exercise. Lavandin has been used to sterilize the animal cages in veterinary clinics and hospitals throughout Europe.
These same compounds however come with cautions. They should be used with care around children and anyone with epilepsy. It’s best not to be used at all with pregnant women. It should not be used on cuts or burns because of the high levels of camphor, which can further cause tissue scarring.
Lavenders past
Lavender has been used throughout the ages. As far back as the ancient Egyptians who used lavender for mummification and perfume. It’s said that when Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened traces of lavender were found and the scent of lavender was faintly detected.
It was used in the Roman and Greek empires for cooking, bathing and scenting the air. Its cleansing properties gave the herb its name, which is derived from the Latin word ‘lavare’, meaning to wash.
Lavender is one of the oldest perfumes used in England and in the 1500’s Queen Elizabeth, used it both as a perfume and also in her tea.
In 1910, René-Maurice Gattefossé the famous French chemist and scholar discovered the virtues of this essential oil. He had badly burned himself and used the oil to stops the spread of his gangrenous sores. Subsequently he collaborated with a number of doctors who treated French soldiers for war wounds during World War I using lavender and other essential oils.
Technical overview:
Method of extraction: Steam distilled from flowering top.
Frequency: 118 MH
Blend classification: Enhancer, Equalizer and Modifiers
Scent: Floral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous, balsamic, woody undertones, sometimes slightly fruity.
Perfumery note: Middle.
Intensity level: 2
Blends with: most oils especially citrus oils, chamomile, clary sage and geranium
Join us on our journey
We would love for you to join us on our journey. It’s so much more than just learning how to use essential oils, supplements and healthy eating. Partnering with Young Living for us is an extension of our life-long journey of educating ourselves with what it looks like to live lives in abundance. In every aspect; spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially.
We value the opportunity to be a part of a company and community that we can trust, who have the knowledge experience and ethics to help us on our journey. It’s also important for us to be able to share this way of life with others, who are searching for the same thing, and help them in their journey to live lives of abundance too.
Thank you for reading right to the end and stay tuned for more posts on how to live an abundant life.
