Lavender essential oil is probably the most popular oil out there, as it is highly versatile and all-encompassing. It is derived from the plant lavandula angustifolia, through a process of steam distillation of its fragrant and scented flowers. The plant is native to northern Africa and the Mediterranean region but today, it grows throughout Europe, US and Australia.

Lavender essential oil has been in use since centuries ago as it has medicinal and religious uses for as long as 2500 years. According to historical records, the Egyptians used lavender for mummification purposes and as a source of perfume. The Persians, Greeks and Romans added the lavender flowers to their bathwater to help cleanse and purify the skin.

Today, lavender oil continues to be the most widely-used essential oil out there, as you can find it in almost every household. This bottle of lavender is truly a lifesaver and a personal favourite for many as it boasts a range of benefits ranging from emotional to physical health. Read on to find out more!

Health Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil:

1. Helps Alleviate Anxiety and Depression

Lavender essential oil is a great aromatherapy agent as it has a very calming and soothing scent that can alleviate feelings of depression, stress and anxiety, thus helping to prevent neurological damages and serves as a tonic for the nerves instead.

There have been various studies carried out to scientifically evaluate lavender oil’s therapeutic and aromatherapy effects, especially in terms of providing relaxation and calm to a stressed and anxious mind.

For example, a 2012 study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that a blend of lavender and rose oils which were inhaled by high risk postpartum women was very useful in that the mixture significantly reduced anxiety and depression levels in the treatment group.

This hence attests to lavender oil’s use as a complementary and viable alternative to help alleviate conditions of anxiety and depression naturally, without relying on prescription drugs which might have unwanted side effects.

Another 2013 study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice found that capsules containing lavender oil were efficacious for patients with subsyndromal anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder. Its anxiolytic and relaxant effects were evident after 2 weeks, as anxiety levels were significantly reduced, with no adverse side effects.

How to Use it: You can diffuse the oil by using a diffuser or vaporizer and put it in your rooms to de-stress. You can also rub it topically behind your ears to ease stress.

2. Helps Alleviate Insomnia

Because of its relaxant and sedative effects, it is a perfect agent to help you sleep well if you are suffering from insomnia. It helps to promote restful and peaceful sleep by inducing a relaxed state of mind. This is especially important since having a proper sleep ensures the smooth and vital functioning of your mind and physical bodily processes.

In fact, a 2005 research study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Magazine investigated the efficacy of lavender oil on insomnia and found that lavender created a significant improvement on the test subjects. As such, if you are looking for something to help you sleep, and without having any dangerous side-effects, then try diffusing lavender oil by your bedside table or rubbing it directly on your neck, chest and temples.

How to Use it: You can diffuse lavender oil using a diffuser or vaporizer or rub it on your neck, chest and temples area. Alternatively, you can add 15 drops of lavender oil and a cup of Epsom salts to a tub of warm, bathing water for you to soak inside before bedtime to improve sleep and to relax your body.

3. Helps Alleviate Headaches and Migraines

Lavender oil can also help to provide relief from headaches and migraines as it offers a viable natural alternative to drugs. A 2012 study published in the European Journal of Neurology revealed how lavender oil can be an effective and safe treatment to manage migraine headaches as it helped reduce headache severity in the patient volunteers.

It also helps to improve blood circulation with research suggesting that it helps in coronary circulation. This thus will help to alleviate headaches and migraines which are partly caused by improper blood circulation to the vital organs in the body as well.

For example, a 2008 study published in the International Journal of Cardiology found that lavender aromatherapy helps to reduce serum cortisol levels and improve coronary flows in healthy men, thus having relaxation effects.

How to Use it: You can inhale lavender oil for 15 minutes by putting it in a diffuser or vaporizer, like the experiment suggests, or you can even combine lavender oil with peppermint oil to be massaged onto the back of the neck and the temples for pain relief from headaches and migraines.

4. Helps Alleviate Skin Conditions

Lavender oil also contains potent antimicrobial properties, which means it can be used to prevent various infections arising from wounds, cuts and sores as well as combat fungal infections. It cleanses out the wound or cut and keeps it free from bacteria, thus preventing wounds from incurring infections, which can possibly complicate the healing process. It can also help soothe irritation and redness caused by bug bites.

For example, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that lavender, when blended with other essential oils like clove, cinnamon and tea tree in a 1:1 ratio, was very effective in combating the bacterial and fungal strains of Candida albicans and Staph aureus, which lead to many fungal and bacterial infections.

As such, this antibacterial nature of the oil also makes it a great remedy for various dermatological problems like acne and eczema as it helps to cleanse the pores and eliminate bacteria from them. Also, its soothing components make it a great agent to help heal bad sunburn cases, thus facilitating healing. It can also help to reduce age spots, scars and other dark spots in the process, thereby promoting a much smoother complexion!

How to Use it: For burns or eczema, you can mix lavender oil with coconut oil in a 1:5 ratio for a rapid healing process. For reducing the appearance of age spots, try mixing lavender oil with frankincense essential oil and gently apply onto your skin thrice daily. To ease sunburns, you can mix 10 drops of the oil with 1 ounce of aloe vera gel.

5. Rich with Antioxidants

Lavender essential oil also serves as a good source of antioxidants, which is especially important because it helps fight off free radical damage, thus boosting your immune system and preventing viruses and infections from invading your body and wreaking havoc on your vital organs. In fact, lavender essential oil has been hailed as nature’s antioxidant super hero!

A 2013 research study published in Phytomedicine revealed how lavender essential oil exhibited potent antioxidant and antiapoptotic activities as it increased antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced lipid peroxidation in the rats that were tested, thus suggesting its potent antioxidant potential. As such, this attribute helped to form neuroprotective effects and reduced oxidative stress in the rats’ brains.

How to Use it: You can reap the antioxidant benefits of lavender essential oil by diffusing the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer in your living rooms or on your work desk table.

6. May Serve as a Diabetes Treatment

Due to its potent antioxidant potential, lavender oil also makes for a good agent to manage diabetes, as seen in a 2013 study conducted by researchers in Tunisia. Lavender essential oil actually helped to significantly protect against the increase of blood glucose levels and led to a decrease in lipoperoxidation. At the same time, it led to an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities.

To put it simply, lavender essential oil helps protect the body from diabetes and prevents liver and kidney malfunction associated with the disease. In fact, the antioxidant activity of lavender was found to be even more robust than vitamin C!

Of course, further studies must be conducted before lavender oil can be included as a treatment option for diabetes, but this study undoubtedly shows much promising results!

How to Use it: You can diffuse lavender oil in the air or apply it topically onto your neck and chest area.

Safety Precautions:

• If you are already under prescribed medication from your doctor or professional health expert, such as antidepressants or on medication for sleep-related disorders, then it is wise to not use lavender oil together with your medication because it can lead to excessive effects, resulting in you being overly sleepy or drowsy. As such, it is best not to combine lavender oil with other medications or sleep-related supplements.

• There hasn’t been enough research done to evaluate its effects on pregnant women, so if you are pregnant, it is wise to avoid the oil or seek the professional advice from your doctor before using lavender essential oil on your own as an alternative treatment.

• Also, avoid using lavender oil frequently on young children.

• Furthermore, lavender oil is mainly used externally, meaning to be applied topically or diffused into the air. You should not ingest lavender oil, especially since the oil contains high amounts of antioxidants and if you have a sensitive digestive system.

• If you have sensitive skin, it is best to dilute lavender oil with a carrier oil first (such as coconut or jojoba oil) before applying it topically onto your skin and perform a skin patch test first to ensure there are no sensitive or allergic reactions.

References:

Conrad P, Adams C, “The effects of clinical aromatherapy for anxiety and depression in the high risk postpartum woman - a pilot study”, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2012); 18(3)

Kasper S, “An orally administered lavandula oil preparation (Silexan) for anxiety disorder and related conditions: an evidence based review”, International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice (2013)

Lewith GT, Godfrey AD, Prescott P, et al., “A single-blinded, randomized pilot study evaluating the aroma of Lavandula augustifolia as a treatment for mild insomnia”, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2005); 11(4)

Sasannejad P, et al., “Lavender essential oil in the treatment of migraine headache: a placebo-controlled clinical trial”, European Neurology (2012); 67(5)

de Rapper S, et al., “The In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Other Aroma-Therapeutic Oils”, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013)

Hancianu M, et al., “Neuroprotective effects of inhaled lavender oil on scopolamine-induced dementia via anti-oxidative activities in rats”, Phytomedicine (2013); 20(5)

Sebai H, et al., “Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) essential oils attenuate hyperglycemia and protect against oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats”, Lipids in Health and Disease (2013)

Shiina Y, et al., “Relaxation effects of lavender aromatherapy improve coronary flow velocity reserve in healthy men evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography”, International Journal of Cardiology (2008); 129(2)