Lavender Oil is steam distilled from Lavender plants. Lavender is the most loved aromatic
used in aromatherapy today. Besides being versatile, its lightly floral
and soothing scent is one that most people find appealing. It is also one of the few essential
oils that can be applied neat. Lavender has a long history of use in
many different cultures.
Likely
the most popular and versatile of the essential oils, lavender has been
used through the centuries not only for its aromatherapy benefits but
for cleansing as well; the name itself is derived from the Latin lavare which means to wash.Lavender was used by ancient Egyptians as well as Greeks and
Romans. Egyptians employed the vapor from steamed lavender plants as
incense and perfume. Lavender flower heads were used in the communal
baths of Rome both as an antiseptic and as a soothing fragrance.
Medieval European herbalists exploited lavender water to treat head
lice. Many of our ancestors in the Middle Ages placed small bundles of
dried lavender in laundry for a fresh smell and moth deterrent, and when
placed in their beds, the aroma helped with insomnia while warding off
bed bugs.?

How to use Lavender Essential Oil?

Combine 4-5 drops of Lavender Essential Oil with a bath gel base
such as a dab of shampoo, liquid body soap, or a tablespoon of olive or
coconut oil (to slow the evaporation of lavender oil) and use in a warm
bath.

Place 1-2 drops of Lavender Essential Oil on your pillow.

Massage several drops of Lavender Essential Oil diluted with a
carrier oil into your feet which easily. You can also mix a few drops of lavender with a
massage oil for an overall body massage.

Topically: A drop of Lavender Essential Oil mixed
with a teaspoon of carrier oil can be used to soothe skin
irritations
Hair Care. Lavender Essential Oil is a fragrantly
effective way to get rid of head lice.?Insect Control. Mosquitoes, moths, bedbugs, and such
do not like the smell of lavender. If you have meal moths in your
pantry, don’t spray poison! Diffuse Lavender Essential Oil near the
pantry or place cotton balls soaked with a few drops of lavender in
there instead. And please don?t use standard, toxic mothballs to
preserve your wool clothing! Lavender sachets or oil-saturated cotton
balls (re-soaked every week or so) provide healthy, effective moth
warfare instead, and leaves a conspicuously more pleasant scent in your
clothing than mothballs.
Important: If you are pregnant or nursing, ask
your healthcare provider before using Lavender Essential Oil. Use of
lavender by diabetics may not be advisable; if you are diabetic, ask
your doctor before use. Even though Lavender Essential Oil is generally
considered safe to apply undiluted to the skin, some people may have a
negative reaction to it. Before using lavender oil, apply a drop diluted
with a bit of olive oil to the inside of your elbow. If there is no
reaction after 10 minutes, you are probably not hypersensitive to
lavender.