The lavender plant (botanical name L. officinalis) is also known as Lavandula and it belongs to the family Lamiaceae. This flowering plant has its origin in the western regions of the Mediterranean, especially the Pyrenees and a number of other mountainous regions in the southern part of Spain.
L. officinalis flower appears in two color ranges - blue and purple. The flowers of this plant are pleasantly aromatic, but they are not the only fragrant parts of the plant. In fact, the entire L. officinalis is aromatic. The plant will release its aroma when you cut or smash it. This is a main reason why people use the dehydrated plant in potpourri as well as in sachets.
The oil yielded by L. officinalis is generally utilized in the manufacture of toiletries, including products like soaps, perfumes and body lotions.
The lavender plant is valued for its therapeutic as well as aromatherapy qualities. A section of people is of the view that this plant possesses relaxant properties and may be employed in the form of a hypnotic. L. officinalis has been extensively used for treating a number of conditions like sleeping problems, anxiety as well as depression. This is one reason why this plant is widely included as an active ingredient of massage oils, bath additives and even in candles.
Generally, lavender is widely used in aromatherapy for alleviating stress and alleviating anxiety. There is a section of people who also employ this plant or its derivatives for treating injuries and minor skin problems.
The essential oil obtained from the plant, called lavender oil is among the very few natural substances that one can be tried for curing the symptoms related to acne as well as treating this skin problem. It has been proved that lavender possesses antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and can combat bacteria that are responsible for inflammation and acne.
Often eczema can turn out to be a very discomforting skin condition. However, applying lavender essential oil to the affected areas may provide much relief. In fact, the components of this essential oil not only help to alleviate itching, but also lessen the symptoms related to this skin condition. At the same time, lavender oil also helps to diminish the congestion at the aggravated skin areas by adding moisture to those places. This, in turn, speeds up the healing process.
Considering the fact that our skin is constantly being exposed to intolerable variety of the toxins present in the environment as well as the other pollutants, it is not surprising that the health of our skin gradually deteriorates every day. Nevertheless, we can save our skin's health from such harmful elements by using lavender oil. In fact, lavender oil contains potent antioxidants that are competent enough to combat the detrimental effects of the numerous environmental pollutants on our skin.
Lavender essential oil has anti-inflammatory as well as antiseptic properties. As a result, this oil is useful for healing burn injuries and, at the same time, facilitates the treatment of scars left behind by them. Lavender oil is also helpful in removing scars caused by other injuries. Moreover, this essential oil also helps to provide relief from pain.
If you have sustained any burn injury, it is advisable that you clean the affected area by keeping the place under cold running water for roughly 10 minutes and subsequently add some drops of this essential oil to the area. When you do this, it will speed up the healing process and also prevent the injury from being infected. Nevertheless, if you have suffered a major burn injury, it is important to check with your physician immediately.
Lavender oil also possesses astringent properties and, hence, it can help in contraction of the tissues. Aside from this, astringents also possess the aptitude to treat little swellings on the skin. You can certainly employ it for treating small swellings caused by bug bites or any other reason.
Usually insect bites are not a severe problem, but they can certainly spoil your routine activities. But it will not be any problem if you already have some lavender oil in your medicine kit and apply it to the affected areas.
Next time if you suffer from an insect bite or nibble, add some drops of lavender oil to the affected areas and simply observe how the itching as well as swelling reduces significantly within no time. Traditionally, people in many cultures around the world have been employing lavender oil as a homemade remedy for insect bites.
Aside from this, lavender oil can also be employed as an effective insect repellent.
