Why Lavender Essential Oil Benefits Better Skin, Sleep, and Mood
Lavender Benefits: Nature's Solution for Skin, Sleep, and Stress
Lavender has been cherished for centuries for its therapeutic, medicinal, culinary, and fragrant properties. It is said to have many benefits, from mood to physical health to comfort and ease at home.
For Skin - Wrinkles, Acne, Sunburns, and Soothing Many Skin Conditions
It is said to offer numerous skin benefits, including:
- soothes inflammation
- promotes the natural healing process
- reduces acne (antibacterial)
- protects against environmental stressors
- increases skin resiliency to damage
- combats wrinkles (antioxidant)
- may reduce dryness and itchiness caused by some skin conditions due to antifungal properties
- is said to aid skin conditions including eczema, sunburns, insect bites, rashes, and other irritation
Use idea: you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to any skin cream or lotion. We recommend our lavender-infused night oil, sleep blend pure 100% essential oil collection (includes chamomile essential oil and vanilla, both noted for additional skin benefits) or aromatherapy from our lavender collection.
Benefits Mood Enhancement
Feeling stressed, depressed, angry, or anxious? Lavender oil's primary benefits are said to:
- reduce anxiety and tension
- lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels
- may improve overall mood and perspective
- promotes feelings of calm and relaxation
Use idea: add a few drops of lavender oil to a diffuser, your bath, or even a few drops on a tissue to inhale. Lavender oil is a gentle, natural way to support mental wellness. An easy way to take lavender with you on the go is our lavender fragrance roller bottle or our sleep blend essential oil roller bottle.
For Sleep: A Natural Sleep Aid That Works
Struggling with insomnia and restless nights? Lavender oil might help you unwind and fall asleep faster, staying asleep longer by:
- Slowing down nervous system activity
- Encouraging deeper, longer, more restful and beneficial sleep
- Reducing the number of times you may wake during the night
Use idea: Add a few drops of lavender oil to your pillow, diffuser, or use a lotion infused with lavender. Since we care about sleep, we recommend the following products we crafted our Sleep Blend collection (made with pure lavender, chamomile, and vanilla) specifically to address natural lavender's effect on sleep and skin:
- Our Nighttime Lavender-Infused Face Oil is infused with 100% pure lavender oil to provide both skin and aromatherapy benefits to your face
- Our Lotion Collection, including our Body Lotion, Hand Lotion, and Solid Lotion Bars, combine the benefits for skin and aromatherapy
- Our Sleep Blend Lip Balm is ideal for sleep, as it rests just under your nose!
- Our Sleep Blend Diffuser Oil for use in anything, from aromatherapy diffusers, dryer balls, or your own skin-friendly creations
- Sleep Blend roller bottle - our most travel-friendly solution
We take lavender quality very seriously and blend our own fragrances. We include locally produced lavender essential oil in all our lavender products.
The Colorful History of Lavender Oil
Ancient Egyptians used lavender for embalming as well as cosmetics. The Phoenicians used it for bathing as well as flavoring food. The Greeks valued lavender for its fragrance and antiseptic properties, and it was well documented as a popular scent for Roman baths.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, medieval monks grew fields of lavender for its use in medicine, while it was used commonly in England for:
- flowers were worked into soaps and perfumes
- placed between linens to fragrance them
- used in sachets as air freshner
- mixed into beeswax to polish furniture
- added to baths
- used medicinally to alleviate headaches, stress, and other states
Soap was produced initially alongside the cloth industry, and began being used for other uses soon after. Early soap was crafted by boiling fats and mixing with lye. Medieval peasants crafted their own soap with waste fats and wood ash, creating a rough, crude soap that was likely improved with this fragrant herb.
Lavender grew in popularity in the centuries that followed, and was used to ward off diseases including cholera and the plague. It is commonly one of the ingredients in four thieves oil (which varies by interpretation, and usually includes some combination of lavender, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, or garlic), believed to repel the fleas that caused the plague.
Lavender Benefits in Ireland
Irish use of lavender was also widespread in Ireland, but was not documented until the 1700s when it reached Ireland through monastic and trade routes, including its documentation within the Catholic Church. It was used in Irish folk medicine for:
- calming the nerves (early aromatherapy)
- treating minor wounds and headaches
- fragrancing linens and homes
- repelling insects
The Victorian Era brought much more lavender into fashion in Ireland under British rule.
Folk Medicine and Herbalism in Ireland
Blending native and imported plants, Irish herbalism incorporated lavender into calming and antiseptic remedies. It was added to native plants like nettle, yarrow, and meadowsweet to improve effects.
While we are focused primarily on Europe due to our company's focus, lavender was also widely used in China, Bulgaria, France, and other nations globally.
For more history on lavender oil, check out wikipedia
---
LEGAL NOTE: We have done our best to source the most reliable and trustworthy data from both our own experiences and the many sources on the internet. Officially, we do not claim any benefits to lavender oil beyond what the US FDA says exists.