LAVENDER (LAVANDULA OFFICINALIS)
This is an English garden herb that is highly regarded for its classic fragrance in soap, air fresheners and potpourris. Lavender is an essential oil used in aromatherapy and also has medicinal properties.
Claims and Common Uses:
- Has calming and soothing properties that relieves anxiety and promotes gastrointestinal relaxation
- Used as a cough suppressant
- Effective in treating common minor ailments such as insomnia, headaches, colic, poor digestion, and nausea.
- Relieves stress, depression, nervous disorders, and intestinal gas or flatulence
- Applied topically for its antiseptic properties to treat skin problems like candidiasis, or ringworm, burns, wounds, psoriasis, eczema, and acne.
- Applied as a compress, lavender oil provides relief from neuralgic pains, rheumatism, sprains, and sore joints.
- Scents clothes and helps to drive away moths
Part Used: Flowers
Preparations
Available in dried bulk, capsules, oils, and tinctures.
Tea: Steep 1 tsp. dried flowers in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes; drink three times daily.
Oil: To relax, use a few drops of the essential oil in a bath; rub the oil on your skin to mitigate rheumatic pains, or use a few drops in a steam inhalation for coughs, colds, and flu.
Side Effects and Warnings of Lavender
Do not use oil of lavender internally.