Lavender Essential Oil

The scent of lavender oil is floral, sweet, herbaceous, and balsamic with woody undertones. It is classified as a middle-note fragrance with an odor intensity of about two out of five. Blending companions include florals, citrus, clary sage, vetiver, patchouli, and fir. Lavender oil has anti-inflammatory actions and is useful on wounds, burns, and insect bites; it is beneficial for a variety of skincare needs as well. Lavender oil can be helpful for muscle aches, headaches, and insomnia. Emotionally, it is thought to release bad habits, unexpressed emotion, and melancholy; it can also be used to support manifesting creative potential, and for the introverted and inhibited. Many species of this classically floral scent are distilled for use in soaps and perfumes. The camphorous "spike" lavender (L. latifolia) is useful for acne skin problems and stiff joints. Another species, lavandin, (L. x intermedia) is a cross between true and spike lavenders. It produces a higher yield of essential oil and is often used to adulterate true lavender oil. Its smell is similar, but it contains only sixty chemical constituents while true lavender has about 160.

Lavender, True
(Lavandula angustifolia)

Plant Family

Lamiaceae (Labiatae).

Synonyms

L. officinalis, L. Vera.

Description and Distribution

An evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 3-4 feet (1 m) whose bluish-mauve flowers are carried in spikes at the end of thin stems. The plant is native to the Mediterranean area of southern Europe. Most of the oil is produced in France, Spain and Bulgaria.

Extraction Method

Steam distillation of the flowering tops.

Nature of the Oil

A colourless to pale yellow liquid. The aroma is sweet fibral-herbaceous. Its odour effect is uplifting, calming and refreshing.

Main Constituents

Linalol, linalyl acetate, lavandulol, lavandulyl acetate, terpineol, limonene, caryophyllene.

Properties

Analgesic, anti-convulsive, anti-melancholy, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-toxic, carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant, cordial, cytophylactic, deodorant, diuretic, emmenagogic, hypotensive, insecticidal, nervine, rubefacient, sedative, sudorific, tonic, vermifugal, vulnerary.

Aromatherapeutic Support

Skin care (most skin types), acne, allergies, athlete's foot, boils, bruises, dandruff, dermatitis, burns, chilblains, psoriasis, insect bites and stings, as an insect repellent, asthma, earache, coughs, coughs and colds, catarrh, laryngitis, nausea, colic, painful menstruation, melancholy, headache, insomnia, nervous tension, pre-menstrual syndrome, stress-related concerns.

Blends Well With

Citrus essences, cedarwood, clove, clary sage, coriander, cypress, frankincense, geranium, juniper, mimosa, neroli, rose, oakmoss, petitgrain, pine.

Dosage

As an external application, use 5 drops of the essential oil mixed with enough base oil (almond) to treat the affected area.

This lavender is blended with other lavenders to bring the percentage of linalol to between 40% and 42%. Linalol is an active component of lavender that contains therapeutic benefits. This popular blended lavender is appreciated for the uniformity of its fragrance from batch to batch, since it is always 40-42% linalyl acetate and has a crisp scent that is appreciated by many people.

Botanical Name: Lavendula officinalis

Extraction Method: Steam Distilled

Color: Clear with a Tinge of Yellow

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Top/Middle

Aroma Strength: Medium

Aroma: Fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous, slightly fruity.

Use: Acne, allergies, anxiety, asthma, athlete's foot, bruises, burns, chicken pox, colic, cuts, melancholy, dermatitis, dysmenorrhea, earache, flatulence, headache, hypertension, insect bites, insect repellant, itching, labor pains, oily skin, scars, sores, sprains, strains, stress, stretch marks, vertigo, whooping cough. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 56-67.]

Constituents: Linalyl Acetate, Linalol, Terpineol, Cineole, Beta-Caryophyllene, Farnascene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Cautions: Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 207.]

Essential Oils by Bianca Rosa are 100% Pure Natural Essences derived from the highest quality fruits, flowers, leaves, spices, herbs and roots. Our essential oil distillers and growers are located around the world, operating ethically, organically and chemical-free.

Bianca Rosa Essential Oils Are Not Tested On Animals.