Learn About the Many Uses of Lavender Oil

Naheed Ali, MD, PhD
ILLUMINATION
Published in
3 min readApr 30, 2022

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Lavender oil, additionally acknowledged by its scientific name Lavandula angustifolia is an essential oil received through distillation from the flowers of specific species of lavender. It has a distinctive scent and a handful of recuperation properties.

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Five Key Benefits of Lavender Oil

Lavender oil can be used for various purposes, from relaxing and soothing to anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the main benefits of lavender oil.

Anxiety and Sleep Disorders

Anxiety is one of the uprising psychiatric disorders of the last decades, and lavender administration has been a recommended treatment. Lavender is known for its calming and relaxing properties. One of its essential benefits is that it calms without sedating. It has been used for centuries to help people relax and sleep better. Applying a few drops of lavender essential oil to a pillowcase or diffuser can have a calming effect on the mind and body. Even a few drops added to the bathwater can improve sleep quality. It also helps to reduce blood pressure, lower the heart rate, lower adrenaline levels, improve mood, and regulate breathing, resulting in better nighttime sleep and fewer panic attacks.

Combating Fungal Infections

Scientists have discovered that Lavender oil indicates an antifungal impact on strains of fungi accountable for frequent pore, skin, and nail infections. Efficiently treating fungi infections is not an easy task. Most drugs used to treat infections caused by fungi have side effects. These problems stimulated a search for efficient natural alternatives such as essential oils, which may be a low-cost and efficient treatment with minimal side effects.

Wound-Healing Properties

The topical application of lavender oil to wounds accelerates wound healing through wound contraction (wound shrinking) and granulation tissue formation by collagen synthesis. Several studies have shown the antinociceptive, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of compounds found in the lavender essential oil. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it also helps to treat sunburn.

Stimulates Hair Growth

Lavender oil can promote hair growth. By massaging it into the scalp or mixing two to three drops with a shampoo. Another usage of lavender oil is to mix it with a carrier oil. A good choice would be jojoba oil. This combination clears toxins from the follicles. Therefore, it stimulates hair growth while balancing the oil production and rehydrating your scalp.

In a randomized trial of aromatherapy, it has been proven that it can successfully treat alopecia areata a disorder that usually results in unpredictable, patchy hair loss.

Pain Relieving Functions

The usage of lavender oil to relieve pain is highly suggested by experts. Inhaled lavender can reduce migraine and headache symptoms. Combined with rose and bergamot essential oils ease period pain and kidney stone pain. It can be mixed with bergamot essential oil to alleviate neuropathic pain, which can resist pharmaceuticals. It is most effective when diluted to a maximum of 20% and applied topically. This blend may be used to soothe painful muscles, joints, or damaged skin.

It has also been shown to reduce the amount of acetaminophen taken by children who had their tonsils removed. In a study conducted at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, lavender oil significantly reduced the use of the anticonvulsant drug acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol or paracetamol.

Important Notice:

Lavender oil is poisonous due to some of its linalyl acetate and linalool components. Therefore, it should never be ingested. Having lavender poisoning can be extremely painful and unpleasant. Symptoms of lavender oil poisoning include burning pain in the throat, blurred vision, confusion, difficulty breathing, decreased level of consciousness, diarrhea (watery, bloody), stomach pain, vomiting, and rash. If any of the symptoms mentioned above are encountered, a doctor should be contacted immediately.

Start Using Lavender Oil Today:

Whether you are struggling with anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, infections, pain, or hair loss, lavender oil is the most efficient natural remedy that can help you solve all these problems. Just a few drops of lavender oil can make a huge difference.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31655395/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26247152/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9828867/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28480095/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24779190/

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