Curious about lavender essential oil? Do you wonder what makes lavender so special? Why does lavender seem to be in almost every aromatherapy product on the market? I know before I became an aromatherapist, I wondered these things. If you have ever wondered too, then stay with me, dear reader...for today we will get personal with lavender essential oil and find out what makes it is so special!
Lavender is probably the best known essential oil next to Lemon (a story for another day). It is truly one of the workhorses in the essential oil world. It can be used to alleviate pain and inflammation, assist with sleep, boost the immune system, and it’s also great for skincare. So, you can see why it’s in so many natural personal care products like bath salts, sleep sprays and rollerballs What is it about lavender that makes it do so many things so well? It's the chemical components! You may be wondering, what the heck are chemical components? They are what make up an essential oil. Some essential oils can have 50 or more chemical components. These chemical components have certain therapeutic values. Believe it or not, there is A LOT of chemistry that goes into studying essential oils.
So, what are the chemical components that make lavender essential oil so special? There are two main chemical components that give lavender its wonderful qualities: linalyl acetate and linalool. These chemical components are from the ester and monoterpenol chemical families respectively. Are your eyes starting to glaze over yet? Rather than do a deep dive into chemistry, I will cut to the good part...these two chemical components are known for their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant and sedative properties. What does that mean for you? It means using lavender essential oil can help ease your pain as it gently lulls you to sleep. It is an amazing essential oil!
But wait there's more...lavender essential oil also has some amazing emotional and spiritual qualities associated with it. Lavender is known to calm anxiety and fear. It also eases panic attacks. Its light fresh floral-herbal aroma is extremely nurturing and calming. One whiff is usually all that is needed to ease anxiety and stress. For this reason, lavender is fabulous in an essential oil inhaler. Inhalers are cotton wicks soaked with essential oil and put in a sleeve (usually plastic or metal). Simply inhale in each nostral then enjoy the aroma while allowing the chemical components to do their job. Inhalers are great little tools that allow you to enjoy the benefits of an essential oil quickly and on-the-go. Use it before bed for sleep or during a stressful day for fast relief.
Lavender is not the only essential oil to have an abundance of linalool and linalyl acetate. There are a few other essential oils that also contain a preponderance of these chemical components. Essential oils, such as, Ho Wood, Clary Sage, Coriander, and Sweet Basil all are high in one or both of these chemical components. Can you imagine if you put these oils together what a powerful sleep aid they would make? The synergy of combining multiple oils with the same therapeutic components is known as component blending. It is one of many ways to blend essential oils. For sleep and stress, blending two or more essential oils high in linalool and linalyl acetate means you are going to have an extremely gentle yet powerful, organic sleep aid plus analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
Intrigued? Want to learn more about essential oils and their amazing benefits? Stop into the The Curious Heart and ask how essential oils can help you. Work one on one with the owner, Mary Kate, to create your very own custom essential oil blend. There are also a variety of pre-made blends too. If sleep is your concern, be sure to check out the Deep Sleep or Sweet Dreams rollerballs. Can you guess which essential oils are used in these blends? Stop in and see if you are correct. Wishing you sweet dreams.
Comments