Lavender ~ Its history, uses, and how I used it for my wedding

 Lavender.
It has been known as the "Swiss Army Knife" of essential oils. Versatile and fragrant, Lavender is well-loved by many. Its amazing healing properties were first "discovered" by René-Maurice Gattefossé, French chemist and scholar. Born in Montchat near Lyon in 1881, René-Maurice Gattefossé is regarded as the Father of Aromatherapy and inventor of the word itself. In 1910 he discovered the virtues of the essential oil of lavender.

  
Gattefosse was working in the laboratories of the cosmetics firm owned and named after his family (of which he was to become head, and which is still in business today). He badly burned his hand during an experiment and plunged his hand into the nearest tub of liquid which just happened to be lavender essential oil. He was later amazed at how quickly his burn healed and with very little scarring. This started a fascination with essential oils and inspired him to experiment with them during the First World War on soldiers in the military hospitals. He used oils of lavender, thyme, lemon and clove for their antiseptic properties. Gattefosse noted an increase in the rate of healing in wounds treated with essential oils and that the oils seemed to be free from the disadvantages present with other antiseptic agents in use at that time.

Uses for Young Living's Lavender Essential Oil

1.) Rub Lavender oil on the feet for a calming effect on the body.
2.) Rub a drop of Lavender oil on your palms and then apply to your pillow to help you sleep and for insomnia.
3.) Put a drop of Lavender oil on a bee sting or insect bite to stop itching and reduce swelling.
4.) Put 2-3 drops of Lavender oil on a minor burn to decrease pain and help prevent scarring.

5.) Drop Lavender oil on a cut to stop the bleeding.
6.)  Mix several drops of Lavender oil with olive or coconut oil and use topically on eczema and dermatitis.
7.)  To alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness, place a drop of Lavender oil on the end of the tongue, around the navel or behind the ears. 8.)  To stop a nosebleed, put a drop of Lavender oil on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice.  Push the tissue covered ice chip up under the middle of the top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until the bleeding stops (do not freeze the lip or gum).
9.) Rub a drop of Lavender oil over the bridge of the nose to unblock tear ducts.
10.) Rub Lavender oil on dry or chapped skin.
11.) Rub a drop of Lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips.
12.) To reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender oil on and around the affected area.
13.)  Rub 2 drops of Lavender oil over the armpit area to act as a deodorant.
14.) Rub a drop of Lavender oil between your palms and inhale deeply to help alleviate the symptoms of hay fever.
15.) Rub several drops of Lavender oil into the scalp to help eliminate dandruff.
16.) Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and place in your linen closet to scent the linens and repel moths and insects.
17.) Place a drop of Lavender oil in your water fountain to scent the air, kill bacteria and prolong the time between cleanings.
18.) Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and throw into the dryer which will deodorize and freshen your laundry.
19.) Put a drop of Lavender oil on a cold sore.
20.) Diffuse Lavender oil to alleviate the symptoms of allergies. Or place a drop or two in a spoonful of raw honey to combat allergies.
21.)  Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn to decrease pain.
22.) Drop Lavender oil on a cut to clean the wound and kill bacteria.
23.) Apply 2-3 drops of Lavender oil to a rash to stop the itching and heal the skin.
24.) Apply 1-2 drops of Lavender oil in your iron to freshen your clothes.
25.)  Apply 1-2 drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and place in the dryer for an all natural dryer sheet.
26.) Rub Lavender oil on the back of your neck, chest, and in between your eyes to alleviate sinuses, sinusitis, allergies.
27.) Add Lavender oil to your baking recipes.
28.)  Add drops of Lavender oil to your favorite beverage:  tea or lemonade.
29.)  Rub a drop of Lavender oil on your temples to alleviate a headache (note this is helpful only in the case of certain kinds of headaches, some of the minor types).
30.)  Rub a drop on the base of the neck to relieve stress and anxiety.

*Note: These uses are for Young Living's Lavender only. Young Living is pure therapeutic grade, which is the reason why you can take it internally. Other kinds of Lavender oil are not for internal use and, therefore, not pure or safe. 

 Much of the lavender oil on the market today is actually a hybrid called lavandin. It is adulterated with synthetic linalyl acetate and solvents, like propylene glycol, DEP, or DOP, are added to it to increase volume. It also contains high levels of camphor (12-18 percent) and can itself burn the skin. This is in stark contrast to true lavender which has virtually no camphor and has natural burn-healing agents to restore damaged skin. Most consumers don't know the difference and are happy to buy adulterated lavender for $7 to $10 per ounce in stores...(Essential Oils Pocket Reference, pg 22-23).

 

Young Living Lavender essential oil is grown on a 1600 acre farm in Mona, Utah and distilled on site in one of the world's largest privately owned oil distilleries. It is safe for all ages, infants included.

Young Living also offers a variety of Lavender-infused products for the bath and body care. Soap, lotion, shower gel, shampoo, mist, and lip balm! Below, I have posted a small review on a few of these products.

 Lavender was my color and flower of choice at my February wedding. 

The meaning of the Lavender flower is purity and devotion, which are two significant words for my relationship with my dear husband. 

I had been using Young Living's Lavender Volume Shampoo the week leading up to my wedding and absolutely loved it! I can personally testify that it works wonderfully for any hair-type. The aroma of it is so deep and pleasing (it really fills up your shower with its scent!), and it really works wonders for dry scalp! One bottle lasted a whole month for me, which is fabulous considering my length of hair! I also use the Lavender Lip Balm on almost a daily basis and I have never tried a lip balm that moisturizes as well as this one. It leaves me with wanting to use more (I'm not big on lip balms, but this made me change my mind!). On the day of my wedding, I used YL's Lavender Bath and Body Lotion along with the Lavender Essential Oil all over myself. I received so comments from my guests about how lovely I smelled, which was funny. The lotion is so thick that you don't even need to use a lot of it. It makes your skin feel absolutely luscious! To me, these products are absolutely a must-have, whether you are planning a lavender-themed event or not. ;-) The quality of YL's Lavender-infused products is undeniable. I would recommend these to anyone time and time again.

 Contact me to learn more about how to save 24% on YL EO's and get an essential oil home diffuser with your start up kit at ancientessentials@yahoo.com.