Lavender oil is best known around the world for its pleasant scent. But not only fragrance dispensers and care products contain lavender oil. It is also used in medicine, pharmacy and naturopathy on the diverse positive properties of the essential oil. But what exactly does lavender oil actually do. Is every lavender oil the same. Lavender oil can also be dangerousin?
The following article explains what lavender oil is and how it is made. It shows how the different types of lavender oil differ and which type of lavender oil is used in which area. It also explains how lavender oil affects the skin, body and psyche. The positive nourishing and health-promoting properties of the essential oil as well as possible side effects and intolerances are discussed.
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THAT DOES LAVENDER
- Lavender oil helps against inflammation and skin fungus.
- Sleep disorders and depression can be relieved with lavender oil.
Overview:
What is lavender oil?
This is how lavender oil is made
Lavender oil is used for this
What does lavender oil do on the skin?
What does lavender oil do in the body?
This is how lavender oil affects the nerves and psyche
Is lavender oil harmful?
Conclusion
What is lavender oil?
Lavender oil is an essential oil that is extracted from the flowers, sometimes also from leaves and branches of various types of lavender. The types of lavender commonly used for oil production include real lavender, in LatinLavandula Angustifolia, the Speik lavender, LatinLavandula latifolia and the lavender, LatinLavandula stoechas called.
Lavender oil is pale yellow, almost colorless, and has a strong scent that most people find pleasant. It is comparatively thin and boils at around 186c. Among the main components of lavender oil from the so-called Real lavender include linalyl acetate, which makes up about 25 to 46%, and linalool in the form of licareol, which makes up about 20 to 45% of the oil.
This is how lavender oil is made
In Europe, high-quality lavender oil is traditionally mainly produced in southern France and Monaco, as well as in England and Bulgaria. Hundreds of tons of it are exported to Germany every year.
Only the fresh flowers of the so-calledReal lavender used. In advance, the lavender can be checked for certain ingredients with the help of chromatographic separation processes, which are important for its suitability as a natural medicine, including, for example, linalool and linalyl acetate. For the production of candles and room fragrances, on the other hand, all possible plant parts of different types of lavender are used, often spiked and cupped lavender.
The common method used to make lavender oil is steam distillation. The flowers or possibly other parts of the plant are located in a kettle or flask and are either heated directly in the water or hot steam is added. The essential oils escape the vegetable raw material and can condense together with the water and be discharged from the container. As a final step, the oil and water must finally be separated from each other.
Lavender oil is used for this
Lavender oil is used for many different medicinal purposes in the form of medicines and home remedies, as well as for personal care and various wellness treatments. In most cases, lavender oil is used externally, but sometimes drugs containing lavender oil are also consumed orally. Many animals do not like essential oils, which is why lavender oil is also suitable as an insect repellent. Because of its pleasant scent, lavender oil is also often used for scented candles and scented oil and as an odor-correcting auxiliary in various medical and cosmetic products.
In which care products is lavender oil
Lavender oil smells good, is antibacterial and promotes wound healing. Compared to many other essential oils, lavender oil is relatively well tolerated and less aggressive. It is therefore ideal for skin care and is mainly used in the following care products:
- Massage oil
- Body lotion
- Hand cream
- Foot cream
- deodorant
- soap
- Conditioner and conditionerg
- shower gel
- Bath additive
In what medical and pharmaceutical products is lavender oil
Lavender oil can be helpful in treating patients with various diseases and ailments and is mainly used in the form of various home remedies. However, the pharmaceutical industry also uses lavender oil to manufacture medicines. The following medicinal products can contain lavender oil:
- Sedatives and antidepressants in the form of capsules
- Wound healing ointments and sprays
- Antiseptic ointments, gels, serums and sprays
- Nasal spray
- Cold ointments
- other products for external use (with lavender oil as a fragrance, not as an active ingredient)
What home remedies with lavender oil are there
The healing properties of lavender have been known in Europe for centuries, which is why many people with health problems resort to home remedies that contain lavender oil or other components of lavender. The following table shows which type of application of lavender oil is suitable for the treatment of which complaints:
|
Against itching, swelling, infections and inflammation of the skin |
Apply pure lavender oil to the skin |
|
Against coughs and bronchitis |
Place wraps with lavender oil on the chest |
|
Against nervous tension |
Take a full bath or foot bath with the addition of lavender oil |
|
Against sleep disorders |
Spray the pillow with a mixture of 50 ml water, 25 ml alcohol and 5 drops of lavender oil |
|
Against headaches |
Apply a few drops of pure lavender oil to the forehead and temples |
|
Against low blood pressure |
Take full bath with the addition of lavender oil |
|
Against muscle tension |
Rub muscles with lavender oil |
|
Against stomach and intestinal problems |
Rub the belly in circles with lavender oil |
What does lavender oil do on the skin?
Lavender oil has many beneficial properties that can contribute to beautiful and healthy skin. The following effects have already been observed:
- Disinfection: Thanks to its antiseptic properties, lavender oil helps disinfect wounds and injuries. It fights viruses and bacteria, causing infection and inflammation can be prevented or combated.
- Relief from itching: Lavender oil can help reduce uncomfortable itching, for example from insect bites.
- Fight against skin fungus: Lavender essential oil is an antifungal agent that can be used to combat various types of fungal infections, such as skin fungus.
- Wound healing: Since lavender oil stimulates skin cell growth, it can help injured skin grow back faster and the wound heals better.
- Anti-aging: By providing the skin with moisture on the one hand and helping to regenerate and heal damaged skin cells on the other, it protects the skin from premature aging.
- Improve body odor: The use of lavender oil as a massage oil and care products that contain lavender or lavender oil can neutralize unpleasant odors on the skin and give the body a fresher scent.
What does lavender oil do in the body?
Lavender oil can have many positive effects on the body. Since high-quality lavender oil is one of the essential oils, it is expectorant, antibacterial and antifungal. It can help against yeast and thread fungi as well as various other infections in different parts of the body. This effect is mainly attributed to the linalool it contains. In addition to its antiseptic properties, lavender oil is primarily known for its calming properties. It can be taken or applied in a number of ways, which are said to generally relax the body and even relieve cramps.
In scientific studies, an estrogenic activity of lavender oil and other essential oils has also been observed. Regular external use of products containing lavender oil is said to have even led to growth of the mammary glands in prepubertal children, including boys, according to researchers' observations.
This is how lavender oil affects the nerves and psyche
The calming and relaxing effect is one of the best-known properties of lavender oil and is mainly due to its ingredients linalool and linalyl acetate. For the treatment of nervous and psychological ailments, lavender oil is often used in the form of aromatherapy, in which certain vapors and smells are inhaled. The following nervous problems can be alleviated with the help of lavender oil:
- Problems falling asleep and staying asleep
- Restlessness
- Tension
- nervousness
- Anxiety
- depressions
- aggressiveness
Is lavender oil harmful?
Lavender oil is generally considered to be well tolerated, but it is suspected of being estrogenic. In rare cases, depending on the dosage, undesirable side effects can occur. It can be problematic especially if it is not the so-calledReal lavender, but rather spiked or cupped lavender oil. In addition, some scented oils and scented candles based on lavender oil also contain chemical substances that can also cause health or well-being problems. The following symptoms can typically occur with an intolerance to lavender oil:
|
On inhalation |
· headache · dizziness · nausea |
|
When applied to the skin |
· Allergic reaction: redness, pustules, itching · Hormonal change: growth of the mammary glands |
|
For oral consumption |
· Eructation · nausea · constipation |
Conclusion
It can be summarized that lavender oil has many useful properties that are used in different areas. Many cosmetic products benefit from the pleasant scent as well as the antiseptic and moisturizing effect of lavender oil. Various diseases of the skin as well as the digestive organs can be cured with the help of lavender oil. People who suffer from insomnia or psychological problems can also be helped by taking modern medication and using traditional home remedies based on lavender oil. Since lavender oil is hormone-active and can cause allergic reactions, its use is not unreservedly recommended for everyone. Some people react with intolerance to such lavender oil, which is used as a scented oil and for the production of scented candles.