lavender oil
Lavender oil is an active ingredient in aromatherapy. Grass lavender used to get it. The oil is included in the category of expensive essential oils and is especially often used in perfume compositions.
Appearance and smell
Lavender essential oil has almost no color, only slight yellow reflections in the light. It has a fluid consistency and light weight. The smell of the oil absorbs all the shades of the aroma of lavender. It clearly expresses fresh floral and soft and bitter woody notes.
Kinds
Its quality directly depends on the type of lavender oil. Here it is advisable to highlight the varieties of oil by manufacturer.
French-made lavender oil has the highest price tag and is considered the highest quality. English-made oil is quite specific, slightly inferior in quality to French. Butter produced in the Crimea or Australia is considered quite average and cannot compete with French.
Oil production method
Lavender essential oil is today obtained by steam distillation, although this method has taken root only recently. Initially, methods for extracting oil were more complex and included extraction with hard fat or more complex distillation methods.
Only lavender flowers are used as raw materials and must be fresh.
It is not for nothing that lavender oil is considered so expensive, because a centner of raw materials is required to obtain a liter of oil.
Beneficial features
Lavender essential oil has the following benefits:
- has a calming and meditative effect;
- helps to deal with stress or anxiety;
- contributes to the achievement of inner harmony;
- aligns the emotional background;
- takes care of the skin;
- makes hair stronger and healthier;
- has healing properties;
- used for aromatization and disinfection of indoor air;
- tones the body.
Also, lavender oil has an exceptional feature that makes it indispensable for aromatherapy: it can be combined with a large number of other essential oils.
Harm
Lavender oil has few negative effects, but among them are noted:
- change in hormonal balance;
- pressure drop;
- drowsiness and lethargy;
- allergic rash.
Contraindications
It is not recommended to use lavender oil in the following cases:
- in the presence of allergies;
- in the presence of epilepsy;
- during pregnancy;
- when undergoing radiation therapy;
- under reduced pressure;
- with anemia;
- during the course of treatment with drugs containing iodine and iron.
Application
In medicine
Lavender oil contains a huge amount of active substances. That is why it has found wide medical use in the following situations:
- to improve the body's resistance to infections and fatigue;
- for healing burns;
- as a choleretic agent;
- to get rid of migraines;
- to lower blood pressure in hypertension;
- as a diuretic;
- to eliminate insomnia;
- to normalize the heart rhythm;
- for the treatment of neuroses;
- as an expectorant;
- for the treatment of respiratory diseases;
- to eliminate ulcers, wounds and inflammations on the skin;
- to relieve spasms and relieve pain;
- to relieve itching from insect bites.
When using lavender oil inside, it is strictly forbidden to take it undiluted, otherwise it can cause pain in the gastrointestinal tract and irritation. Therefore, it is better to dilute a few drops of oil with honey. In this form, it can be taken no more than three times a day, washed down with herbal tea.
For inhalation, a few drops of oil are used for 1-2 liters of hot water. The average duration of inhalation is 4-5 minutes.
Baths with a small amount of lavender oil have a good effect. However, in order not to get burned, it must be diluted with soda, yogurt or sour cream. For 3 tablespoons of the base, use 5-6 drops of oil. For children, the number of drops is reduced to two.
It is best to add three drops of oil to aromatic pendants.
In the treatment of point inflammations on the skin, the oil can be applied in its pure form.
Lavender oil can also be added to massage products, then five drops of oil are used for every 10 g of the base.
In aroma lamps, 5 drops of oil are usually added.
In cosmetology
For hair
Lavender oil helps to eliminate dandruff, treat inflammation of the scalp, and prevent hair breakage. It stimulates their growth and makes them stronger and healthier. To achieve the desired effect, you can add oil directly to your shampoo, mask or hair conditioner. Usually a few drops are enough for one dose of funds.
To improve hair growth, lavender oil is mixed with heated burdock oil and rubbed into the hair roots 30 minutes before washing.
To make the hair shine and comb better, add 4-5 drops of lavender oil to a few tablespoons of olive oil, and then stir in the yolk.The mask is distributed along the entire length of the hair, starting from the roots, then the head is wrapped with a film or towel. You can wash off the mask after 30 minutes.
To eliminate dandruff, lavender oil is rubbed into the scalp 10 minutes before washing the hair.
For face
Lavender oil is exceptionally beneficial for facial skin:
- It perfectly eliminates inflammation, redness, acne.
- With regular use of lavender oil, you can normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands so that the skin does not remain greasy.
- Lavender oil helps to eliminate irritation and swelling, and also helps tone and smooth aging skin.
- For sensitive skin, a mask is prepared from a tablespoon of olive or apricot oil and a couple of drops of lavender oil. Wash it off after half an hour.
- You can add lavender oil to ready-made skin care products. For this, a drop of oil is enough for a single application of a cream or lotion. However, we are talking about natural cosmetics that were created at home. It is not recommended to add oil to purchased creams.
- To eliminate blackheads and acne, lavender oil can be used undiluted. They lubricate directly the acne itself. The same applies to other inflammations on the skin, it is recommended to carefully lubricate them with a cotton swab dipped in lavender oil.
For hands
Women's hands are often exposed to large amounts of water when cleaning, washing or washing dishes. The skin of the hands becomes rougher, and during household chores, small cuts or wounds often appear.
To soften the skin, lavender oil is added to a regular hand cream (on average, 5-6 drops per 10 g of cream). The effect is especially noticeable in the cold season. You can soften the cuticle by lubricating it with undiluted lavender oil.
It is useful to use hand masks, for example, mixing a couple of drops of lavender, mint, rosemary and thyme oils. The composition is rubbed into the skin before going to bed.
For nails
For nail care, it is useful to rub lavender oil mixed with tea tree or rosemary oil into them. A few drops of each of the oils are dissolved in 10 ml of olive or apricot oil. Daily use of this composition will strengthen the nail plate.
Undiluted lavender oil is used for polishing nails. It is also useful for them to lubricate the base of the nail and cuticle after a manicure. In case of small wounds or cuts, it will help in their healing.
When losing weight
Lavender oil is sometimes used for weight loss. It is a well-known fact that usually depression, stress, nervous stress significantly increase appetite. Lavender oil helps to calm the nervous system, improves mood and gives clarity to thoughts, helping to relax the body.
To achieve a positive effect, lavender oil can be used in combination with others. For example, vanilla oil reduces appetite. In combination with lavender oil, it will also tone the body.
Since lavender oil refreshes and smoothes the skin, it is often added to anti-cellulite creams. It also helps fight stretch marks and puffiness. Together with a set of other weight loss measures, lavender oil makes a significant contribution to weight loss.
Lavender oil is very soothing. I think that with our crazy life, this is just a must-have.