Lavender

Lavender’s qualities and benefits can be traced back as far as the ancient Romans, who made use of lavender for its healing and antiseptic qualities. In World War II lavender was brought onto the battlefields to prevent infection and relieve pain.

The word lavender literally means ‘to wash’ and comes from the Latin ‘lavare’. Originally found in the Mediterranean, it is now widely grown throughout the world.

The properties of lavender are extracted by hand from an evergreen shrub, and then steam distilled. Lavender has a sweet scent with an herbaceous undertone that is famous for reducing stress, nervous tension and insomnia. This herb actually brought on the revival of aromatherapy, and the use of fragrances for healing. To this day people use lavender as a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-depressant and detoxifier and it is also known to aid healing and prevent scarring. Lavender is often used to treat scalds, minor burns, cuts, grazes, inflammation, eczema, dermatitis, headaches, nausea, bacterial infection, acne, boils, rheumatism and arthritis.

Lavender makes a refreshing astringent as well as an effective skin moisturizer. Research shows that lavender is beneficial for the treatment of indigestion, hypoglycemia, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, kidney stones and anemia. It is non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing.