HISTORY OF LAVENDER
Lavender has long been a favorite. The use of lavender is almost as old the history of man. As an herb and perfume, lavender has been appreciated for over 2,500 years. It is a native to the eastern Mediterranean Region and was commonly used for its scent by Greeks and Romans. The name derives from the Latin word for bathing.
During Roman times, flowers were sold for 100 denarii per pound, which was about the same as a month’s wages for a farm labourer, or fifty haircuts from the local barber.
Egypt: In ancient Egypt, lavender was used for embalming and cosmetics. Used only by the royal families and high priests, these ungents were present in cosmetics, massage oils and medicines.
Greece: The Greeks learned a lot from the Egyptians regarding perfumes and the use of aromatics. Unlike the ancient Egyptians who annointed their heads, Greek Philosopher, Diogenes preferred to annoint his feet saying, “When you annoint your head with perfume, it flies away in the air and birds only get the benefit of it, whilst if I rub it on my lower limbs, it envelopes my whole body and gratefully, ascends to my nose.”
Rome: Ancient Romans used lavender for its healing and antiseptic qualities, for deterring insects and in washing. The first written record of lavender’s healing uses appears to be that of Greek Military Physician, Dioscorides, in 77AD.
The Renaissance: Lavender was regarded as an effective, reliable protection against infection in 16th Century France. Glovemakers who were licensed to perfume their wares with lavender, often seemed to escape cholera.
Modern Era: One of the founders of modern day aromatherapy, Rene Gattefosse, badly burned his hand one day whilst working in his lab. He used lavender oil; the pain stopped and the wound healed quickly, with no infection or scarring, thus verifying the plant’s healing properties. Lavender was used to dress war wounds in WW1, when medical antiseptics were in short supply.
Lavender is considered the most useful of all essential oils. Called the “Swiss army knife of essential oils”, because of its versatility, lavender is very soothing to sun burnt skin and is used to cleanse cuts and skin irritations.
Essential oil of lavender is used in aromatherapy practices to get rid of depression, fight tiredness and get relaxation. It has strong disinfectant properties and was even used on the wars to prevent infection and relieve pain. A drop of lavender oil mixed with a teaspoon of carrier oil, such as grape seed and massaged into the temples and back of the neck will drive away headaches. Mixed with any massage oil, it also helps relieve the pain of arthritis or aching muscles. Occasionally, just a small cotton ball with droplets of lavender near your pillow can help you drift off to a deep sleep.
Lavender essential oil can help reduce anger and frustration, while improving your self esteem. Lavender is found to elicit the emotion of happiness. Lavender has a property of calming and sedating effects. You can also use lavender, by scenting a relaxing and antiseptic bath by slowly adding lavender droplets and letting the bath water run over it as it fills the bath. Fresh lavender flowers are excellent for bath too.
Insomnia -In folklore, pillows were filled with lavender flowers to help the restless fall sleep. There is now scientific evidence to suggest that aromatherapy with lavender may slow the activity of the nervous system, improves sleep quality, promote relaxation, and lift mood in people suffering from sleep disorders. Studies also suggest that massage with essential oils, particularly lavender, may result in improved sleep quality, more stable mood, increased mental capacity, and reduced anxiety. In one recent study, participants who received massage with lavender felt less anxious and more positive than participants who received massage alone. Lavender flowers have also been approved in Germany as a tea for insomnia, restlessness, and nervous stomach irritations.
Other uses – Aromatherapists also use lavender as a tonic in inhalation therapy to treat headaches, nervous disorders, and exhaustion. Herbalists treat skin ailments, such as fungal infections (like candidiasis), wounds, eczema, and acne, with lavender oil. It is also used externally in a healing bath for circulatory disorders and as a rub for rheumatic ailments (conditions affecting the muscles and joints).
Lavender is a commonly used household herbal remedy. An essential oil obtained from the flowers is antihalitosis, powerfully antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, nervine, sedative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. It is not often used internally, though it is a useful carminative and nervine. It is mainly used externally where it is an excellent restorative and tonic – when rubbed into the temples, for example, it can cure a nervous headache, and it is a delightful addition to the bathwater. Its powerful antiseptic properties are able to kill many of the common bacteria such as typhoid, diphtheria, streptococcus and pneumococcus, as well as being a powerful antidote to some snake venoms. It is very useful in the treatment of burns, sunburn, scalds, bites, vaginal discharge, anal fissure etc, where it also soothes the affected part of the body and can prevent the formation of permanent scar tissue.
The following are recommended adult doses for lavender:
- Internal use: Tea: 1 – 2 tsp whole herb per cup of hot water. Steep for 10 – 15 minutes and drink, 1-3 times a day.
- Tincture (1:4): 20 – 40 drops, 3 times a day
- Inhalation: 2 – 4 drops in 2 – 3 cups of boiling water. Inhale vapors for headache, depression, or insomnia.
- Topical external application: lavender oil is one of the few oils that can be safely applied undiluted. For ease of application, add 1 – 4 drops per tablespoon of base oil (such as almond or olive oil). DO NOT USE LAVENDER OIL INTERNALLY. Also, avoid contact with the eyes or mucous membranes such as the lips and nostril.
Pediatric
- Oral use in children is not recommended.
- May be used topically in diluted concentrations to treat skin infections and injuries, such as minor cuts and scrapes. DO NOT USE ON OPEN WOUNDS — seek medical attention. A small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007, however, concluded that lavender and tea oils in some shampoos, soaps, and lotions may cause gynecomastia, breast development in a male, in boys.
- May be used as aromatherapy for children. Use 2 – 4 drops in 2 – 3 cups of boiling water. Inhale vapors for headache, depression, or insomnia.
A perennial, lavender grows from 1 to 3 feet tall, depending on the variety. It needs at least six hours of direct sun each day, preferably more. Lavender is a shrubby plant originally from the Mediterranean region that will grow in hardiness zones 5 through 10.
Lavender’s older stems are woody, and the plant does not divide as easily as many perennials. If moving is necessary, lift the plant in spring just after new growth has started and replant immediately. The plant can be propagated by layering.
Probably the most common way of propagation is by taking cuttings. Cut healthy three to four inch stems and remove leaves from the lower two-thirds. Dip the tips in rooting hormone, and place two inches deep in a pot with damp sand or perlite. Place in a sunny indoor spot and keep the rooting medium moist but not soggy. When you see new growth, roots have formed and it can be moved to a pot with potting mix. Plant outside a month or two later when it has grown enough to have substantial roots.
