By Emma-O on September 23rd, 2007
10 Uses for Lavender
The hardy yet humble lavender plant embodies healing properties that benefit the mind and body. Find out how this garden favorite can help relieve stress, aid insomnia, fight depression and more!
- Lavender flowers (fresh or dried) emit a strong, aromatic, uplifting scent when crushed between the fingers. For a quick mood pick-me-up or instant stress relief, crush and roll between your fingers a few of the flower buds and inhale the scent slowly and deeply. The combination of breathing deeply and inhaling the lavender scent will calm nervous tension, anxiety and panicky feelings within minutes.
- A relaxing, soothing tea can be made from the flowers. Just put one heaping tablespoon of the fresh or dried flowers in a tea pot, and pour boiling water into the pot. Infuse for about ten minutes. This tea calms the nerves, settles the stomach and “butterflies” and induces sleep.
- Lavender essential oil can be applied like a perfume to the hair, neck, ears or other body parts. Smells delicious!
- Add several drops of lavender oil to your bath for a soothing soak, or just add a generous handful of the fresh or dried flowers if you don’t have the essential oil.
- To make sleep more restful, drip a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow. Another option is to wrap a handful of the dried flowers in a cheesecloth sachet, tie and throw in your pillowcase.
- To soothe a sunburn, add a few drops of the essential oil to water in a spray bottle, and mist sunburned skin.
- Wrap a handful of lavender flowers in a square of cheesecloth and tie with a string. You can also drip a few drops of essential oil onto the sachet for an extra aromatherapy boost. Throw the sachet in your dryer to make your clothes smell great. This will freshen up to 25 dryer loads!
- Apply lavender essential oil to insect bites and stings, cuts, scrapes and abrasions. Lavender is very anti-septic and helps destroy germs that can cause infections.
- Infuse fresh or dried lavender flowers as if to make a tea. But instead of drinking it, let it cool down and use as a hair rinse to reduce dandruff.
- Pulverized lavender flowers can add a unique and delightful flavor to salads, custards, jams, jellies and cookies, especially sugar cookies. It is a culinary relative to mint, sage, marjoram and thyme and can be used in the same fashion as these herbs. Lavender is so versatile in the kitchen, that virtually any experimentation with it will yield favorable results.
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not tellin :) | Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
nice i love the picture even though thats all im looking at cause i love the look of lavender
katzes | Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
i think it is very interesting i love the smell of lavender. .
no name | Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
very good!! =)
Carolyn Ann Aish | Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
great article – I love lavender and already use it in the ways you suggest, but I have never eaten it in any shape or form – I will have to dry some of my flowers and make the tea you suggest. Thanks for this informative article. Well done.
Carolyn Ann Aish | Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
oh, and like you photographs, and in particular, I LOVE the photo of the puddy-tat in the wheelbarrow with the lavender! What a beautiful photo – should be on a calender!! Well done.
Alexa Gates | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
Wow! I never knew that there was so many different uses for lavender! Great article!
francie | Sep 30, 2007 | Reply
Very informative article and so beautifully done. The photos
are really just great.
Judy Sheldon | Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
Beautiful illustrations and informative article. Good job.
Darlene McFarlane | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
Great article. I have used lavender for many years. It is a mild antiseptic and will sooth a tension headache if the oil is applied directly to the headache area.
Good job!
MIcah | Oct 4, 2007 | Reply
Wonderful article. I love the kitty picture too. AND love lavender.
Athlyn Green | Jun 12, 2008 | Reply
Absolutely awesome article: well written, interesting, and nicely illustrated with the great pictures.
zpdeh | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
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Lavender Lady | Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Love lavender, I apply lavender to my body to use as a mosquito repellent, it really works, will never buy another off product ever. Lavender is all I need.
jenny | Jul 26, 2008 | Reply
hi i have a garden full of lavender, now i know what to do with it. great pictures.
Diane | Aug 11, 2008 | Reply
ditto comment #14!
Lynn | Sep 1, 2008 | Reply
I like it very much!
Athlyn Green | Dec 4, 2008 | Reply
Lavender buds are nice to sprinkle into black or green tea. As you sip, you can nibble on the buds. My grandaughter thought they lavender tea was a real treat.
sophiemarie | Jan 9, 2009 | Reply
Very nice and interesting article, I like the pics a lot too.
Did you know lavender essential oil also can be used as a lice repellent ?
margaret | Jan 28, 2009 | Reply
Thank you. Really informative. Nice pics too. I have sleep problem & then I started drinking lavender tea about 2 hours before bed time. Now I can have a good nite’s rest.
May I ask is it addictive for long term use?
Fornis | Feb 8, 2009 | Reply
This is a really cool read on Lavender. Great info. Thanks for sharing.
I love Lavender | Sep 4, 2009 | Reply
No. i have been drinking Lavender tea for years. After seeing your comment, i thought i may be addicted, so i gave up for a while. It was very easy and i did not crave it, so clearly it is not addictive. I now have gone back to drinking it and have enjoyed drinking it before bed.
Lisa Lawler | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
I made the lavender hair mist and put too much lavender two extra drops to be exact. Can I still use this mist.