Lavender: Nature’s First Aid Plant
Safe, versatile and wonderfully fragrant.
Lavender is perhaps one of the best known of essential oils and it is the perfect addition to the home first aid kit. Lavandula officinalis has dozens of uses around the home. It has an uplifting fragrance and can be used in every room of the house, including the laundry, but it is also very versatile as a treament for everyday ailments.
The most useful one that I have found is that it will relieve minor burns. Dab the area with a little neat lavender oil and allow to dry. This really works well for minor burns. If the pain returns, dab some more on.
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Lavender is antibiotic, anti viral and antiseptic, so it excellent for use in mild acne, blisters, cuts, insect bites and stings. Use on itchy skin, dry skin, and even sunburn. great for rinsing the laundry in, especially towels, flannels, etc.
It also eases bruising , dry cough (rub onto chest, or put on a handkerchief), and lifts PMT. (Throw a handful of the flowers into your bath.)
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Lavender is safe to use directly from the bottle and there is no need to dilute it. Make sure that you buy 100% essential oil because the cheaper, ‘fragrance oils’ are not the same. They tend to contain a whole range of other substances from turpentine, to creosote and you don’t want that on your skin.
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Although lavender is a safe essential oil for all the family to uses, never take it internally. There are recipes on the internet for mouthwashes using lavender oil but I would never advocate this. (I am a fully qualified aromatherapist here in the UK.)
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You can, however, eat lavender flowers. It does sound highly unlikely that that you might even want to try but ground lavender flowers give an interesting flavour to custards, salads and biscuits.
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Jane Benitez | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Great information – I didn’t realize lavender could be used in so many different ways. Another awesome and beautifully done article. Thanks for sharing.
R J Evans | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Love lavender! Thanks for the read.
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Thanks!
Glynis Smy | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
I love lavender your article was very useful thanks.
simplyoj | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Great info and images here.
Darlene McFarlane | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
A very interesting article and the diagram is very helpful. I have used Lavander for years in aromatherapy and as an antiseptic. It’s ability to relax tight muscles makes it ideal for massaging tight neck and shoulder muscles to relieves tension headaches.
Mark Gordon Brown | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
very interesting, perhaps we shall plant some next year.
Tim P Stavert | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Hi Jan
A great article on this beautiful plant, Elaine (My Wife) and I grow quite a lot of lavender as well as other herbs. We take cuttings and dry them in our kitchen. (I wondered why I always opened my letters with the word HI!)
We also find that lavender is very soothing; the scent appears to act as a calming for the cats as well as ourselves.
Many Thanks and kind regards
Tim
Vikram Chhabra | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
I love the photos!! I want to plant them in my garden next season! Great article!
Louie Jerome | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Thanks everyone for the comments. Planting lavender in the garden (lots of it) is wonderful. The fragrance is heavenly. Unfortunately it will not grow in my garden but I do have some in a pot by my kitchen door.
Themax | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
very nice to know,and this is a very important fact in herbal treatment ,Nice share,Tank you!!!
Guy Hogan | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Lavender is a beautiful color; and I never knew the oil from Lavender could have so many practical uses. Live and learn.
Anders Hegelund | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Interesting. They are beautiful too. AND they smell nice..
Best regards,
Anders W Hegelund
Athlyn Green | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Excellent article. Lavender goes particularly well with whipped cream and lavender shortbread is scrumptious. You can buy culinary lavender and use it with sugar to add a wonderful taste element to cookies or icing.
Culinary lavender can also be added to black or green tea for a floral-flavored tea.
Diverseblogger | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Very informative piece! Thank you so much for the advice that you have given. I appreciate it
Aleena | Nov 12, 2009 | Reply
Great information! Thanks for the share
Alexa Gates | Nov 13, 2009 | Reply
Great information
I think i’ll try that for my skin…i’ve been breaking out a lot lately…