Every day I look around and am amazed by the incredible bounty of Mama Earth and the healing plants she’s provided for us. Today I want to spotlight an underrated, yet superpowered herb–lavender!
While you’ve likely used this essential oil in your diffuser and are probably aware of its benefits when it comes to promoting relaxation, it actually does so much more! In fact, you can use the whole flower in teas and potions or add the oil to natural beauty products to support your health inside and out, from head-to-toe!
This post covers everything you need to know about lavender including what it is, 8 powerful health benefits, and how to best use it everyday to support your health, naturally.
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What Is Lavender?
Lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia, is a flowering plant that’s part of the mint family. The flowers grow on short perennial shrubs that have small, blade-like green leaves. You are likely most familiar with lavender essential oil since its aromatherapy benefits are widely known and it makes a great addition to natural body and hair care products. However, you can also add the whole flower to herbal blends and sip up the healing benefits in a calming or beautifying cuppa tea.
In herbal medicine, lavender is considered a nervine. This means it's in a class of herbs that nourish and balance the nervous system. This is because they often contain nutrients that help restore an overstimulated nervous system. Unlike adaptogens, which can often impact hormones, nervines work almost exclusively by supporting the health of the nervous system.
In herbal medicine lavender is considered a nervine tonic since it can nourish an overstimulated nervous system.
Many nervine tonics have a fast-acting effect on the body, which means that you can take them when you’re experiencing symptoms of stress or anxiety and get relief relatively quickly. As we’ll see below, lavender not only supports a healthy nervous system, but has many other benefits as well!
Top 8 Benefits of Lavender
Now that you know all about this powerful herb, let’s explore some of the incredible healing benefits of lavender.
1. Helps Lower Stress
I've talked a lot about stress on the blog. That's because it’s one of the most underrated contributors to everything from hair loss to weight gain and skin issues. Chronic stress impacts hormone levels throughout the body. There are lots of amazing things you can do to help manage your stress levels, like taking adaptogens or nervine herbs, specific supplements to boost resilience, or trying deep breathing exercises.
Another great addition to your stress management plan is to incorporate lavender oil or flowers into your life. It has been shown to help lower physiological markers of stress, such as cortisol levels and blood pressure, which can have incredible effects on your long-term health. Try inhaling a pure essential oil or sipping on a cuppa TLC Tea for even more stress-busting benefits.
2. Great For Promoting Deep Sleep
One of the most traditional uses of lavender throughout history has definitely been as a sleep aid. In fact, people used to stuff the flowers under and in their pillows to promote deep sleep and prevent insomnia.
Historically, people would stuff their pillows with lavender flowers for deep, healing sleep.
These studies demonstrated what ancient wisdom knew all along–inhaling the calming scent of lavender actually does promote deeper sleep and helps people wake up feeling more refreshed. Another study found that taking lavender internally, either through capsules or as a tea, helped those with anxiety disorders sleep longer through the night.
My crucial part of my bedtime routine includes brewing up a cuppa my favourite TLC Tea. Not only does it contain relaxing lavender, it also includes lemon balm, passionflower, and chamomile for your deepest, coziest sleep.
3. Supports Healthy Skin
Lavender oil is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which make it a great addition to organic, clean beauty products since these compounds can help support healthy skin. This review even found that lavender helped calm and soothe inflammatory conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. I love to sip on a skin-lovin' cup of Radiance Tea. It combines the beautiful floral notes of lavender with the antioxidant power of organic green and white teas, rose petals, moringa, and nettles. It's as beautifying as it is delicious!
My favourite deodorant is scented with lavender oil and also contains aloe to soothe and moisturize the delicate skin under my arms. It’s free of aluminum and baking soda, making it a great choice for those with sensitive skin.
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4. May Be Used For Menstrual Pain Relief
Cramping during the menstrual cycle can be really debilitating and negatively impact daily function. This study compared a topical application of lavender oil to the abdomen to a placebo and found that the group that used lavender saw a significant reduction in menstrual cramp pain. They combined it with almond oil and a drop each of rose and clary sage oil and massaged it into the skin, so it's easy to replicate for at-home menstrual pain relief!
Try massaging a blend of lavender, rose, clary sage and almond oils on your abdomen for menstrual cramp relief.
5. Can Help Manage Migraine Symptoms
As someone who experiences hormone-related migraines around my cycle, I know just how debilitating it can be. That’s why I was so excited to see this study that showed inhaling the essential oil reduced frequency and severity of migraine symptoms. The study recommended 15 minutes of inhalation to get the benefits.
6. Helps Reduce Anxiety
Another great benefit of lavender is that it can help reduce symptoms of anxiety. This meta-analysis found that people with anxiety disorders who supplemented with lavender oil capsules saw significant improvements in their symptoms. While I always suggest working with a natural healthcare practitioner before taking supplements, incorporating the whole herb into your routine is a great way to nourish your nervous system every day to help prevent or soothe anxiety. TLC Tea is formulated with a blend of nervous-system soothing herbs to help promote peace and calm any time of day!
7. Supports Healthy Hair & Scalp
In addition to its nervous system-soothing and sleep-promoting benefits, lavender essential oil also makes a great addition to hair care products. This potent plant botanical helps to promote hair growth, prevents dry itchy scalp, and manages hair conditions such as dandruff and hair loss.
That’s why we added it as one of the main components of our Natural Shampoo and Conditioner with Aloe and Lavender. Not only will it provide a calming moment of aromatherapy every time you shower, the amazing benefits will ensure silky smooth hair and a happy, healthy scalp, for your best hair days ever!
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8. Has Amazing Aromatherapy Benefits
Many of the calming and anti-anxiety benefits of lavender can be experienced via aromatherapy, especially when using organic lavender essential oils. You can try diffusing your lavender oil before bed to promote deep sleep or keep a bottle on your desk to smell whenever you need a little pause from work.
I like to use hair and beauty products that are infused with natural essential oils not only for their healing benefits, but also because it reduces my exposure to synthetic fragrances. As a bonus, I get a zen aromatherapy experience every time I use them. After showering with my lavender-infused shampoo and conditioner applying my favourite Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant with Lavender is the perfect way to start my day. It keeps my pits stink-free and smells so fresh and amazing!
I hope this information has inspired you to start incorporating the healing power of lavender into your routine. Whether you want to sip up the benefits in a soothing or beautifying cuppa tea or support your healthiest, shiniest hair Hello Joyous has totally clean organic products infused with this healing herb to make it as easy as can be!
Xo Joy
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