Do You Use Lavender For Its Herbal Properties?
By Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
May 4, 2007 2:06pm CST
How many of you are aware of the benefits of the lavender flower? I grow it in abundance in my garden because when I go out and lie on my lounger, it soothes me to smell its scent.
Lavender has a history of being used all around the world for centuries, as a healing herb. Today, however, it is used to induce sleep, ease stress and relieve depression. It is also used as a tea, for compresses for dressing wounds and to apply to the forehead to relieve congestion on sinuses, headaches, hangovers, tiredness, tension and exhaustion.
Medicinally, lavender can be used internally for many ailments, including stress, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, headache, migraine, insomnia, depression, colds, digestion, flatulence, upset stomach, liver and gall bladder problems, nervousness, loss of appetite and a breath freshener and mouthwash.
Lavender flowers make a relaxing and refreshing tea which has the same basic medicinal properties. A weak infusion sweetened with honey was a traditional treatment for insomnia, irritability and nervous headache. Lavender acts as a sedative to both the nervous system and the respiratory tract.
Inhaling the essential oil has been used to induce relaxation and sleep, ease symptoms of depression and reduce headache pain. Its sedative action is amazingly strong and often, just by opening a bottle of oil in a confined space, people in the room visibly relax.
Externally lavender oil is one of the safest essential oils and can be used full strength on the skin. It works well and can be applied directly for cuts, scrapes, wounds, burns, bee, wasp, and insect stings, rashes, muscle aches, rheumatism, arthritis, cold sores, canker sores, blisters, bruises, athlete's foot, and rubbed directly into the temples in case of headache or migraine. A few drops of oil rubbed on the temples was considered effective for insomnia and nervous headache.
So, you see, lavender is a very useful plant to have in the garden, and if the flowers are harvested at the right time and stored in an airtight container, it can be of great value to us.
5 people like this
11 responses
@Bizziebod (3497)
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7 May 07
Hi Darkwing, I didn't know half of the healing properties of this wonderful aromatic plant. It definately is a useful one to have and I'm sure I can find uses for most of what you have listed! Blessed be!
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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20 Jul 09
Oh my! I'm so sorry my friend, but I've just had this discussion revived after three long years, and find, on coming to respond to the person who pulled it forth again, your contribution here.
Thank you for that, and I hope you've found some uses for lavender. It is a very versatile herb, and I love the effects it has on me. Brightest Blessings. I hope you're well after your second operation. I haven't seen you for a whole year, or so!
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
17 May 07
Yet another thing in common Darkwing!
I have an automatic dispenser here in my office as well as one in the kitchen. These spray lavender every so many seconds (three settings, choosing the frequency). Every spray is so refreshing!
I also use lavender deodorisers in the bathrooms, lavender shower gel, lavender hand wash, lavender dishwashing liquid and lavender fabric softener. I also have a bottle of lavender oil for first aid purposes, but I keep it in the bedroom and put a few drops on my pillow before retiring.
@Darkwing (21583)
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17 May 07
Wow, Cloud, you're almost more into lavender than I. lol. It certainly has many uses and you seem to have found a lot of them.
I also have jars of lavender flowers around the flat, and occasionally unscrew the lids to let out the aroma into the room. I'm just storing them really, to use them in the making of other things, but as you say, they are such a refreshing and relaxing aroma, that I love to have them around the place. I use oils mainly to refresh the flowers which have lost their scent somewhat, and for some medicinal purposes, but certainly not for internal use. I keep rose petals and buds which have dried out, in jars too, and refresh them with rose oil occasionally. I love both these, and will have to consider the mock orange this year. :-)
Brightest Blessings my dear friend. x
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
3 Aug 07
I like mock orange or any of the jasmines too, but I find them a bit overpowering indoors, even in our open living houses.
Thanks for the best response.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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6 May 07
Oh yes, my Father planted some lavender from me, and the original plant had been in my Grandmother's garden! I harvest it every year but I have not used it medicinally. I shall have to put you to to work - in the garden, I read the blender post - concocting me some tinctures! What a great idea your post gave me there, but I am sure you will enjoy yourself as it will be a barbecue!
@shelagh77 (3643)
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18 May 07
Um, Darkwing, as I say in another post, "be careful what you wish for . . . "
I unfortunately think a flying lavender cake would be all too easy to arrange in this mad house!
I still would like to know how to make a tincture of the stuff. As it is for external use only it should be reasonably safe lol.
@Darkwing (21583)
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5 May 07
I think an indoor lavender plant would be a bit dodgy Gabs, because bees are very attracted to them... I can imagine Gissi chasing around after the bees. lol. There would be pandemonium in your place!!! ha ha ha
Air Fresheners sounds a good idea; plug in or free standing should work equally well. Failing that, a couple of drops on your pillow, or a sleep pillow would be a good substitute.
Thank you for your response, my dear friend. Sweet dreams. xx
1 person likes this
@angelicEmu (1311)
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17 May 07
Lavendar has always been one of my favourite herbs, and whilst I do in fact have a packet of lavendar seeds in a cupboard (I'm not sure whether they'd grow without a propogator or greenhouse, neither of which I have!), it tends to be the essential oil I've used more than the dried flowers. I first discovered the power of lavendar to induce sleep, when as a teenager my father (who has suffered from chronic depression and used to suffer from insomnia, which as you can imagine, didn't help his state of mind) was advised to put some on a hanky on his pillow, and found to his surprise that it actually worked. However, as with most herbal remedies, his body became accustomed and adapted to the lavendar oil, so after 3 weeks of use it stopped working, and he had to give the lavendar oil a short break before starting to use it again. I don't know if you've heard of this, and I wouldn't advise it at all, but I once heard an anecdote about someone who badly burned their hand, then accidentally doused it in lavendar essential oil, and covered it with a bandage. Supposedly, the lavendar oil helped the burn to heal very quickly and with very little scarring. So whilst it's not necessarily a good idea to do this onesself next time you have a kitchen accident, it does imply that it helps with healing and the regeneration of scar tissue.
@Darkwing (21583)
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21 Jul 07
Yes, I do know that it works very well on burns. It's always handy to have a bottle in the kitchen for that reason, and it can be used neat on the skin too. There's nothing dangerous about it. It also takes inflamation down, and several other things.
Thank you for your input... sorry I missed it for so long... I don't know why I did, but perhaps I didn't receive notification.
Brightest Blessings.
@kathy77 (7485)
• Australia
4 May 07
Oh yes I am very aware of the lavender flower. It sure is a very good healing herb. I love using natural products and lavender is one of my favourites. Yes lavender is a wonderful plant and has helped me a lot in regards to any of the other flowers.
@marlyse (1056)
• Switzerland
6 May 07
ohhhh i just love lavender in any form. most i like it to see and smell them in a field. we do dry lavender every year and make lil bags for the clothes. it smells like summer allover here then. and when i cant sleep i take one of these bags and smell on it and take it under my pillow. it helps to have good dreams too.
@Darkwing (21583)
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5 May 07
I put mine on candles and in the burner dish, after diluting it a bit, of course. I too love the scent and it seems to linger for quite a long time.
If it's out of harvesting season and I don't have any flowers on my plants in the garden, I buy from a lady in Cornwall. What a coincidence. lol.
Thank you for your response, MLGV, have a good day, and Brightest Blessings.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
5 May 07
I sometimes burn lavender incense. However, I don't really find it working that well. The smell gets a bit "stale" too after you smell it too many times - you don't like it as much. :P
@Darkwing (21583)
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5 May 07
Maybe a little lavender bag or two hanging around the home. You could move them from room to room and have them wherever you want to be. I think lavender flowers keep their scent longer and you can always put a few drops of oil into them, or onto the bag itself. :-)
Thank you for your response my friend, and Brightest Blessings.
@kayrod2 (1304)
• Australia
6 May 07
I often use lavender. I havent got a plant, but i use essential oil in a burner. I find it very calming and relaxing. A good lavender bath is great too, as it is relaxing and eases aches and pains. Problem is i dont have a bath at the moment, which is driving me up the wall. A friend of mine swears by it, for his bad back.
I love the smell of lavender also. Maybe it is something that i should look into getting for the garden
Cheers
