(Lavandula X Intermedia)
- Description: perennial, woody shrub, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height; the leaves are thin and elongated, green/grey in color. The small, purple/blue flowers grow at the edges of long spikes. It is a rustic, resilient plant which grows spontaneously in the dry, rocky hills of Southern Italy. It is cultivated in wide stretches for industrial purposes, but also on a smaller scale in allotments and gardens. There are up to 28 different species, but the best quality comes from plantations in France and Italy.
The word ‘lavender’ comes from Latin and relates to the idea of purification, cleansing baths. It is a simple plant which keeps away negative influences as if it was a talisman for your home. It has calming properties on strong emotions, and soothes psychological and physical pain.
- Characteristics:
- Lightly camphorated and sweet scent
- Spicy and sweet taste
- Refreshing properties
- Extraction: lavender essential oil is obtained from the distillation of the flowers and leaves of the plant.
- Properties:
- Clearing, antidepressant, regulatory of the nervous system
- Soothing, purifying for the skin, restoring
- Calming, sedative, antispasmodic
- Antiviral, antiseptic, vermicide
- Healing for scars
- Cardiotonic, hypotensive
- Traditional uses: thanks to its properties, lavender is incredibly versatile and should always be kept at arm’s length to tackle small, everyday issues. Since it has harmonizing properties on the spirit, it can be used when one feels down or demotivated. It can have an impact on melancholy, hypertension, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness and fear-driven aggressiveness. Lavender acts as a stimulus to find stillness and clarity, it balances excess energy and lessens recurrent thoughts. It can prove useful with work-induced stress and panic attacks. An evening bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil promotes sleep and tackles psychological and physical tiredness. It is recommended to treat acne, reduce pimples and other skin conditions. It has regenerative and soothing properties after sunburns and insect or snake bites, lice or frostbites. Finally, it has remarkable hydrating properties for dry skin.
It blends well with bergamot, safe, orange, Damascene rose, Scot’s pine and lemon.
- Contraindications: if used within the recommended doses, it does not have contraindications.
- Recommendations:
- Lenitive
- Apply 1-2 drops of diluted oil (St John’s Wart or Jojoba oil) on the affected area;
- Take a bath with 10-15 drops of oil diluted in warm water.
- Irritability
- Massage temples with 1-2 drops;
- Vaporize 10 drops in aromatherapy diffuser.
- Sleep deprivation
- Apply 1-2 drops on the solar plexus or on the temples before going to bed.
- Hair lice
- Massage scalp with 2-3 drops diluted in another vegetable oil.
- Lenitive
Bibliography:
- Dr Beate Rieder, Fred Wollner, Dizionario degli oli essenziali, Daigo Press (2003).
- F. Canteri, Guida completa agli oli essenziali, Il punto dʼincontro (2015).
- Fabio Nocentini, Prontuario di aromaterapia, Daigo Press (2010).
- Dott. Leonardo Paoluzzi, Phytos Olea, Morphema Editrice, (2013).