Lavender oil

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Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. Two forms are distinguished, Lavender Flower Oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a density of 0.885 (g/mL), and Lavender Spike Oil, a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia, having density 0.905. Lavender Flower Oil is a designation of the National Formulary and the British Pharamcoepoeia. It is not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of natural products.

General uses

Its modern use is generally for aromatherapy. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) found lavender oil may have played a role in the reduction of advanced mammory tumors in lab rats. Research is on-going for potential breast, ovarian, pancreatic, liver, and prostate cancer treatments.

Medicinal uses

Many advocates of alternative medicine claim that lavender oil can be used to treat a huge variety of ailments and is an essential component of any household first aid box.

• Cream Add a few drops of oil to chamomile cream for eczema.
• Lotion Add a few drops of oil to a little water for sunburn or scalds.
• Chest Rub Add 1 ml oil and 5 drops chamomile oil to 10 ml carrier oil for asthmatic and bronchitic spasm.
• Hair Rinse Dilute 5-10 drops of oil in water for lice, or use a few drops of neat oil on a fine comb for nits.
• Massage Oil Dilute 1 ml 'lavender oil' in 25 ml carrier oil, and massage into painful muscles. Dilute 10 drops in 25 ml carrier oil and massage into the temples and nape of the neck for tension headaches or at the first hint of a migraine.
• Oil Apply undiluted to insect bites and stings. Dilute 10 drops oil in 25 ml carrier oil for sunstroke or to help prevent sunburn. (Note: this is not an effective sunblock.)

Alternative medicine advocates claim that lavender oil is a brilliant first-aid item, and can be applied undiluted to burns, cuts and bruises. It can help reduce scarring, as well as reducing inflammation.

See also

• Lavender
• Essential oil

 

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