100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil (Organic) - 50ml + BONUS

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender is a beautiful, herbaceous plant with a royal history. Lavender adds colour to backyard landscaping and is widely known for its calming properties and alluring scent, making it the most popular essential oil. Lavender oil is great when used topically to help soothe skin or in a diffuser blend to elicit its calming effects. Lavender oils versatility makes it a great addition to any essential oil kit.

Aromatic, Fresh Spice, Powdery, Sweet, Floral

Plant Information

Plant History
The colour purple is known for being a rich colour that exudes royalty, therefore it is no surprise that Lavender was a favourite among royal families. The Lavender plant has Egyptian and Mediterranean origins. Egyptian royals and high priests used Lavender all throughout life by adding it to their cosmetics, medicines and tombs. While lavender was used cosmetically and for it’s alluring aroma, it wasn’t until 77 AD when a Greek philosopher had the first record of Lavender being used for its healing qualities. At that time it was noted that when taken internally, Lavender helped with indigestion, headaches and sore throats, while externally, it helped clean wounds, alleviate burns or other skin irritations. As time passed, the Romans used Lavender in their washing to scent both their baths and clothes as well as for its healing and antiseptic properties. Roman soldiers took Lavender in their first aid kit when heading off to war to dress wounds. WhileLavender originated in Egypt & the Mediterranean, the English played a large role in its history by cultivating some of the most fragrant Lavender in Europe and by bringing Lavender into mass markets. In the 17th century, an English herbalist deemed Lavender oil as a “cure-all” and during the plague of 1665, Lavender oil sale prices skyrocketed because it was believed to protect people from the infectious disease. During the Victorian era, Mitcham, a suburb of London, was the hub for Lavender oil production and during that time, England's Lavender products became well known world wide. Lavender production continued to grow and is being used today as a remedy for stress, insomnia, tension and congested sinuses.

Botanical Information
Lavender is one of 47 species of flowering plants that are part of the mint family. It is a perennial shrub and its flowers are a favourite amongst bees. While purple or mauve-blue lavender flowers are most commonly known, this plant can also bloom white or pink flowers. There are 3 main types of Lavender used in essential oils: Lavandula angustifolia, which is the main type that’s used in aromatherapy because of it’s potency and its sweeter scent. The second strain is Lavandin,which is a cross between Lavendula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia, this strain offers more oil production and is used to give products a Lavender scent, like laundry detergents and perfumes, but isn’t as potent as the former, and therefore shouldn’t be used for therapeutic grade essential oils. Lastly, Spike lavender, which is more herbaceous and therapeutic,therefore it is used in medicinal settings with the guidance of a certified aromatherapist.

Growing Information
Lavender is a great addition to any garden as it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. This plant can survive in a dry environment with a high ph soil. Lavender thrives best when watered occasionally, has adequate drainage and space and lots of sunlight. It is easy to maintain as it only needs to be pruned once or twice a year and once it’s established, it doesn’t need to be re-fertilized.

Parts Used
The flowers, buds and leaves of the lavender plant can be used for various purposes. Typically, the buds are dried and used to enhance culinary dishes, teas or in a healing compress. The fresh flowers are used for decoration or to garnish dishes and the dried flowers are popular in potpourris and perfumes. The flowers can also be dried or distilled for oil extraction. The leaves are great when dried to mix into spices, such as Herb de Provence and other various seasonings or to add to a compress to relieve headaches or muscle tension.

Oil Information

Extraction Method
Therapeutic essential oils are extracted either through steam distillation or cold expression. Lavender oil is extracted through straight steam distillation using a Still. The plant is hung inside an apparatus above boiling water. As the steam rises, it pulls the oil out of the plant. The steam then carries the oil along the tubing of the apparatus and into the condenser where the steam is then cooled. This causes it to re-liquify, forcing the essential oil to float on top of the water vapour, which is then siphoned off. The floral water is then used as a fragrant water in cosmetics and the oil is used for therapeutic purposes in aromatherapy.

Active Ingredients
The Lavender flower is the main source of Lavender oil extraction. The active ingredients found in Lavender are: 51% Linalool, and 35% Linalyl Acetate. Linalool is a terpene alcohol and it’s what gives Lavender it’s floral scent.