Lavender is my favorite essential oil. It always has been. It was the first oil I worked with, and it is still one of the only oils I use on a regular basis. My original thought was to create an "essential" essential oil kit for you, but in the end I realized, as I had many years ago, that for most of my essential oil needs, lavender fits the bill.
Here's why I love lavender:
It's gentle, yet extremely effective
It's gentle enough for babies. Yes, babies… although always check with your health care practitioner, and be careful. I used it constantly while pregnant—and it was one of the only essential oils I did use. Although it's gentle enough for a baby's skin and respiratory system, it's powerful enough to get the job done. What's the job? Just about everything. Which brings me to my next point.
It's good for everything
Do you have a cold? Are you stressed? Is your skin in need of some major TLC? What about cleaning—want to fight some germs the all-natural way? Do you need help sleeping? Have a case of the blahs or blues? Have a headache? Nauseous? Stuffy sinuses? Just need a pick-me-up? Guess what? Lavender's your man. Or gal. Or herb. One of the main reasons I don't go anywhere without lavender is because she is good for just about everything. I have a bottle of the essential oil with me in my travel kit, I bring it on airplanes (yes, one of my few liquids in that tiny quart size bag), in the car, to the grocery store… She's an instant cure-all. And even better, she can be inhaled directly from the bottle like smelling salts, or dabbed directly on the skin, which brings me to my next point…
You can use it straight-up
This isn't like taking a shot, but like hard alcohol, most essential oils benefit from a mixer such as almond oil, or olive oil. Lavender, however, is special in that almost any decent grade lavender essential oil can be used directly on your skin. It's that gentle. That doesn't mean I recommend using it without a patch test first, but then again, you only need a drop, which is about all you'll use for a patch test anyway.
How to use lavender
For skin, I recommend mixing with a gentle carrier oil depending on your need. Sore muscles or varicose veins? Try grapeseed oil. Sensitive skin conditions? Try jojoba. Scraped skin, an unexpected blemish, or bug bite? Try it direct, just a drop on the affected area is more than enough. For nausea, use a diffuser if you have one available, otherwise (if you're in a car or airplane for example), I dab lavender on my wrists and breathe deeply. Alternatively, dab a few drops into a handkerchief or washcloth. This is my preferred method for a stuffy head or headache, too. I gave my daughter a bottle of "perfume" for her fifth birthday—a few drops of lavender mixed with distilled water in a mister bottle. This turned out to be quite handy, as my daughter was thrilled to use perfume, and I was thrilled that lavender calmed her down when she was a little too crazy. Use lavender "perfume" on your sheets before going to bed if you have trouble relaxing enough to fall or stay asleep.
There's a million other ways to use and love lavender, but this is a good start. If you have any questions on how to use lavender, or any other essential oil, please don't hesitate to reach out. Find me at www.mindkey.me/danielle, and be well!
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