Lavender Oil: Nature’s Soothing Herb
The ebook edition of our healthy explorer guide to the most popular and accesible of aromatherapy oils.The scent of lavender instantly soothes and relaxes. It’s one of the few aromatherapy herbs that that nearly everybody has access to and it has been a popular healing herb in the home for many hundreds of years.Our guide tells the story of lavender through the years and shows how we can use the gentle healing power of lavender to help with a range of physical and emotional health problems.Lavender is particularly useful for women and children but is useful for all the family for a range of problems including:• Headaches & migraines• Insomnia & children’s trouble with sleeping• Insect bites, burns, cuts & wounds• Depression, stress & anxiety• P.M.T. and painful periods• Skin care – including spots and ulcers• Muscle aches and strains
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Thorsons
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
77–85 Fulham Palace Road,
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
First published in Great Britain by Thorsons 1994
© Julia Lawless 1994 and 2001
Julia Lawless asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
While the authors of this work have made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this book is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publication, medical and pharmaceutical knowledge is constantly changing and the application of it to particular circumstances depends on many factors. Therefore it is recommended that readers always consult a qualified medical specialist for individual advice. This book should not be used as an alternative to seeking specialist medical advice, which should be sought before any action is taken. The author and publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors and omissions that may be found in the text, or any actions that may be taken by a reader as a result of any reliance on the information contained in the text, which is taken entirely at the reader’s own risk.
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Source ISBN 9780007110711
Ebook Edition © AUGUST 2014 ISBN: 9780008105785
Version: 2014–08–27
Contents
Lavender Oil – An Introduction
Part One: Lavender’s Medical and Historical Background
2 A Traditional European Folk Remedy
4 Production, Chemical Composition and Quality Control
5 Summary of the Properties and Applications of Lavender Oil
6 Methods of Use, Safety Data and Storage Precautions
Part Two: A–Z of Health Care Applications
Abscesses & boils (furuncle);acne & spots;anxiety;arthritis & gout;asthma;bruises & bumps;burns;carbuncles;chickenpox;children’s ailments;cracked skin;cuts & wounds;cystitis & urethritis;depression;dermatitis & eczema;disinfectant uses;dyspepsia (indigestion) & flatulence;earache;epilepsy;fatigue;hair care;headaches;herpes;high blood-pressure (hypertension);immune system;impetigo;infectious illness;insect bites & stings;insomnia;jetlag;laryngitis;leucorrhoea & pruritis;lice (pediculosis);menopause;migraine;mood swings & hysteria;muscular aches & pains;nausea;palpitations (tachycardia);period pains;perfume uses;perspiration;pregnancy & childbirth;pre-menstrual tension;rheumatism;scabies;shock & vertigo;skin care;splinters;sprains;stress;sunburn;ulcers;whooping cough.
Part Three: Further Information
The Different Types of Lavender Oil
Oh how happy I am not to be one of those ornamental flowers that decorate the border! I’m not at risk of falling into uncouth hands and am sheltered from frivolous discourse.
Unlike my sisters, the plants, nature makes me grow far from streams, and I don’t like cultivated gardens or land.
I am wild. Far from society, my sojourn is spent in deserts and solitude, for I don’t like mixing with the crowd!
… Free, I am free!
‘The Song of Lavender’ (‘La Chante de la Lavande’)1
The unique character or personality of lavender is evident from the words of this song, taken from A Thousand and One Nights. Originally a native of the Mediterranean region, growing at altitudes of up to 1,800 metres (nearly 6,000 feet) in the mountains of southern France, this beautiful yet tough and resilient plant has been cherished by all cultures alike, not only for its fine fragrance but also its valuable medicinal properties. It is one of the few herbs that has never gone out of fashion, for it has enjoyed widespread use from the earliest times to the present day. Lavender has always been a favourite!
Lavenders make up a small group or genus (lavendula) containing about 30 different species within the botanical family Labiatae. Several varieties of lavender are used medicinally, but the most valuable is the common or ‘true’ lavender L. angustifolia, also known as L. officinalis and L. vera. This hardy, evergreen shrub which grows to a height of about 1 m (3½ ft) becomes increasingly woody and spreading with age, and has a sweeter, more refined fragrance than any of the other varieties. Today, ‘true’ lavender can be found growing wild in Italy (Calabria), France (especially in Provence), on the eastern coast of Spain and right into North Africa. It is also commonly found in cultivated form throughout the rest of Europe as well as in India, Australia and the US.
