Lavender Oil For Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia and More
Lavender oil is more than just a sweet smelling pure essential oil. It is also known to be very effective in various medicinal applications or aromatherapy. Lavender oil is often added to water either for washing or for use as an inhalant. However, there are many health benefits when using lavender oil and here are just a few.
Anxiety and Depression
Lavender is a natural remedy for calming many symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some people have suggested that it is just as effective as benzodiazepine drugs in giving relief from anxiety and depression.
Lavender can be used via olfactory and oral route. There are no serious side effects recorded regarding the use of lavender oil. Even clinical studies have shown no adverse side effects when lavender oil is used between 20 to 80 milligrams per day.
- Calming – Inhale a few drops of lavender oil to help create calmness. You can use it in crowded places, in your car, or office discretely. Just put a few drops on a cotton ball and smell the fragrance, or put in a diffuser to spritz the air. You can also put it into lotion to rub on your hands and arms, inhaling as you do to enhance calmness. It will also help you get to sleep at night.
Common Colds and Respiratory Ailments
Lavender oil can also be used as a vaporizer and inhaler to treat common colds and upper respiratory problems.
If a common cold is giving you difficulty sleeping at night, you may like to use lavender oil by applying it to your back, chest and neck. However, lavender oil may trigger an allergic reaction to some people, so apply a small amount first to check for any allergy reactions.
When you are suffering from colds or flu virus you will most likely experience a tightening in your chest which will give you difficulty and pain in breathing, sneezing and coughing – with the help of lavender oil you will be able to find relief from chest congestion.
Combine lavender oil with steam so you can loosen up those clogged areas in your bronchial and nasal passages. You may also try leaning over a bowl of water with a few drops of lavender oil. Make sure to breathe deeply to get the benefits of cleared respiratory passages.
Lavender For Insomnia
Lavender essential oil has also been proven to help people with insomnia problems. This oil provides therapeutic and relaxation effects. Lavender may come in different types and these include spike, hybrid and true lavender.
- True lavender is highly recommended for people with insomnia because it has the most effective sedative properties compared to any other types of lavender.
Skin Problems
Lavender oil has anti-fungal and antiseptic properties that can be used for many skin problems. It has been used for the treatment of wrinkles, acne, psoriasis and other skin inflammations. Lavender oil also works effectively for sunburns, wounds and burns. If you have scrapes, cuts or scratches you may also use lavender oil to promote faster healing.
A research conducted in Portugal and published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology revealed that lavender essential oil can be beneficial for treating and preventing various skin problems caused by pathogenic fungi. The said study also proved that lavender essential oil works far more effectively than any other anti-fungal medications.
- Candida – Therefore, those people who are suffering from Candida albicans, athlete’s foot and ringworm can greatly benefit from using lavender oil.
- Insect Bites, Minor Cuts & Burns, Skin Issues, Cold Sores & Dandruff – Putting a couple drops of lavender oil into carrier oil then rubbing it onto your skin, scalp or irritation, can help calm the skin and heal the problem.
Hypertension or High Blood Pressure
Lavender can provide a gentle, calming, uplifting effect to an individual, thus helping lower those high stress levels which can cause some people to elevate their blood pressure.
Lavender oil has also been hailed as the grandmother of all essential oils because of its ability to soothe a person’s body and emotions.
The herbaceous aroma of lavender helps invoke a feeling of calmness to improve composure and reduce high blood pressure.
Nausea and Motion Sickness
Put a couple drops of lavender oil behind your ears to help with motion sickness and nausea.
Nosebleeds
Make a compress with a drop or two of lavender oil on a tissue or cloth and then press it under the base of the nose to help stop the
bleeding.
There are so many uses and health benefits to using aromatherapy and lavender essential oil…can you tell me how you use it for your health?
Also, if you would like to share my ‘Lavender Oil Health Benefits’ graphic above, for your friends to see, I would love it!
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