What Is Organic Lavender Oil?
Lavender oil is known for its aromatherapy and medicinal uses, which date back thousands of years. Find out how you can use this essential oil at home, in the garden and for natural beauty care. Learn the difference between organic essential oils and synthetic fragrance oils. Find online sources for purchasing organic lavender oils for home use.
Lavender Facts and History
Lavender (Lavendula augustifolia) is a plant that grows in sunny, well-drained-soil climates such as Southern France. Essential oils are highly concentrated and aromatic essences of plants. Lavender essential oil is produced by steam distillation of the lavender plant.
It takes approximately 150 lb. of lavender to produce a single pound of essential oil. Because of the labor-intensive nature of producing essential oils, synthetic perfume oils are often substituted in perfumes and other cosmetics such as lotions. They can be labeled and marketed as "aromas" or "perfume compounds."
The "organic" label is determined by the farming and production practices of the grower. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved guidelines for "certified organic" products. Only products that contain 95 percent or more organic ingredients carry the USDA seal.
Essential oils are believed to have been in use as long ago as the fourth century B.C. for medicinal and mood-enhancing properties.
Benefits/Effects
The therapeutic effects of lavender essential oil were first studied in the 1920s by French scientist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. While creating fragrances in his laboratory, Gattefosse was badly burned. Seeking the nearest cold liquid, he plunged his burned arm into a vat of lavender oil.
Gattefosse later observed that the burn did not blister as expected and healed very quickly, leaving no permanent scarring.
The scientist spent the rest of his career researching the benefits of essential oils and is credited with being the first to coin the term "aromatherapy."
Lavender essential oil is now widely used for its antiseptic, antibiotic, antidepressant and detoxifying properties. Students of aromatherapy will find it on every expert's top 10 list, and most claim that if you only purchase one kind of oil for home health use, it should be lavender.
Lavender oil can be applied neat (undiluted), one or two drops rubbed into the temples and forehead to banish a headache. It may also be applied neat to burns, two to three drops to speed healing and prevent scarring.
To discourage aphids, mosquitoes and moths, add 10 to 20 drops of lavender oil into a 4-oz. spray bottle filled with water. Shake well. For aphids, spray directly on the leaves of the affected plant. For mosquitoes, spray on your skin. For moths, put several drops neat onto clean cotton balls, and store in closets or drawers.
Adding 10 drops of lemon essential oil and five drops of peppermint essential oil to the water and lavender mix makes a refreshing and cleansing room spray.
Identification
When choosing organic lavender essential oil, look for the words "100% pure essential oil." The bottle should be dark blue or brown to preserve the oil's complex phytochemicals.
Shop for essential oils in health food stores instead of perfume or body product shops. It is important to note that essential oils range in price from inexpensive to very expensive based on the rarity of their ingredients and extraction methods. For example, peppermint essential oil may be priced at $7 for a half-ounce while sandalwood may be $45 for the same amount.
If a shop sells all oils at the same price, they are likely not true essential oils, but blends diluted in a carrier oil.
See Resources for suppliers of 100 percent essential oils.
Warnings
Lavender, like any essential oil, should be diluted in water or a carrier oil (sesame, sweet almond or jojoba) when used on children under age 3. Lavender oil is very calming to children, but it is best used in dilution (room spray or massage oil).
Some people are allergic to the scent of lavender. If you notice any skin or sinus irritation, discontinue use.
The Food and Drug Administration labels essential oils as "GRAs," or Generally Recognized as Safe. Product purity can only be determined by lab analysis, using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry tests.
If you are pregnant or nursing, consult a certified aromatherapist.
Tell if a Product Is Organic
The "organic" label is determined by the growing, handling and production practices of the grower.
The USDA has only recently approved guidelines for certified organic products.
Only products that contain 95 percent or more organic ingredients carry the USDA seal, identified by a half-white, half-green circle bearing the words "USDA Organic."
Small local farms producing less than $5,000 in profit are exempt from the certification process.
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