Lavender, true Health Dictionary

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Lavender, True: From 1 Different Sources

Lavandula angustifolia

FAMILY: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

SYNONYMS: L. vera, L. officinalis, garden lavender, common lavender

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An evergreen woody shrub, up to 1 metre tall, with pale green, narrow, linear leaves and flowers on blunt spikes of a beautiful violet-blue colour. The whole plant is highly aromatic.

DISTRIBUTION: Indigenous to the Mediterranean region, now cultivated all over the world. The oil is produced mainly in France, also Spain, Italy, England, Australia, Tasmania, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Russia, Bulgaria, Greece, etc.

OTHER SPECIES: There are many varieties of lavender; L. angustifolia is divided into two subspecies – L. delphinensis and L. fragrans. French lavender (L. stoechas) is a smaller shrub with dark violet flowers; see also entries on spike lavender, lavandin and the Botanical Classification section. The so-called cotton lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and the sea lavender (Statice caroliniana) belong to different botanical families.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Lavender has a well-established tradition as a folk remedy, and its scent is still familiar to almost everyone. It was used to ‘comfort the stomach’ but above all as a cosmetic water, an insect repellent, to scent linen, and as a reviving yet soothing oil ‘The essential oil, or a spirit of lavender made from it, proves admirably restorative and tonic against faintness, palpitations of a nervous sort, weak giddiness, spasms and colic ... A few drops of lavender in a hot footbath has a marked influence in relieving fatigue. Outwardly applied, it relieves toothache, neuralgia, sprains and rheumatism. In hysteria, palsy and similar disorders of debility and lack of nerve power, lavender will act as a powerful stimulant.’.

ACTIONS: Analgesic, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, carminative, cholagogue, choleretic, cicatrisant, cordial, cytophylactic, deodorant, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypotensive, insecticide, nervine, parasiticide, rubefacient, sedative, stimulant, sudorific, tonic, vermifuge, vulnerary.

EXTRACTION: 1. Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh flowering tops. 2. An absolute and concrete are also produced by solvent extraction in smaller quantities.

CHARACTERISTICS: 1. The oil is a colourless to pale yellow liquid with a sweet, floral herbaceous scent and balsamic-woody undertone; it has a more fragrant floral scent compared to spike lavender. It blends well with most oils, especially citrus and florals; also cedarwood, clove, clary sage, pine, geranium, labdanum, oakmoss, vetiver, patchouli, etc. 2. The absolute is a dark green viscous liquid with a very sweet herbaceous, somewhat floral odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Over 100 constituents including linalyl acetate (up to 40 per cent), linalol, lavandulol, lavandulyl acetate, terpineol, cineol, limonene, ocimene, caryophyllene, among others. Constituents vary according to source: high altitudes generally produce more esters.

SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE Generally regarded as the most versatile essence therapeutically:

Skin care: Abscesses, acne, allergies, athlete’s foot, boils, bruises, burns, dandruff, dermatitis, earache, eczema, inflammations, insect bites and stings, insect repellent, lice, psoriasis, ringworm, scabies, sores, spots, all skin types, sunburn, wounds.

Circulation muscles and joints: Lumbago, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, sprains.

Respiratory system: Asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, halitosis, laryngitis, throat infections, whooping cough.

Digestive system: Abdominal cramps, colic, dyspepsia, flatulence, nausea.

Genito-urinary system: Cystitis, dysmenorrhoea, leucorrhoea.

Immune system: ’Flu.

Nervous system: Depression, headache, hypertension, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension and stress-related conditions, PMT, sciatica, shock, vertigo.

OTHER USES: Used in pharmaceutical antiseptic ointments and as a fragrance. Extensively employed in all types of soaps, lotions, detergents, cosmetics, perfumes, etc, especially toilet waters and colognes. Employed as a flavouring agent in most categories of food as well as alcoholic and soft drinks.

Health Source: The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils
Author: Julia Lawless

Lavender

See Alhucema.... lavender

Lavender Tea

Lavender tea is made out of the dried purple, pink and white colored flowers that grow on lavender shrubs. Used as a scented herb for many centuries, lavender’s medicinal uses have been appreciated and documented for centuries. A cup of lavender tea can soothe your mind and body, inducing sleep. If you are feeling down and depressed, a cup of lavender tea can help uplift your spirit. Lavender tea helps sooth and treat flatulence, colic, bowel infections and an upset stomach. Lavender tea can be used as a wash on the chest to help reduce cough, bronchitis, asthma, cold and other respiratory issues. For both children and adults, lavender is used to reduce body temperature during fever. Lavender also has healing properties; use a wash of lavender tea to help heal wounds, cuts, ulcers and sores.... lavender tea

Sea Lavender

Statice limonium. N.O. Plumbaginaceae.

Synonym: Marsh Rosemary.

Habitat: Marshes near the sea.

Features ? Angular stem, nine or ten inches in height. Leaves broadly oblong, tapering to a peculiar tip, grow from the root round the flower stalk. Flowers blue, five delicate petals, clustering on branched stalks. No scent, in spite of name. Root purplish-brown, rough, spindle-shaped.

Part used ? Root.

Action: Astringent.

Decoction of the powdered root (1 ounce to 1 1/2 pints of water simmered to 1 pint) administered in wineglass doses wherever an astringent tonic is indicated. Makes an excellent gargle and mouth-wash for inflammatory conditions, and is used in certain urinary, uterine and vaginal discharges.... sea lavender

The Aromatic Lavender Tea

Lavender tea has been known for many years as being very beneficial for the nervous system. The lavender plant grows mainly in North and East Africa, the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, India and Arabia and it is also cultivated in United States and Japan. It grows best on dry land, exposed to sunlight. Lavender has been known for many years as being a scented herb, its fragrance providing relaxation, calming the body and the mind. The constituents of lavender tea are flavonoids, tannins, courmarines and essential oils. How To Make Lavender Tea There are not many steps to follow in brewing lavender tea. Simply take a handful of dried lavender blossoms and infuse them in a pot of boiling water. Let it steep for about 7-10 minutes and after that, pour the tea into your cup using a strainer to catch the lavender blossoms. Lavender Tea Benefits
  • Helps calm nervousness and anxiety.
  • Provides you a good night sleep since it can ease insomnia.
  • Helps treating stomach ache, flatulence and colic.
  • Alleviates migraine headaches.
  • During fever, lavender tea induces sweating and reduces the body temperature.
  • Lavender tea can be applied on wounds, cuts in order to heal them.
Lavender Tea Side Effects Lavender tea can react with other herbs, supplements and medication, so make sure you consult your doctor before drinking lavender tea. To some people, this tea can cause allergic reactions, nausea or headaches. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also avoid drinking lavender tea. In conclusion, lavender tea is a wonderful relaxing tea that can be drank on evenings or just before bed for a rested good night sleep. Enjoy its benefits and make sure you won’t experience its side effects!... the aromatic lavender tea

Lavender, Spike

Lavandula latifolia

FAMILY: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

SYNONYMS: L. spica, aspic, broad-leaved lavender, lesser lavender, spike.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An aromatic evergreen sub-shrub up to 1 metre high with lance-shaped leaves, broader and rougher than true lavender. The flower is more compressed and of a dull grey-blue colour.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to the mountainous regions of France and Spain; also found in North Africa, Italy, Yugoslavia and the eastern Mediterranean countries. It is cultivated internationally; the oil is mainly produced in France and Spain.

OTHER SPECIES: There are many different chemotypes of lavender in general, and this also applies to spike lavender. The French spike oil is reputed to be a more delicate, aromatic scent than the Spanish variety. For other varieties, see entries on lavandin, true lavender and the Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Culpeper recommends spike lavender for a variety of ailments including ‘pains of the head and brain which proceed from cold, apoplexy, falling sickness, the dropsy, or sluggish malady, cramps, convulsions, palsies, and often faintings’. He also warns that ‘the oil of spike is of a fierce and piercing quality, and ought to be carefully used, a very few drops being sufficient for inward or outward maladies’.. The preparation ‘oleum spicae’ was made by mixing ¼ spike oil with ¾ turpentine, and used for paralysed limbs, old sprains and stiff joints (it was also said to encourage hair growth).

Spike lavender is current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, indicated for flatulent dyspepsia, colic, depressive headaches, and the oil (topically) for rheumatic pain.

ACTIONS: See true lavender.

EXTRACTION: Essential oil by water or steam distillation from the flowering tops.

CHARACTERISTICS: A water-white or pale yellow liquid with a penetrating, fresh herbaceous, camphoraceous odour. It blends well with rosemary, sage, lavandin, eucalyptus, rosewood, lavender, petitgrain, pine, cedarwood, oakmoss, patchouli and spice oils, particularly clove.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly cineol and camphor (40–60 per cent), with linalol and linalyl acetate, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant (except in concentration), non-sensitizing.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE See true lavender.

OTHER USES: It is used in some pharmaceutical preparations and especially in veterinary practice as a prophylactic, in incipient paralysis, for rheumatism and arthritis and to get rid of lice. It is extensively employed as a fragrance component especially in soaps and industrial perfumes such as deodorants, disinfectants and cleaning agents, as well as insecticides and room sprays, etc. It is also used in the food industry and in the production of fine varnishes and lacquers.... lavender, spike


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