The health benefits of lavender
Sometimes I feel I can’t be objective about this magnificent essential oil. Through the years my obsession has become higher and higher and every single time I use it I fall in love with it all over again. If you are also a lavender oil lover, you will totally understand this feeling. I consider lavender oil to be a must-have oil because of its amazing health benefits and its multiple uses. I am going to start but the most important health characteristic that I look at when buying an essential oil or introducing a food into my diet.
Anti-cancer properties: As I have mentioned previously in some other posts, free radicals, like toxins, chemicals and pollutants are responsible for affecting negatively our immune system and can cause unbelievable damage to our body. Free radicals together with oxidative stress can lead to cancerous cell growth and cancer tumor growth. Lavender oil is filled with antioxidants, which are known for their fighting activity against cancer, helping to prevent or reverse oxidative stress. Moreover, our body has an antioxidant activity fighting against these free radicals and oxidative stress, however it can happen that sometimes our body becomes deficient in this antioxidant activity. A study showed how lavender oil was able to boost our body’s antioxidants like glutathione, catalase and SOD. (I can go deeper in this topic if you would like to know more, let me know in the comments).
MORE HEALTH BENEFITS
Improves Brain Function: Several studies have revealed that lavender essential oil is able to help with Alzheimer’s disease. They showed that inhaling lavender essential oil vapor (oil diffuser) can help to prevent brain oxidative stress and improve cognitive impairment. It is believed that these neuroprotective effects are due to lavender oil antioxidant properties.
Mood and Stress: Lavender oil has been used over the years to help manage migraines, stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. There are studies that have proven this and something that I absolutely love is that they didn’t find any adverse side effects on the use of this essential oil. Speaking from a personal experience I use lavender oil in my diffuser to help me with my sleep and it totally helps, specially those days that I struggle to fall asleep.
It is known for being the best anti stress essential oil, it is able to tranquillise and calm during moments of stress and tension balancing our bodies physically, mentally and emotionally.
It has antiseptic, analgesic, antiplasmodic tonic, healing, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, astringent, anti-depressant, sedative and antibacterial capacities. This antibacterial characteristic gives lavender oil the ability to treat infections and combat bacterial and fungal disorders, which helps to cure burns and cuts.
Relieves muscle pain: Lavender oil is a natural painkiller, you can just rub the oil on the place where it is hurting or maybe prepare yourself a hot bath and add some lavender oil, which is what I do. This ability is because of its anti-inflammatory characteristic. Also, girls, if you suffer from strong PMS and menstrual cramps, I use lavender oil to massage in the zone of concern to alliviate my menstrual pain and cramping in the lower abdomen.
WAYS TO USE
Burns and cuts: mix 3 or 4 drops of lavender oil with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil and apply the mixture to the area of concern using a clean cotton ball or pad.
Stress, anxiety and Insomnia: You can add 3 or 4 drops of lavender oil in you diffuser or apply them directly to your neck and chest.
BATHS: This is my absolute favourite way to use lavender oil. I add drops to the hot water as well as lavender bath salt. This way the lavender goes to my skin to help with any pain that I have and I am breathing it, which means it is going to help me with any other issue like stress, anxiety and insomnia.
I hope you find this information valuable, feel free to let me know if you use lavender oil and how you use it down bellow in the comments.
