Lavender

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Lavender is an herbal remedy used to treat ailments ranging from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Learn about the usage, dosage, side-effects of Lavender.

Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia
Common Names: English lavender, French lavender

Overview

Many people appreciate lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for its aromatic fragrance, used in soaps, shampoos, and sachets for scenting clothes. The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender most likely earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. However, this herb is also considered a natural remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Recent studies bear out years of anecdotal evidence showing that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects.

Plant Description

Lavender is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in sunny, stony habitats. Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States. Lavender is a heavily branched short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 60 centimeters. Its broad rootstock bears woody branches with erect, rod-like, leafy, green shoots. A silvery down covers the gray-green narrow leaves, which are oblong and tapered, attached directly at the base, and curled spirally.

The oil in lavender's small, blue-violet flowers is what gives the herb its fragrant scent. The flowers are arranged in spirals of 6 to 10 blossoms, forming interrupted spikes above the foliage.

Parts Used

Essential oil is extracted from the fresh flowers of the lavender plant and used for medicinal purposes.

Medicinal Uses and Indications

Although professional herbalists and aromatherapists use lavender to treat a variety of conditions (described later), clinical studies thus far have only demonstrated benefit for insomnia and alopecia (hair loss).

Lavender for Insomnia and Reduced Anxiety
In folklore, pillows were filled with lavender flowers to help the restless fall sleep. There is now scientific evidence to suggest that aromatherapy with lavender slows the activity of the nervous system, improves sleep quality, promotes relaxation, and lifts mood in people suffering from sleep disorders. Studies also suggest that massage with essential oils, particularly lavender, may result in improved sleep quality, more stable mood, increased mental capacity, and reduced anxiety. In one recent study, participants who received massage with lavender felt less anxious and more positive than participants who received massage alone. Lavender flowers have also been approved by the Commission E in Germany as a tea for insomnia, restlessness, and nervous stomach irritations.

Alopecia areata
In one study of 86 people with alopecia areata (a disease of unknown cause characterized by significant hair loss, generally in patches), those who massaged their scalps with lavender and other essential oils daily for 7 months experienced significant hair re-growth compared to those who massaged their scalps without the essential oils. It is not entirely clear from this study whether lavender (or a combination of lavender and other essential oils) was responsible for the beneficial effects.

Other including Lavender for Headaches and Exhaustion
Aromatherapists also use lavender as a tonic in inhalation therapy to treat headaches, nervous disorders, and exhaustion. Herbalists treat skin ailments, such as fungal infections (like candidiasis), wounds, eczema, and acne, with lavender oil. It is also used externally in a healing bath for circulatory disorders and as a rub for rheumatic ailments (conditions affecting the muscles and joints). One study evaluating essential oils, including lavender, for treating children with eczema concluded that the oils added no benefit to therapeutic touch from the mother; in other words massage with and without essential oils was equally effective in improving the dry, scaly skin lesion.