Lavender

History and Uses:
Lavender is a Mediterranean shrub which is cultivated for its aromatic flowers in the United States and Europe, particularly in Bulgaria, as well as France, Britain, Australia and Russia, where large quantities of this herb are grown annually. The common Lavender is a shrubby plant having many woody branches and long narrow leaves. The fragrant flowers of Lavender are used in the preparation of many herbal medicines, and traditionally, herbalists used Lavender for a variety of conditions of the nervous system, including depression and fatigue. It has also been used for headache and rheumatism. In Arab medicine, it was used as an expectorant and an antispasmodic. Due to its delightful fragrance, Lavender has found wide application in perfumes and cosmetics throughout history. The name Lavender comes from the Latin word, lavare, meaning "to wash," and refers to the Roman custom of scenting bath water with the leaves and flowers of this aromatic plant. Before World War II, Lavender was used as an antiseptic dressing for wounds and as a method to get rid of parasites. In the days when corsets were the fashion, ladies would tuck some Lavender oil in a bottle around their necks to revive them when they were feeling faint. Lavender was also a popular strewing herb in the Middle Ages and used as an ingredient in sachets to repel moths and other bugs from stored clothing. It was burned in sick rooms during the Bubonic Plague in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease. It was also used to tan leather, and its fragrance helps to lift the spirits. Lavender is a helpful fragrance to have present at birth, since it calms the mother. Likewise, at death, it helps to calm the one about to depart, as well as the loved ones. Lavender is said to be stimulating and carminative. Its aromatic properties make it useful in pharmaceuticals to add to lotions and creams and has been used extensively in perfumes, soaps and sachets. Lavender water, made from the essential oil, is used in therapeutic baths to reduce nervous excitement. The oil has a sedative action on the heart and will lower blood pressure. A small amount added to bland oils makes a useful application in skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, and a rub for rheumatic conditions. The primary chemical constituents of Lavender include essential oil (linalol, eucalyptol, geraniol, limonene, cineole), tannins, coumarins, flavonoids and triterpenoids. Lavender is also useful as an antibacterial agent; the herb exhibits activity against diphtheria, typhoid, pneumonia, staph, strep and many flu viruses. Known topical uses include acne, burns, cellulite, cold sores, eczema, edema, fatigue, halitosis, headache, infection, insect bites, insect repellent, insect stings, irritability, joint pain, lice, muscle soreness, rheumatism, scabies, scars, snakebites, toothache, vertigo and yeast infections. Place a drop of Lavender essential oil on the edge of the mattress of a teething baby to calm him/her down. Use Lavender as a rinse for fragrant hair, or use it in massage oil, and as a salve for eczema.