The fragrant blossom of lavender

Have you ever been so lucky to experience a live look at lavender field in full blossom? If there’s any chance for you know, don’t miss it, for its harvesting season is almost over!

Lavender is a shrub, that arrived to us from Mediterranean Europe and Africa. Its Latin name “lavare”, stands for “to wash” – and that’s exactly what it was used for in ancient times. Nowadays it finds vast application in cookery, herbal medicine, and cosmetics.



Action and composition

The flowers of lavender contain a unique mixture of tannins, phytosterols, organic acids and mineral salts. The most valuable part, though, is lavender essential oil known by its intense, exceptionally charming scent. The oil evokes calming effect at human nervous system, alleviates stress and helps maintain good sleep. A couple of lavender branches in a vase near the bed would assure sweet dreams all night long.




Lavender in herbal medicine

In phytotherapy, dried lavender brew is used to maintain healthy appetite, digestion, soothing stomach ache and bloat, and  intestine peristalsis. Lavender essential oil enhances the action of mouthwashes to as a cure against inflammations or as antibacterial additive to inhalation vapor liquids, or even balms and ointments for heavily soaring wounds curation.


Lavender in cosmetics

Cosmetics is the field where lavender essential oil elicits its full potential. Applied in massage and bath potions for its relaxing scent, widely used in mature skin care formulas for its nourishing, repairing and antioxidant action. Anti-inflammation and antibacterial properties of lavender oil make it a strong weapon against acne and greasy skin problems, and its anti-edema action – against eyes area imperfections. It can also often be found in anticellulite treatments for its ability to improve lymph flow and intensify blood circulation. It as well does an amazing job in feet skin cremes or masks for its ability to reduce perspiration and antimycotic action.

What’s best about lavender, is that it’s easy to grow in one’s own dooryard. Apart from handsome scent and blossom, lavender effectively fends off mosquitos and acarian, which makes a perfect option for itchy season.    

For industrial purposes lavender is bred on huge fields, and then harvested and processed by steam distillation to get the precious essential oil, which further goes to the store shelves and cosmetic manufactories.