For the Love of Lavender

I have to be honest. Many times when I'm formulating products I think that lavender is a boring option. I think I need to come up with something more creative, exciting, or exotic. But the truth is many people LOVE lavender and the different combinations I come up with using lavender are some of my most popular.

What's not to love about lavender? It's gentle and soothing for both adults and children. It's sweet and floral and blends well with many other scents and is considered a top-middle note. Beyond its lovely aroma it has a wide array of calming benefits.

Lavender is soothing for the skin. This makes it an excellent option for anything for the skin. It can be incorporated into a skin care routine or used in creams, bath fizzes, scrubs, body washes, salves, and such. It can calm irritated skin and makes a great choice for soothing a bug bite, itchy skin or skin that has seen too much sun.

Lavender is a superb choice for massage oils and creams. It soothes muscles aches through a combination of its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties due to aromatic components such as linalool and Linalyl acetate.

Lavender is emotionally calming as well. It can reduce feelings of stress, promote feelings of calm, and support emotional balance. So a massage or use of products with lavender essential oil offers emotional benefits as well as relaxing physical benefits.

Lavender can also support healthy sleep and act as a tonic to the body. A cream, diffuser blend, pillow spray, bath, or such before bed can relax and calm the body to prepare for sleep.

Lavender offers gentle immune system support as well. It can be used in hand soaps or cleansers to gently fight germs and support the body.

There are many types of lavender. Lavendula angustifolia or English or true lavender is one of the most familiar. Spike lavender or Lavandula latifolia has a camphoraceous aroma and is often used for aches or colds as it contains a good dose of 1,8 cineole which is also found in Eucalyptus. Lavadin is a hybrid between these two (Lavandula x intermedia). There is also lavender 40/42 which is used in many products because it has a consistent scent. The 40/42 refers to the ratio of linalool and Linalyl acetate. Like a blended wine it is consistent and predictable. This lavender may be used in skin care and spa products and offers relaxing benefits but is not typically used in therapeutic blends.

And the aroma of true lavender Lavendula angustifolia can also vary depending on the supplier and region in which it is grown. Often clients are amazed that my lavender smells so beautiful and different from the one they have been using.

So yes there is much to love about lavender and good reason why so many of my clients favor it and love products made with it.

Quick reference benefits of Lavender:

• Skin care

• Pain and inflammation

• Sore muscles

• Rest and relaxation

• Immunity

• Bug spray

Lavender is found in the Be Relaxed line at Be Kekoa Apothecary. If you have questions about lavender feel free to contact me or stop by the apothecary in 28636 Old Town Front St Suite 200 Old Town, Temecula.

Aromatic blessings,

Tricia