Most people are familiar with the scent of lavender and it’s one of the most popular essential oils on the market. The aroma of lavender is associated with relaxation and sleep and has a long history of being used in this way.
But what’s the evidence?
Fortunately for us lavender lovers, the essential oil has been very well researched over the years. And the results look promising, so let’s take a closer look.
SLEEP
Our biggest seller is the Lavender sleep pillow and it’s well known that lavender can help with sleep problems. So let’s see if the research can show us why.
In 2012 researchers gathered together the then available research on lavender essential oil. In particular, they were looking for studies that explored the inhalation of the essential oil and its effect on sleep. They found eight studies that fulfilled the criteria and further evaluated the studies to determine whether or not lavender was indeed beneficial. And perhaps not too surprisingly they found that it was, as the results showed that the inhalation of lavender, led to a mild to moderate improvement in sleep. (1)
A few years later, another trial found that it was the quality of sleep, that was in fact improved in individuals who inhaled the essential oil. And that the effects lasted for up to two weeks after the trial finished. Thereby suggesting long lasting benefits. (2)
But of course the research didn’t end there. Just recently in 2020, another study found that lavender ensured a deeper night’s sleep, by helping the participants to fall asleep in the first place. Plus, it appeared to help them with getting back to sleep, if awoken during the night. So they concluded that it enhanced the overall sleep quality. It was also noted that the frequency of awakening during the night decreased over time too. Alongside testing the participants sleep patterns, they also regularly checked their vital signs, throughout the study. And they found that lavender had no noticeable effect on vital signs, suggesting its safety as a sleep aid. (3)
This result was backed up by a study in the same year which concluded that the inhalation of lavender essential oil by diabetic patients, showed an improvement in both sleep and mood. As the participants experienced better quality and quantity of sleep, which in turn improved their mood and quality of life. (4) This is very encouraging and supports what we feel we already knew about lavender from historic use.
And lastly with regards to sleep, this study (5) may help us to understand why lavender makes us sleepy. The researchers measured the heart rate of the participants and found that the inhalation of lavender led to a decrease in heart rate. This suggests that the oil has a calming effect on the body as a whole, which would help with drifting off to sleep.
But what else can lavender be used for. As we have already seen, lavender can have a calming effect on both the body and mind and can help to improve mood. So let’s look at little closer at the evidence for this.
ANXIETY
A study in 2001 (6) showed that Lavender had an anxiolytic effect on dialysis inpatients. The hospital patients reported reduced anxiety after being exposed to lavender oil twice a day for the duration of a week.
And a further study in 2005 (7) indicated that the aroma of lavender in a dentists waiting room could reduce the anxiety of patients awaiting dental treatment.
So all in all, it does seem fairly conclusive. Lavender really can help to calm the mind and body, helping with mild to moderate sleep issues and reducing anxiety too.
If you’d like to try out the benefits of lavender essential oil out for yourself, have a look at our Lavender essential oil room mist and other lavender products.
CHAMOMILE
The benefits of Himalayan Salt Baths
We use Himalayan salts in our bath soaks and teas. Partly because of the distinctive colour. But also because they are considered the purest salts, due to the lack of pollution in the area in which they are mined. Himalayan salts are mined from a salt mine at the foot of the Himalayan mountains and are an orangey, pink colour due to the high iron content.
We all experience stress at some point in our life and some would argue that a little stress is necessary, in order to get things done. However, left unchecked stress can very debilitating. In fact, long term chronic stress, can lead to major problems with health and well-being. So it’s important to have strategies in place, to help you to reduce your stress levels and thereby prevent it from affecting your health.
Over 20 years ago I received a gift. A gift which I think it’s fair to say, changed the course of my life. It was an essential oils starter kit, together with the book “Practical Aromatherapy” by Shirley Price. I had no idea back then, that 20 years later I would actually be an Aromatherapist, producing my own range of Aromatherapy products. In fact, a lot has changed since then, both with me and with the world around me. Yet despite that, sometimes when I smell Ylang Ylang, I am reminded of that exact time 20 years ago, when I opened my first ever bottle of Ylang Ylang essential oil. No doubt you’ve experienced something similar, when a familiar smell, evoked past memories and instantly took your mind back to that time and place.
Essential oils are made up of phytochemicals, some of which you may have heard of such as menthol, which is present in peppermint. Chemicals are not exclusive to synthetic items, they are all around us in nature (think back to your school science classes and the periodic table). All living things are made up of chemicals and so are plants and some of these chemicals are very potent, in fact too potent.
Roses are synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Particularly red roses, but have you ever wondered why that is? What is it about Roses that makes people think of love, passion and romance. To find out, we have to delve into myth and legend. So let’s go all the way back to Greek mythology.
Red roses symbolise deep love, longing or devotion.
As a massage therapist, I have lots of amazing natural oils at my disposal and I am aware of the many benefits that these oils have on the skin. But I had never tried them on my face before, at least not in this way. Yes it’s true that I have used them on my clients faces plenty of times, as part of a massage treatment. But until around a year ago, I had never actually heard of the Oil Cleansing Method. At first I was skeptical. After all, I had developed spots and spots are often a sign of oiliness. But it would seem that wasn’t the case. After just one day of using my chosen blend of oils, my skin was already feeling more nourished. More nourished than it had felt in a long time. So I persevered. After 2 weeks of this method I didn’t need any further convincing. The spots and the redness had reduced noticeably and my skin just felt so much better, less tight, less sensitive and generally more nourished. The oils I chose for my Cleansing Oil blend are Avocado, Sunflower & Castor oil and here’s why:
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