Lovely Lavender

The first time I bought my first bottle of lavender essential oil I fell head over heals in love. It was not what I was used to smelling. I assume it was because the other lavender scents I had were all fragrance oils but this essential oil was amazing. It made me decided to look in to all of the ways lavender is helpful. What I didn't realize was that there are so many ways lavender can be useful.

Lavender which come from the Latin name "Lavare", which means "to wash". It was given this name because its aroma gives the feeling of a clean aroma. Having a clean feeling is exactly what it does. The uses for this essential oil are almost endless. It can be used for the skin, for circulation, muscles and joints, for respiratory issues, for digestion and for nervous system problems.

 

To help the skin lavender can be used to help with abscesses, acne, allergies, bruises, burns, cold sores, cuts, eczema, hives, inflammations, insect bites and stings, lice,  rashes, scars, shingles, stretch-marks, and sunburns.

Lavender can help with aches and pains, helps reduce cellulite, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, Lumbago, reduces swelling and pain, relaxes tight muscles, joint pain, rheumatism, and sprains.

It also can help with Asthma (when associated with emotional trauma), bronchitis, coughs, colds, congestion, flu, laryngitis, throat infections, whooping cough, and sinus infections.

Lavender is know to aid in improving digestion. With lavenders calming effects it can help to balance emotions and helps with depression, headaches, panic attacks and stress.

While lavender is a wonderful essential oil it must also be used with caution. While for most people lavender is okay to put on the skin in an undiluted state you should always do a skin test before hand or if you are aware that you have sensitive skin you should not use it undiluted.If you are pregnant you should be careful with using lavender essential oils. And as always please do your research before using an essential oil.

Cypress Essential Oil

One of the reasons I got into soap making was because you can use essential oils. I have always been really interested in aromatherapy and natural ways to cure ailments.

When I was living in Chicago I didn't have any heath insurance and I had to find a natural way to cure everything. I could not afford to go to the ER so I spent a lot of my sick time at whole foods or zooming around the interweb seeking ways to cure myself or my boyfriend. 

I have found A World of Aromatherapy to be very informative and interesting. If you know any of these statements to be false please let me know and I will fix them accordingly.

Cypress essential oil is one essential oil I find quite interesting. It  has a very relaxing and refreshing effect. Because of its sweet scent and can be paired well with Lavender, Citrus Oils and Juniper.  It has antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, and expectorant properties. It can be used to help ease the symptoms of menopause and menstruation. Please note Cypress has antispasmodic properties and should be avoided during pregnancy.