| Aromatherapy or the study of essential oils for healing | | | | a pleasant scent. |
| was first coined by Dr. Rene Gattefosse, in France in | | | | Using Lavender Essential Oil |
| the 1920's after he accidentally discovered the | | | | There are many ways to use lavender essential oil. It is |
| therapeutic effects of lavender oil. He was a chemist | | | | considered safe to use it in undiluted form on the skin |
| working in a cosmetic laboratory running tests on | | | | but to be safe rather than sorry, do a patch test. This |
| lavender. He had a mishap which caused his hand to | | | | means putting a drop of the oil on a small area of the |
| be severely burned. Out of desperation he plunged his | | | | skin and leaving for a few hours. If there is no adverse |
| hand into the lavender oil. He experienced instant relief | | | | reaction to the oil then you can be safe to assume the |
| from pain and noticed that his hand healed without any | | | | rest of the skin will have the same reaction. If there is |
| heavy scarring. This inspired him to learn more about | | | | a reaction or you prefer to make the lavender oil last a |
| the therapeutic effects that oils had on the body. He | | | | little longer then you can always dilute it with other oils |
| learned how to create essential oils from numerous | | | | but it may not be as potent. Apply the lavender oil or |
| plants and fruits and tested the effects they had on | | | | blend to the area of skin that needs soothing. |
| the body. He wrote a book about his work in 1928 | | | | Lavender essential oil can also be used with fevers, |
| which is regarded as the inception of the study of | | | | itchiness and insomnia. It can be sniffed, placed on a |
| Aromatherapy. | | | | tissue or pillow so that the aroma is smelled during |
| Pick the Right Lavender Oil | | | | sleep. Drops of lavender oil can be added to a hot |
| The Lavender family is made up of many species. | | | | bath. It is recommended that no more than 6 drops be |
| Only a few are useful in treating the body. The latin | | | | added to the bath. |
| names for these varieties are Lavendula spica, | | | | Lavender oil can be blended with olive or jojoba oil to |
| Lavendula augustifolia and Lavendula stoechas. Make | | | | created a massage oil that will help sooth the body. |
| sure to get these varieties as other varieties may not | | | | You should mix around one milliliter of lavender oil to |
| have the same affects. You can check the bottle for | | | | ten milliliters of the other oil. |
| the Latin names or ask an assistant about the type of | | | | It can be added to water and applied to your hair or |
| oil used. Many other types of lavender oil are used as | | | | even in your laundry. It can even be placed in |
| burning oil to create a scent. They will not be able to | | | | cupboards and draws to keep insects away from |
| sooth cuts or burns or heal the skin but merely put out | | | | your clothing and other fabrics. |