Benefits of lavender oil

Written By The HealthMeth Team - Updated On Saturday, March 13, 2021 6:00 PM

Lavender oil

Essential oils are volatile natural oils that contain complex compounds, and have a strong smell, and are extracted from aromatic plants. The Arabs are considered to be the first to extract and use these oils in the Middle Ages . [1] Lavender oil, also known as lavender oil, is one of these useful essential oils, and the following is an introduction and a mention of its benefits.


Lavandula angustifolia is an easy-to-grow evergreen shrub that produces beautiful, fragrant flowers and green foliage. Lavender oil is extracted from the flowers of the lavender plant through steam distillation. Lavender has been used for about 2,500 years. The Persians, Greeks , and Romans used it and added its flowers to bathing water to help wash and purify the skin, and the ancient pharaohs also used it in the mummification process. In fact, the word lavender comes from the Latin lavare, which means (to wash). [2]


Lavender oil has wide industrial uses in the therapeutic, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields, and in the manufacture of food and beverages. The manufacture of lavender oil is concentrated in Europe, and it is also known in Morocco and Turkey. [3]


Benefits of lavender oil

Aesthetic uses

The cosmetic uses of lavender oil are the most common because it has a fragrant aroma, so you find it used in the manufacture of air conditioners and shower preparations from soaps and shower means.


Skin care

Lavender oil has beneficial dermatological uses. It is used as a skin moisturizer like other oils, and has healing properties in cases of eczema and burns, and it helps eliminate the effects of wounds and acne scars. [4]


Calm nerves and improve mood

Lavender oil has been used since ancient times to treat nerve problems, and the results of studies support its effectiveness in migraine and sleep disorders. As it significantly improves sleep levels, it even improves people's mood, is useful in cases of depression , and reduces anxiety and tension, so many resort to using it to help calm women during the stage of labor and childbirth. [4] [5] It was found to be effective in relieving pain in the post- caesarean section as an adjunct to other treatment methods. [6] [7]


Increase focus and improve memory

It is interesting that some studies found that the aroma of lavender oil helped increase the speed and accuracy of doing arithmetic operations, so it is believed that it can enhance intelligence, help improve focus and stimulate memory . [4] It has been shown to reduce symptoms and prevent Alzheimer's disease, as it reduces oxidative stress and brain cell damage. [8]


Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal

Lavender oil is effective and powerful anti-bacterial and fights fungi that cause skin diseases. It is also of great benefit in treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Lavender oil is used to promote hair growth in people with alopecia areata , and it also treats hair problems related to lice and nits. [4]


Pain reliever and muscle relaxer

Lavender oil contains compounds that have muscle relaxing properties, so it is used as a massage oil with a mixture of other oils in order to relax and relieve muscle tension, and it has also been found that a massage with lavender oil on the affected area is effective in relieving pain in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. And sprained joints, and back pain . [9] Lavender oil may also help relieve needle-prone pain. [10]


Disease prevention

One of the most important benefits of lavender oil is that it has proven effective in increasing the level of antioxidant formation in the body, and protecting cells from damage that may lead to the formation of cancerous cells, and one study found that inhaling the smell of lavender oil increased the production of the strongest types of antioxidants for 22 hours after inhaling it. . [11] In doing so, it helps prevent cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases.


Uses of lavender oil

Lavender oil can be used as follows:

  • Add it to bath or shower water ; In doing so, it may help relieve muscle pain and fatigue. [9]
  • Massage the skin with it as a reliever for joint or muscle pain, [9] or to use it in the treatment of skin diseases, such as burns, acne, and wounds, [4] and it can also be mixed with other types of beneficial oils before the massage.
  • Inhaling or vaporizing it by using a vaporizer, or adding a few drops to a bowl of hot water, then breathing in the steam to relieve tension and improve mood. [4]
  • Add a few drops of oil to a bowl of warm water and soak hands or feet in it to get rid of dead skin.
  • Use a compress by soaking a towel in a bowl of water to which a few drops of lavender oil have been added, and placing this compress on the affected area from a sprain or muscle pain.
  • Use it as an alternative to air fresheners at home, as it gives a pleasant smell at home, adds an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation, and helps in a peaceful sleep. [5]


It is worth noting that some people may be allergic to lavender oil , and it may be accompanied by some side effects, such as headache, nausea, and vomiting after inhaling it or applying it to the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that a person is not allergic to lavender oil before using it, [4] The US National Institute of Health (NIH) also warns against using lavender oil when taking certain medications, such as sedatives, benzodiazepines, and chloral hydrate. Because it may increase its sedative effects and cause severe dizziness and drowsiness. [12]


Lavender oil is the same as other oils, as it is preferable to use the original types of it that have not been chemically modified to obtain the greatest possible benefit from it, and since it is from volatile oils, it must be kept in sealed bottles.


References

  1. ^ Bakkali F1, Averbeck S, Averbeck D and others (2008), "Biological effects of essential oils - a review." , Food Chem Toxicol. , Issue 2, Folder 46, Page 446-475. Edited.
  2. "Lavender" , National Institutes of Health , 3/2007, Retrieved 10/19/2016.
  3. Valtcho D. Zheljazkov, Charles L. Cantrell, Tess Astatkie (2013), “Distillation Time Effect on Lavender Essential Oil Yield and Composition” , Journal of Oleo Science , Issue 4, Folder 62, Page 195-199. Edited.
  4. ^ A b t w c h x H for the MA . JM Cavanagh And of Wilkinson (2002), "Of Biological Activities by lavender essentials Oil." , Phytother Res , Issue 4, Folder 16, Page 301-308. Edited.
  5. ^ A b , Kasper Siegfried (2013), "An Orally Administered Lavandula Oil Preparation (Silexan) For Disorder And related Friends of anxiety Conditions: An Evidence Review based versions." , International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice , Issue 1, Folder 17, Page 15-22.
  6. Alireza Olapour, Kaveh Behaeen, Reza Akhondzadeh and others (2013), “The Effect of Inhalation of Aromatherapy Blend containing Lavender Essential Oil on Cesarean Postoperative Pain” , Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. , Issue 1, Folder 3, Page 203-207.
  7. Niaz Hadi and Ali Akbar Handi (2011), “lavender essence for post cesarean pain” , Pakistan journal of biological sciences , Issue 11, Folder 14, Page 664-667.
  8. Hancianu M1, Cioanca O, Mihasan M and others. (2013), "Neuroprotective effects of inhaled lavender oil on scopolamine-induced dementia via anti-oxidative activities in rats." , Phytomedicine , Issue 20, Folder 5, Page 446-452. Edited.
  9. ^ A b T. Ahmad 's Profile Nasiria, by Mohammad Azim Mahmodib, Zohre Nobakhtc (2016), "Effect Of of aromatherapy Massage With by lavender essentials Oil On Pain In Patients With of osteoarthritis Of The Knee: A the randomized Controlled Clinical Trial" , Complementary Therapies In Clinical the Spreadsheet Fundamentals Practice , the Folder 25, Page 75--80.
  10. Bagheri M-Nesami, Espahbodi F, A Nikkhah And Others (2014), "The Effects Of Pain On of aromatherapy by lavender Following Needle Insertion Into of a Fistula In Hemodialysis Patients." , Complement Ther Clin Pract , Issue 1, Folder 20, Page 1-4. Edited.
  11. Amorati R, Foti MC, Valgimigli L. (2013), “Antioxidant activity of essential oils” , J Agric Food Chem , Issue (46), Folder 61, Page 10835-10847. Edited.
  12. "National Institution of health" , US department of health and human services , Retrieved 7/11/2016.