Herbal medicine: LAVENDER
Scientific name: Lavendula angustifolia
Also known as: true lavander, spike lavender, lavandin, and aspic
There's ongoing debate about which types of lavender are, post medicine, and for what purposes. Generally, Lavandula officinalis and Lavendula angustifolia are highly regarded for their medicinal properties.
Lavender has profound relaxing, calming, uplifting effects. It is a mild antidepressant, helpful in dispelling depression and melancholy. Combined with feverfew, it helps alleviate migraines and headaches. It is one of the best herbs to use in the bath to relieve tension, stress, and insomnia. After a long, stressful day, try a bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil, or a handful of lavender blossoms tied in a muslin bag, added to the water. If you don't have time for the bath, then rub 2 or 3 drops of lavender essential oil on your hands and massage the nape of your neck, your head, and your feet for calming relief. You can also make a calming massage oil by adding 8 a 10 drops of lavender essential oil to 4 ounces of vegetable of nut oil.
An herb used traditionally to imbue courage and strength lavender is still a favorite herb to strengthen the heart and mind in a stressful situation. Many women use it during childbirth. A drop or two of lavender essential oil rubbed directly on the feet and/or back of the birthing mother, or a warm poultice of lavender flowers held against her lower back, can bring gentle relief. Lavender is also one of the herbs used traditionally to bathe the new baby, welcoming him or her into the world.
Lavender's effectiveness as a herbal medicine is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti septic-agent has been confirmed by numerous clinical studies. it is useful in treating a host of infections, including staph, strep, colds, and flus. Alone or combined with tea tree oil, it can be applied directly to the skin to treat fungal infections such as ringworm and nail fungus, or it can be formulated in a douche to treat yeast, infections. It is legendary as an herbal antiseptic and is used to disinfect and heal scrapes, wounds and burns.
A popular antispasmodic, lavender is used in digestive formulas to relieve indigestion and is especially helpful for calming stomach muscle spasms, which are sometimescaused by irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.
Lavender has been used in bathing since Roman times; in fact, the latin lavare, from which lavender takes its name, means "to wash". with its powerful but calming scent, lavender is now used in a wide range of perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps. The essential oil in the flowers has a soothing, sedative effect, which calms nerves, relaxes muscles, eases anxiety and helps promote sleep.
How to use:
Infusion:
Make an infusion of 1 cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsp lavender flowers and drink 1 cup up to 3 times daily for nervous exhaustion or tension headaches, 1 cup before bedtime can also help with insomnia.
Tincture:
Take up to 1 tsp (5ml) of lavender tincture twice a day for headaches, depression, or nervous tension. Can also help ease asthma, especiallywhereattacks are triggered by nervousness or stress.
Massage oil:
Dilute 40 drops (2ml)of essential lavender oil in 2 tsp (10ml) carrier oil. Use for muscular pains, or rub into the temples and the nape of the neck for tension headaches or aat the first sign of migraine.
Hair rinse:
Dilute 20 drops (1ml) of essential lavender oil in a jug of water as a final hair rinse for head lice, and use a few drops of neat oil on a fine-toothed comb run through the hair to remove both lice and nits.
Essential oil:
Use neat on insect bites or strings, or add 10 drops to 1 3/4 fl oz (50ml) of water to useas a lotion for sunburn. Add 3 - 4 drops to a tissue and place on the pillow to aid sleep.
Lavender has been used in bathing since Roman times; in fact, the latin lavare, from which lavender takes its name, means "to wash". with its powerful but calming scent, lavender is now used in a wide range of perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps. The essential oil in the flowers has a soothing, sedative effect, which calms nerves, relaxes muscles, eases anxiety and helps promote sleep.
How to use:
Infusion:
Make an infusion of 1 cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsp lavender flowers and drink 1 cup up to 3 times daily for nervous exhaustion or tension headaches, 1 cup before bedtime can also help with insomnia.
Tincture:
Take up to 1 tsp (5ml) of lavender tincture twice a day for headaches, depression, or nervous tension. Can also help ease asthma, especiallywhereattacks are triggered by nervousness or stress.
Massage oil:
Dilute 40 drops (2ml)of essential lavender oil in 2 tsp (10ml) carrier oil. Use for muscular pains, or rub into the temples and the nape of the neck for tension headaches or aat the first sign of migraine.
Hair rinse:
Dilute 20 drops (1ml) of essential lavender oil in a jug of water as a final hair rinse for head lice, and use a few drops of neat oil on a fine-toothed comb run through the hair to remove both lice and nits.
Essential oil:
Use neat on insect bites or strings, or add 10 drops to 1 3/4 fl oz (50ml) of water to useas a lotion for sunburn. Add 3 - 4 drops to a tissue and place on the pillow to aid sleep.
