Lavender Aromatherapy & Candles

Lavender is one of the most widely spoken-about and most popular of scents used in aromatherapy.

The oil of the lavender flowers is used as essential oil by itself or as a blend with other essential oils for a myriad of purposes. It is said to be a natural remedy by itself or blended with other oils (and what's called a carrier oil) for many ailments and health related issues.

There is quite a bit of documentation about lavender, it's benefits and uses. History tells us that lavender was in existence and used by the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. I guess you could call it an age-old flowering herb.

Additionally, lavender has culinary uses. The French have incorporated lavender into their cuisine for centuries.

Lavender is a flowering plant that is part of the herb family and is a very fragrant, aromatic flowering herb. It is considered part of the mint family of plants and there are actually 39 species of lavender grown throughout the globe.

The most well-known from an herbal and alternative medicine standpoint would be English Lavender known as the species Lavandula angustifolia. It's essential oil is used in many natural remedies and treatments. English Lavender is also the most prevelent of lavender species in bath and body products and candlemaking.

From an aromatherapy standpoint, French Lavender would rank a close second in popularity. French Lavender is known as the species Lavandula x intermedia. It's flowers also yield an essential oil but it's a different fragrance than the more well-known English Lavender. French Lavender is said to contain higher levels of terpense and camphor from an oil standpoint. In aromatherapy, bath and body products and candlemaking, French Lavender's scent is a bit more perfumey and less herbal than the English Lavender. But very enjoyable and a wonderful scent just the same.

The aroma or scent of lavender is said to be one of the most relaxing, removing nervous tension, calming and soothing. Many swear by it and use it both in essential oils and aromotherapy forms as well as in bath and body products, candles and more for relaxation and enjoyment purposes.

With it's calming and soothing properties, many turn to lavender and lavender scented products when it comes to relaxation. Thus the huge popularity of Lavender scented bath and body products, soaps, candles and more.

I do not consider myself an herbalist or expert in aromatherapy as there are many out there more knowledgeable about that than myself. Everything shared here is from personal experience, research and knowledge.

I use lavender as a scent and fragrance to indulge in it's calming, soothing and relaxing properties in my home. I absolutely love it and it delivers on all. I burn several different Lavender scented candles in my home which I will share with you later. I also am a big fan of lavender scents in my bath and body products. The candles and bath products I use with lavender scents do not contain essential oils that can be allergens in the air. This is because my son and I both have sensitivity to a lot of items as far as airborne fragrances in our home, in some soaps and detergents and the like.

I have used the essential oil of lavender topically or in very small amounts in a difuser as a natural or alternative remedy. In small doses, neither my son or I have any problems with it. We have enjoyed pretty good results with the use of lavender essential oils for a few different reasons.

With the use of any essential oils, I urge you to do your homework and research. The plus side to using essential oils is that they are a more natural and alterntive way to treat ailments and conditions without the use of medication. I am all about that and believe natural cures are better.

On the flipside, essential oils need to be used with care, knowledge and research. It must be understood that essential oils - in this case lavender - are derived from plants and flowers and among it's many side affects is that it could cause allergic reaction. During my research for my own use, I have also learned that lavender can increase photosensitivity in some.

Essential oils are very potent and must be diluted with a carrier oil. The most popular carrier oil used in most cases is Sweet Almond Oil. Again, allergies come into play as if you have a nut allergy you would want to use an alternative carrier oil that does not have nuts in it. The use of essential oils on infants or small children, by pregnant women or the elderly should be discussed with a health professional to be on the safe side.

There are many merits and benefits to the use of lavender essential oils but there must be a balance to insure their safe use without side effects. Most do not have any but it's always good to be in the know that this could be a possibility for you. These are just guidelines and when in doubt I would suggest visiting this issue with your medical professionals.

Here are some of the many uses of Lavender in essential oils and essential oil blends for a more natural alternative to medications and chemical based products:

Lavender oil is said to be a great insect repellent and soother of bug bites. Lavender oil is a natural anti-inflamatory which probably helps even more with bug bites.

Lavender oil combined with peppermint oil (and a carrier oil) is a great blend for soothing and relieving headaches. This combination of lavender and peppermint oils used together or blended with other pure essential oils is also great for the relief of menstrual cramps.

Lavender oil used in the bath alone or combined with grapeseed oil is said to relieve stress. It is also reported to relieve muscle strain and muscle spasms when you soak in it in the tub. In a blend with a carrier oil you can also use the lavender oil and grapeseed for massage purposes.

Lavender oil is a wonderful natural easer of back pain and muscle pain.

Lavender oil used in combination with tea tree oil is great for vaporizers to relieve sore throats, soothe coughs and it also acts as a great antibacterial treatment for your vaporizer at the same time.

Lavender oil can be diluted and mixed with rosewater or witch hazel to use as a more natural acne treatment. Again, the anti-inflamatory properties of both lavender oil and witch hazel seem to soothe any inflamation or soreness from pimples and acne flare ups.

Lavender oil diluted in water can be placed in a sprayer and spritzed lightly on bedsheets and pillows for a more relaxing, restful sleep.

Fragrancing your home with lavender will provide you with a more calming, soothing and relaxed feeling.  

There are many great books on the subject of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy that are great reading. They provide a host of remedies and recipes for natural cures and alternatives to medications. I've found many great recipes for personal use through some of these books.

Here are some of the better books on the market about the subject from Amazon.com.

I wish you a calmer, more relaxed, less stressed day with Lavender!

Do you just love Lavender? I do..it's relaxing properties and it's great fragrance.

I love to fragrance my home with Lavender scents. My HubPage handle is candledawn with very good reason! I have long been a candle-holic and fanatic. Since 2005 I have had my own home based candle business. I market products that I am genuinely proud of, use in my home every day and they provide great quality and performance for the money.

Our candles and wax related products are known as Cleaner Burning. Why you ask? They are Made in the USA from a natural plant and vegetable wax blend. What that means to you is you get a more clean, even burn and better performance from your candle. And no black sooty mess! You just get pure highly scented enjoyment in a cleaner, greener, more natural candle.

As I mentioned earlier, our candles and home fragrance products are not manufactured with essential oils as their fragrancing agent. As such, those who are more sensitive to scents and airborne allergens (as my son and I are) can still enjoy great scented candles without them affecting you or your allergies. My son and I have had great success with no sensitivity to them as have many of my customers. That's not to say everything works for everyone and there's always the exception to the rule but my experience has all been 100% positive. It's why I was impressed with and got involved with this business in the first place!

Our company offers three variations on Lavender. Lavender which is the more herbal English Lavender, French Lavender and a blend of Sage & Lavender that is very herbal, relaxing and to die for!

We also offer an incredible Spa Candle in Sandalwood & Lavender which is a great valued aromatherapy spa type candle with great performance and price.

I have provided a link to my Company Webstore for you to check out the Lavender products. Those include Jar Candles, Votives, Melts (our version of tarts), the Spa Candle I mentioned as well as a really great Grapefruit & Lavender Bath Bar. If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime!

There's nothing like a Lavender scented candle to relax you! Here's wishing you many relaxing moments!