You don’t have to be an aromatherapy aficionado to recognize the scent of lavender. The flower is a common sight in English gardens, and grocery stores carry lavender-scented soaps and lotions. Perhaps you use lavender sachets to keep your clothes smelling fresh. What you might not know is that the flower offers more than just beauty and a sweet scent; it has therapeutic value as well.

A staple in aromatherapy, lavender was used by the ancient Romans, who added drops of its essence to bathwater. It’s still used today throughout Europe and other countries because of its calming, soothing, and relaxing properties. You can inhale lavender as a quick way to reduce anxiety, calm nerves, and encourage sleep. Lavender can be used in perfume form to decrease odor, but it’s especially helpful in relieving stress and reducing irritability when it’s inhaled.

Key Benefits

Lavender essential oils and supplements can be used to treat a variety of conditions. Because it’s a relaxant, it can also help prevent muscle cramps and spasms. Among other things, lavender can:

• Act as a natural antiseptic.


• Alleviate symptoms of depression.


• Boost immunity.


• Relax brain waves.


• Aid in cell regeneration.

Since it works on digestive problems, it can help treat dyspepsia, colic, and nausea. As a calmative, it may help people suffering from restlessness or moodiness; it can help improve mental alertness and awareness, and counteract nervous exhaustion.

Lavender’s Beneficiaries

Athletes, gym-goers, students, and adults coping with stress all can benefit from lavender’s aromatherapeutic properties. Regular aromatherapy sessions themselves can help you learn how to manage your health using natural resources, and simply inhaling some pure essential oil can trigger the right response from your mind and body.

Lavender is especially powerful in reducing stress and encouraging sleep. If you’re having trouble getting to sleep at night, place a few drops of lavender essential oil on a small towel, tuck it into your pillowcase, and let the scent surround you and ease you into deep sleep. Putting a couple of drops of lavender oil on your forehead can help relieve tension and works as a mild sedative.

Lavender air fresheners and room sprays offer other ways to enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy. At the end of a busy day, lighting lavender candles can help you wind down.

If a hectic schedule has you tense and headachy, lavender tea can help.

Why Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy offers a natural way to boost your health. For thousands of years, it’s been used to correct imbalances in the body, treat wounds, and even treat illnesses. Taking this natural approach to changing your state of mind and body can help you live a more vigorous, positive, and healthy life. Incorporating lavender essential oils and essences into your daily routine can help you enjoy a natural state of rest and relaxation.

—Sabah Karimi