If you’re going through a challenging time in life and you need a little assistance essential oils can help!
Essential oils are powerful tools for stress relief and good physical, emotional and mental health, and they have been known and used for centuries.
There are plenty of them, but each essential oil is unique and offers its own specific benefits.
When it comes to stress reduction and promoting calmness, our top pick is one of the most popular essential oils, lavender oil!
Lavender oil, is an oil derived from the flower of Lavandula angustifolia, beautiful flowering plant grown mostly in the Mediterranean, but can also be found globally. The plant has a beautiful purple-blue flowers and distinctive and sweet-smelling scent.
The oil is extracted by a steam distillation process, in which the flowers are steamed, the steam is captured, and the oil is separated and collected from the water because it ends up floating at the top.
Lavender oil is easily obtainable, you can find it at health food stores, or even supermarkets, located near the other essential oils, but always opt for a good quality which usually comes with a bit of a higher price tag.
According to experts specializing in stress relief, lavender is definitely one of the best essential oils for stress and anxiety, and the most popular one.
And its action has been proven with many scientific studies.
For example, one study from 2012, has shown that inhaling lavender oil has successfully decreased blood pressure and heart rate and increased alpha brain waves (associated with the state of calm and the absence of stress).
Participants who inhaled lavender oil also said that they felt refreshed and more relaxed, and have experienced decrease in their anxiety.
It is very interesting that there was another study, in which researchers have found that the calming action of lavender oil could be even compared to prescription medication.
For six weeks, one group of people was using the anti-anxiety medication Lorazepam, while another group took an oral dosage of lavender oil.
At the end of the study, both groups reported an almost identical decrease in anxiety from 45% to 46%, respectively.
So, it has been scientifically proven that, lavender oil can reduce stress and anxiety, but that’s not all!
If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, experts say that you should give lavender oil a try!
One study has found that smelling lavender oil before bedtime has increased the quality of sleep, in healthy participants.
Another study has found that inhaling lavender oil twice a week for 20 minutes at a time, had beneficial effect for the nervous system and helped women with insomnia, when compared to a lavender-oil-free control group.
Lavender is a very versatile oil, and as it can soothe the mind, it can also do wonders for calming the body.
It can be used to calm and soothe the irritated skin, and there is evidence pointing out that eczema and psoriasis have responded well to the anti-inflammatory properties of lavender oil.
It can even be used as a natural alternative for healing bug bites and in such case, it is mixed with a bit of baking soda.
So, know when you know that it can help, here is one useful advice on how to use it:
Dilute pure lavender oil in your choice of carrier oil (coconut, olive, sweet almond oil etc).
And remember, never to apply pure essential oil to your skin because it can potentially cause irritation, or make you overly sensitive to it over time.
The most common dilution is a 2% preparation, or 12 drops of lavender oil per 30 mL of your carrier oil.
Put a few drops in your clean palms, bring it close to your nose and inhale it few times with the intention to relax and enjoy!