The History of Lavender and Its Uses

The name lavender is thought to be derived from either the Latin verb lavare meaning to wash or from the word livendulo meaning livid or bluish. Legend tells us that Adam and Eve took lavender with them when they left the garden of Eden, the distinctive smell of lavender was acquired when Mary laid the clothes of baby Jesus on the bush to dry, in the Apocrypha Jerusalem was saved by a woman named Judith who used lavender to seduce Holofernes, the commander of the enemy armies, by killing him as soon as he was under her spell. Lavender bushes were used to hang clothes over, as the clothes absorbed the smell when drying.

Ancient Egyptians used lavender to anoint their heads, Greek Philosopher Diogenes used it on his feet saying that using it on your head is useless and futile since only the birds will smell it, but by using it on your feet it envelopes the whole body.

Romans used lavender for its healing and anti septic qualities, also to deter insects and as a perfume. In 77AD A military physician by the name, Dioscorides collected plants for medicinal use, he noted that taken internally lavender helps for indigestion, sore throat and headaches, externally it was useful for cleaning wounds and treating skin ailments.

Today this lovely bluish - purple flower is used to induce sleep, ease stress, and relieve depression, it is also used as a tea, for compresses to dress wound or apply to the fore head as a way to relief congestion, and more uses include treating headaches hang - overs, tiredness, tension and exhaustion.

Lavender Essential oils are not recommended for internal use unless you have a home still and posses the necessary knowledge of the distilling process to successfully and safely make your own, rather don't ingest lavender Essential oils. Purchased oils will not give you the information on how the lavender was grown and can therefore make you very nauseous.

The safer and less complicated way is to use lavender flowers made into a tea, this has the same basic effect sweetened with some honey it makes a very refreshing and relaxing drink.

Lavender essential oil is considered one of the safest essential oils for external use and can be used undiluted on the skin and works well applied directly on cuts, scrapes, bruises, wounds, bee or wasp stings, rashes, muscle aches, cold sores, athletes foot or can be rubbed directly onto temples when a headache or tension headache occurs.