Every day, I am awestruck by the remarkable abundance of Mother Earth and the healing plants she offers us. Today, I want to highlight a truly special herb that often flies under the radar—lavender!
While you may be familiar with using lavender essential oil in your diffuser to help relaxation, its benefits go far beyond that! You can use the entire flower in teas and potions or add the oil to natural beauty products, supporting your health from head to toe, inside and out.
In this post, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about lavender, including its origins, eight powerful health benefits, and practical ways to incorporate it into your daily routine for natural health benefits.
What Is Lavender?
Lavender, scientifically known as Lavandula angustifolia, is a flowering plant from the mint family. It grows in short, perennial shrubs with small, blade-like green leaves. Most people know it as an essential oil, celebrated for its aromatherapy benefits and as a wonderful addition to natural body and hair care products. But did you know that you can also use the whole flower in herbal blends for a calming or beautifying cup of tea?
In herbal medicine, lavender is classified as a nervine, meaning it nourishes and balances the nervous system. It contains nutrients that help soothe an overstimulated nervous system. Unlike adaptogens, which often affect hormones, nervines focus almost entirely on supporting nervous system health. Lavender is considered a nervine tonic, meaning it can nourish an overstimulated nervous system, offering quick relief for stress or anxiety symptoms. As we’ll explore below, lavender not only bolsters a healthy nervous system but has many other remarkable benefits too!
Top 8 Benefits of Lavender
Let’s delve into the amazing healing qualities of lavender:
1. Helps Lower Stress
Stress, often overlooked, contributes to issues like hair loss, weight gain, and skin problems by affecting hormone levels. Lavender is a wonderful addition to your stress management toolbox. It can lower cortisol levels and blood pressure, positively impacting your long-term health. You might try inhaling a pure essential oil or enjoying a calming cup of TLC Tea for added stress relief.
2. Promotes Deep Sleep
Lavender has long been used as a sleep aid. Historically, people would place lavender flowers under their pillows for a deep, restful sleep and to ward off insomnia. Studies reaffirm what ancient wisdom has always known—inhale lavender’s calming scent for deeper sleep and more refreshed mornings. Another study found that consuming lavender via capsules or tea helped those with anxiety disorders sleep more soundly throughout the night.
A vital part of my bedtime routine involves brewing my favorite TLC Tea, infused with relaxing lavender, lemon balm, passionflower, and chamomile, ensuring the coziest sleep.
3. Supports Healthy Skin
Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, lavender oil is perfect for organic, clean beauty products, soothing conditions like eczema and psoriasis. I love a skin-loving cup of Radiance Tea, which combines lavender’s floral essence with antioxidant-rich organic green and white teas, rose petals, moringa, and nettles—it’s both beautifying and delicious!
My favorite deodorant, scented with lavender oil and containing aloe for soothing, moisturizes sensitive skin. It’s free from aluminum and baking soda, making it ideal for sensitive skin.
4. May Alleviate Menstrual Pain
Menstrual cramps can be disruptive, affecting daily life. A study found that applying lavender oil blended with almond oil, rose, and clary sage, massaged into the abdomen, significantly reduced menstrual pain. It’s simple to replicate this soothing method at home.
5. Aids Migraine Relief
Hormone-related migraines can be debilitating. A study showed that inhaling lavender essential oil decreased migraine frequency and severity, recommending 15 minutes of inhalation for relief.
6. Reduces Anxiety
Lavender can significantly ease anxiety symptoms, as a meta-analysis found. People with anxiety disorders who used lavender oil capsules saw improvements in their symptoms. While I recommend consulting a natural healthcare professional before taking supplements, integrating the whole herb into your lifestyle is a great way to nourish your nervous system and manage anxiety. TLC Tea offers a blend of calming herbs that promote peace any time of the day.
7. Supports Healthy Hair and Scalp
Lavender essential oil is fantastic for hair care products due to its ability to promote hair growth, soothe dry scalp, and address issues like dandruff and hair loss. We included it in our Natural Shampoo and Conditioner with Aloe and Lavender, offering calming aromatherapy while helping achieve silky-smooth hair and a healthy scalp for your best hair days!
8. Provides Aromatherapy Benefits
Lavender’s calming and anti-anxiety properties are accessible through aromatherapy, especially when using organic essential oils. Diffuse lavender oil before sleep for a restful night, or keep a bottle handy to take a calming break whenever needed.
I choose hair and beauty products infused with natural essential oils not only for their healing properties but also to minimize exposure to synthetic fragrances. Plus, every use offers a tranquil aromatherapy experience. After showering with my lavender shampoo and conditioner, applying my favorite Aluminum-Free Natural Deodorant with Lavender is the perfect way to start my day, ensuring freshness and a delightful scent.
I hope this information encourages you to embrace the healing power of lavender in your routine. Whether you enjoy its benefits sipping a soothing tea or enhance your hair’s shine, Hello Joyous offers totally clean, organic products infused with this healing herb, making it easy to implement!
Xo Joy
