Lavender: my essential summer Essential Oil
Years ago I would have rolled my eyes if someone had suggested that I used essential oils as first-aid remedies (or for any reason, for that matter).
Then I had a friend who used them all the time and when I was going through a tough time, she would pass by and sprinkle me with various oils to help boost my emotional state.
I started to get curious – tbh it was also because all of the bottles were pretty too !! – and started to learn a little about them. But it was using lavender to take away the itch of insect bites that really turned me into a convert. After that there was no going back!! I had spent a summer applying tubes of harsh, chemical after-bite products to my youngest daughter who is a mosquito magnet and I was so happy to have found a natural alternative.
Did you know?
Your skin is the largest organ of your body and as it is porous, it absorbs whatever you put on it. Whilst the toxins we ingest from our food go through the kidneys and liver and are processed by special enzymes to help break down and eliminate many of them, toxins that make it through the skin bypass this filter and may enter directly into the blood stream or lymphatic system. So many skin-care products contain harmful ingredients such as harsh, toxic chemicals, colours, and fragrances, which is why I am always on the look-out for alternatives.
Why lavender works
Lavender is mostly known for its relaxing, calming properties, the essential oil to soothe and help you sleep. However, as well as the sedative, relaxing, antidepressant properties which calm the mind, it also has astringent, antihistamine and antibacterial properties which calm the skin.
Apply lavender directly to insect bites and bee stings to help calm the reaction and reduce the itching. Try it! This was my first step into switching many of the chemical products in my medicine cabinet for more natural alternatives. Today essential oils are always the first port-of-call for cuts, burns, stings, sleepless nights, and much more.
I never go on holiday without it! I mix it with a little fractionated coconut oil for better absorption and also to dilute it if smaller children are using it too.
The coconut oil also has many benefits of its own which is an extra bonus!
So now here I am, passing on this amazing tip to anyone who will listen! I get enormous satisfaction from my eye-rolling friends who reluctantly agree to try it and who are then amazed by how well it works!
If you’re curious and give it a try, please let me know, I would love to hear about it.
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