We are past the days when lavender was simply grandma’s secret weapon when it came to freshening up her powder room.
It’s safe to say that purple blooms are everywhere – from milk tea to marshmallows, from cleansers to masks – and have been hailed as heroes in personal care products.
If you’re deciding whether to add lavender oil to your beauty arsenal, we’re here to help. This article will inform you about the unique benefits of this flower, as well as how to use it for a calm, clear complexion.
What Is the Process of Making Lavender Essential Oil?
The lavender essential oil has always been popular with essential oil connoisseurs. What exactly is the process by which those flowers are transformed into oil? It is usually handpicked from the fields of lavender.
Bunches of flowers are tied together and dried for several weeks. Drying the buds helps to prevent the oil from going rancid, and they are easier to remove from the stems. When the flowers have sufficiently dried, it’s time to begin the steam distillation process.
The steam distillation method provides lavender with the maximum benefit without exposing it to the harmful properties of acetone or hexane used in solvent extraction. A concentrated oil is extracted from lavender flowers by distilling them.
As the boiling water gently steams the lavender flowers, the high pressure and heat force out the oil.
Oil and steam are mixed together in a condenser, where they’re cooled and turned back into a liquid. Lavender oil is naturally separated from the steam and becomes a hydrosol.
Also Read: 5 Best Skin Care Routine Steps For Acne-Prone Skin
Benefits of Using Lavender Oil
- For acne, lavender oil is effective
Lavender oil is capable of killing bacteria, which is beneficial for preventing and treating acne. When you apply it to your skin, it clears your pores and reduces inflammation.
After washing your face, apply lavender oil diluted in coconut oil or another carrier oil to your skin.
Additionally, lavender oil can be used as a toner by mixing two drops with a teaspoon of witch hazel. Take a cotton ball and dunk it in the blend, after which you can rub it gently over your face.
Pimples that are particularly stubborn can benefit from argan oil’s anti-inflammatory properties. Mix one drop of lavender oil with one drop of argan oil and apply it directly to pimples twice a day.
- Eases skin problems such as eczema and dryness
Eczema can affect any part of your body. Eczema is a skin condition characterized by dryness, itching, and scaling. It can be mild or chronic and appear in multiple places.
Lavender’s antifungal properties and ability to reduce inflammation makes it an effective treatment for eczema.
Also, lavender oil can be used for psoriasis treatment. Lavender oil assists in cleansing your skin and reducing redness and irritation.
Add two drops of the essential oil to two teaspoons of coconut oil along with an equal amount of tea tree oil for eczema. You can use it on a daily basis.
- The skin lightening properties of lavender oil
The anti-inflammatory properties of lavender oil contribute to skin lightening. In addition to reducing discolourations, it also helps to reduce dark spots.
Reduces redness and blotchiness with lavender oil. You may also benefit from lavender oil if you have hyperpigmentation on your skin.
- Face wrinkles can be reduced by using lavender oil
Free radicals play an important role in the development of wrinkles and fine lines in the face. You can use lavender oil to protect yourself from free radicals, as it is loaded with antioxidants.
Using lavender oil along with coconut oil will alleviate wrinkles. Mix the ingredients together and apply once or twice a day as a moisturizer.
- Lavender oil has anti-inflammatory properties
Lavender oil can relieve painful inflammation. Beta-caryophyllene, an essential oil found in the oil, acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, relieving pain and numbing inflammation.
Add one to two teaspoons of moringa or coconut oil to one to three drops of lavender oil to treat inflammation from a burn. You can apply the mixture three times a day.
You can use a lavender oil spray to soothe sunburn. Take a 1/4th cup of aloe vera juice, two teaspoons of distilled water, 10 to 12 drops of lavender oil and jojoba oil.
Mix them thoroughly to make it a great spray for your neck and face.
After shaking the bottle, spray it on your sunburn. The spray should be used two or three times a day until the sunburn has healed.
- Insect repellent
Insect bites can be treated with lavender oil as well. It is an effective insect repellent and can relieve itching caused by insect bites. Lavender oil is commonly found in commercial mosquito repellents.
It is possible to repel mosquitoes and other bugs with both candles and sprays. Seven drops of oil can be added to the candle and it can be lit outside. A spray is made by mixing eight ounces of water with four drops of lavender essential oil.
The natural remedy can be sprayed on the skin and on clothes before you step outside. Itching, redness, and pain are common symptoms of insect bites. In some cases, they can become infected.
Lavender oil fights bacteria and reduces inflammation to relieve insect bites. Furthermore, it helps relieve pain naturally. Add a few drops of lavender oil to a carrier oil, like coconut, to treat insect bites.
Use the mixture 2-3 times a day. If your pain is stinging, a drop of peppermint oil mixed in can help numb it. Poison ivy can also be treated with lavender oil.
- Lavender oil has wound-healing properties
Lavender oil may help speed up the healing process of wounds such as burns, cuts, scrapes, and other wounds. A recent study found that lavender oil promotes wound healing.
Mix a few drops of lavender oil with coconut or tamanu oil when dressing small wounds. The mixture should be applied to your wound using a cotton ball. Scars can be reduced by lavender oil even after the wound has healed.
Conclusion
Many skin conditions can be treated with lavender oil. It naturally reduces inflammation, lessens pain, and cleanses the skin’s surface. Lavender oil is safe to use on your hands, legs, and face.
If you encounter any side effects while using the oil, such as a rash, stop use immediately and speak to your doctor.