~Natural Healing With Organic Northwest Herbs~






Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Lavandula Angusti.folia, A.k.a. Lavender~ Part 2: Uses of Lavender Essential Oil

Last week we reviewed how Lavender can be used in edible applications, ex. tea, spice blends, popscicles. Now I am going to review the uses of its essential oil! Essential oils are the true ESSENCE of the said herb. It can be obtained by steam distillation, solvent extraction and infusion. Here is a diagram of how steam distillation works.
When I choose Essential oils, I choose ones that are Organic,{to avoid pesticide contamination} and ones that are steam distilled. Solvent extraction is done with chemical solvents which in turn leave a residue behind that cannot be removed. This is definitely not in line with my goal of providing chemical-free, healing oils for my family & my business, so steam distilled it is!
You may order some Organic Essential Oils where I get mine, at Mountain Rose Herbs! They have SO many Organic herbs to choose from too, so you can get some bulk Organic Lavender for your own spice blend in my first Lavender Post!

Now back to the highlight today, Organic Lavender Essential oil! It has a sweet, floral, herbaceous scent that has a woody undertone. The Ancient Greeks and Romans prized it as a perfume and for its cleansing properties. Medieval Europeans considered lavender an herb of love, as it was claimed to have aphrodisiac qualities!! In the time of dirt floors, the buds were strewn about so that when stepped upon, the flowers released their fragrance. This particular tradition continues today in Portugal and Spain. Its fragrance is known to ease headaches, calm the nerves and promote an easy feeling.
The application of Organic Lavender essential oil should be diluted, as with any essential oil. Our bodes cannot handle the strength of the flower essences, so a little is better than a lot! For example, my Organic Lavender Lotion has a calculated amount of drops in each jar so it will effectively help the user, but not be toxic to the system. It is also one of the FEW safe essential oils for infants and children! Quite a few of my customers have reported positive results from massaging their babies with my Organic Lavender Lotion after bath time to soothe & relax them for bed.

Lavender essential oil is known to ease the pain & discomfort of muscular aches, spasms, and injuries along with helping to heal bruises, cuts and insect bites! This would come in handy when the season starts up again!! Another tip I have listed with my lotion is to apply it to the temples when a headache is present, as it helps relieve it.

When your skin is very dry and cracked, it needs a healing herb like lavender to soothe the inflammation and provide an antiseptic cooling action. This is one of the reasons why I came up with my Organic Lavender Herb lotion bar! Some people are not too excited about applying my cream while away from home, so a lotion bar is the solution! It travels very well, especially in its lidded stainless steel container. Formulated with Organic Unrefined Shea Butter & Organic EV Coconut Oil, it is the best option for intense moisturizing! ​Just rub in-between your hands and watch as the heat from your body starts to melt the lotion bar! You can also rub the lotion bar directly onto the dry skin areas.
Lavender Essential oil also helps repair damaged or overprocessed hair. I know that my hair has changed over the years, and the one thing we ALL have is split ends. Of course if you have just come from the beauty shop and received a trim, you are set, but in-between your trips, it is good to maintain your trim so your hair is the healthiest it can be!
You already are familiar with my Organic Hair Rinse in this post, but do you know of my Organic Hair Gel?
I came up with my formulation for my Organic Hair Gel when I was making my way down the list of products to replace in my beauty regimen. I despise the feeling of "crunchiness" in my hair, so the Organic Hair products at the store were not cutting it. The ONLY one I liked was made in a base of Organic Aloe Vera Gel. BINGO!! I went to work formulating my OWN recipe for Organic Hair Gel. First the herbs Organic Lavender & Organic Rosemary are steeped in the aloe gel to impart their oils into it for a minimum of 4 months.
Then with each bottle ordered, I mix in fresh drops of Organic Lavender Essential oil and Organic Rosemary Essential Oil. The herb infusion, PLUS the essential oils helps to layer the scent & properties so it is more effective. This hair gel is VERY light and is ideal for those who let their hair air dry. Air drying your hair is so much healthier for it anyway, plus it produces a soft, frizz-free head of hair anyone will be jealous of!

Please keep in mind that all of my hair products are formulated to work together! Start off with one of my Organic Soaps to loosen dirt & oils, then my Organic Hair Rinse to balance the pH levels, and end with an application of my Organic Hair Gel to finish. I have been using this routine on my hair for over 2 years now. I will NEVER look back to conventional products again!! My hair not only has less frizz, but it is the healthiest that it has EVER been! I have naturally oily hair and used to have to shampoo EVERY DAY! Not anymore, I am happy to report. My hair has normalized, and my scalp has healed. Tangles have been reduced and split ends are few & far between. You may contact me for a customized hair regimen of your own! I understand not all essential oils are for everyone, so I am happy to customize the hair rinse & hair gel to your preferences. I will also provide recommendations for specific oils that are good for hair & ones that are not. Send me an email if you would like to take advantage of this specialized service! honeybeeholistics (At) yahoO {dOt} cOm

LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A 4OZ BOTTLE OF YOUR OWN HAIR GEL!!
Please let me know how this gel can help you in your quest for chemical-free beauty products for your hair!
***GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

The Winner is MARSHA JARAMILLO!!
Congrats Marsha! PLEASE contact me to claim your prize!!

8 comments:

  1. I think I need to try this. My hair is oily but I don't wash everyday and my scalp is suffering. I use baking soda & water as a wash then rinse with vinegar. Sometimes I cut an aloe leaf to rub on my hair, but this is not always convenient, so this product seems tailor made for me. Thank you for the chance to win such a wonderful product!

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  2. I have tried this in the past and really enjoyed it! The smell alone is worth it, but it was great for my super curly hair!

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  3. My natural curly hair tends to be dry and fly away and this would be a wonderful solution for both issues! I"d love to give it a try!

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  4. I let my hair air dry so this would work well in my hair! :)

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  5. I am trying to get away from using any products that aren't all natural. I have not found one I like for my hair yet. Yours sound amazing and given my hair type and that I prefer to air dry my hair, I would love to try this product. It sounds like it would work beautifully!

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  6. Nicole Walton--- I would love to try your hair gel! I have yet to switch my hair care to all natural products but am interested in trying to do so!! I love every product I have ever tried of yours and can't imagine this would be any different! Thanks for being so awesome!!!

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  7. Lola Love ~~~I have never used your products, i found you on etsy. I am trying to change over to an entire organic/ natural regime. I use natural skin care, body care, shampoo and conditioner too. I would love an organic hair gel, it would be like the icing on the cake. The finishing, but important detail. I enjoy reading your blog, love what you do and what you stand for. Thank you for the opportunity to experience your products.

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