18 Benefits Of Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender has been utilized as an antibacterial, antifungal, carminative, sedative, and antidepressant agent throughout history.
Native to the Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula, Russia, and Africa, the relaxing fragrance experiences from lavender has led to its wide use in aromatherapy to stabilize mood imbalances and gastrointestinal distress, including “nervous stomach.” (4)
Here are some of the main benefits of lavender oil.
1. Anti-Anxiety Lavender Oil
In 2013 the modern world finally caught up with what our ancestors knew from when they very first started to use lavender – that this incredible herb has a truly unique ability to protect against neurological damage, including anxiety.
An evidence-based study published by the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice discovered that supplementing with 80 mg capsules of lavender essential oil alleviates anxiety as well as sleep disturbance and depression. (5)
Another study was done on people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lavender had amazing results, showing signs of enhanced mood. The results revealed that lavender oil, when used daily, helped decrease feelings of depression by 32.7 percent and dramatically decreased sleep disturbances, as well as moodiness, and improved overall health status in 47 people suffering from PTSD. (6)
2. The Calming Properties of Lavender Oil
One of the most effective uses for essential oils is to treat stress. It can be as easy as inhaling the oil’s scent or receiving a lavender oil massage.
A UK study of psychiatric patients diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders found that aromatherapy, combined with massage, reduced anxiety and improved mood over a six-month period of use.
Treating anxiety with essential oils offers quick results. A study conducted by scientists at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Vienna, Germany, discovered the healing compounds in lavender essential oil can be found in the bloodstream in as little as five minutes after skin application (7).
While essential oils can be applied topically, aromatherapy, or the inhaling of essential oils, is the most powerful way to treat anxiety.