15. Lavender for Dental Care
In a study on the oral health of hospice patients with terminal cancer, lavender essential oil, when mixed with geranium, tea tree, and peppermint, significantly improved comfort and objective oral state. The mixture, given twice daily for a week, also reduced the number of numbers of colonizing Candida albican yeast (19). Additionally, it can help heal blood blisters.
Lavender essential oil is an excellent oil to use on babies who are teething. All you need to do is mix a drop with a tablespoon of coconut oil then gently rub it onto your baby’s gums. Of course, consult your healthcare practitioner before giving any essential oil to your baby or child. For your own body, feel free to use lavender essential oil as an effective antimicrobial mouthwash. Simply dilute in a 1 to 4 ratio with coconut oil and use the mixture for oil pulling.
16. Antifungal Lavender
Although it’s known that lavender essential oil best for its use in massage and aromatherapy, there’s a possibility it could be a weapon in the fight against antifungal-resistant infections too.
The essential oil shows a powerful effect against fungi responsible for common skin and nail infections. Scientists tested lavender oil and found it to be lethal to a range of skin-pathogenic strains known as dermatophytes, as well as various species of Candida. Dermatophytes cause infections of the skin, hair, and nails. On the other hand, candida species can cause mucocutaneous candidosis, which is also known as thrush (20).
The breakthrough may not only help to treat fungal infections that commonly attack people with weak immune systems, like chemotherapy patients, but it also may provide an answer about what to do about the rise of so-called super germs.
17. Lavender Essential Oil Treat Headaches
Lavender regulates serotonin levels to minimize pain in the nervous system, which can lead to migraine attacks (21).
In a 2012 study published in European Neurology, forty-seven participants took part in a placebo-controlled clinical trial. The treatment group inhaled lavender oil for 15 minutes during a migraine headache. The researchers asked patients to record their headache severity and associated symptoms in 30-minute intervals for two hours.
The difference between the control and treatment groups was statistically significant. From the 129 headache cases in the treatment group, 92 responded fully or at least partially positive to lavender oil inhalation. In contrast, in the control group, 32 out of 68 recorded that headache attacks responded to the placebo (22)
18. Improve Eczema with Lavender
If you are one of the many people who suffer from eczema, lavender essential oil can be a godsend.
As an alternative to conventional treatments that only suppress symptoms, lavender oil can be used as an all-around restorative agent. In fact, lavender essential oil heals the skin from the inside out, gently easing irritation and working to promote a healthy balance of the skin.
Plus, lavender works against stress– a key contributor to eczema flare-ups.
How will you use lavender essential oil next?