Herb Series: Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavendula angustifolia (formerly officinalis or vera)
Family: Lamiaceae (mint)
Parts Used: blossoms
Energetics: cooling, bitter, drying
Systems Affected: nervous, skin

Lavender is one of my favorites!  Not only does it look and smell heavenly but it has a powerhouse of healing abilities. I always like to name my herbs based on their healing abilities and since lavender is my favorite I give it two names: The when in doubt herb and the burn herb.  When you can’t think of what to do for a condition, lavender will be the one to go to.  It also has amazing abilities to heal and soothe burns.  

Herbal Properties and Actions

• analgesic
  
• anodyne
  
• anti-bacterial
  
• anticatarrhal
  
• antidepressant
  
• antifungal
  
• anti-inflammatory
  
• anti-rheumatic
  
• antiseptic
  
• antispasmodic
  
• aromatic
  
• carminative
  
• circulatory
  
• decongestant
  
• deodorizing
  
• diaphoretic
  
• diuretic
  
• expectorant
  
• nervine
  
• relaxant
  
• sedative
  
• stimulant
  
• vulnerary

herbal property definitions

Beauty and Personal Care

• deodorizing
• hair loss
• dandruff, dry, itchy scalp
• tones skin and improves circulation 
• acne and other skin conditions
• good for dry skin - especially when used as a facial steam
• perfume
• mouthwash - freshens and deodorizes the mouth

personal care recipes

In the Home

Here are useful ways to use lavender in your home:

• potpourri
• herbal vinegar - use as a multi-purpose cleaner to disinfect, cleanse and deodorize
• laundry - fill a muslin bag with lavender flowers and toss in the dry with laundry to freshen and disinfect (you could also use a sachet)
• sleep pillow - tuck under pillow or next to the pillow for a good nights rest
• sachet, muslin bag, or sheer bag filled with blossoms - place in linen closets, drawers, closets, cupboards, etc.
  
• burn the dried stalks like incense - can also burn in bundles to disinfect and deodorize, they can also be thrown in the fireplace to burn
• use in any of your favorite household cleaner recipes

natural cleaning recipes

Uses

• Burns; household, sun, chemical, etc.
• ​Sedative, calming and relaxing - in small amounts
• Stimulating - in large amounts
• Relieves tension, stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness
• Strengthens the nervous systems, calms anger, agitation, and irritability
• Aids circulation, strengthens and soothes the heart
• Headaches and migraines - especially when combined with feverfew
• Very gentle and healing for any concern with babies & children; over tired, fussy, colic, skin problems, first aid, etc.
• Any skin condition; dry skin, rashes, diaper rash, eczema, infection, sores, etc.
• Fungal infections like ringworm, athletes’ foot, nail fungus, yeast infection, etc. (combine with tea tree essential oil for best results)
• First aid: disinfect, cuts, wounds, sprains, strains, burns, etc.
• Indigestion; nausea, cramps, tummy ache, flatulence, loss of appetite, etc.
• Illness, colds, flu, fever, illness recovery
• Infections of all types
• Respiratory, asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, etc.
• Inflammation internal and external
• Insect repellent, parasites, lice, moths, etc.
• Mild pain reliever
• Muscle aches, tension, and spasms
• Women’s health: PMS​ symptoms, cramps, vaginal issues, childbirth
• After birth healing - take a lavender bath every evening before bed to speed healing

Methods of Use

• Essential Oil –diffuse, apply to area of concern, put in bath, massage into feet or any area of the body
• Tea – in addition to drinking, works great as a hair rinse and wash for cuts and scrapes 
• Herbal pillow – sleep pillow, first aid pack (keep in freezer for headaches and inflammation), linen closets and drawers, dryer, bath bag, steam pillow, cold pack, etc.
• Extracts; alcohol, glycerine, vinegar
• Powder, capsules, sprinkles, salts
• Herbal oil: massage for muscle tension, stress, headache and for calming at bedtime, great for baby and children
• Honey, syrup 
• Salve, creams, and body care products
• Bath, soaks, steams
• Compress, poultice
• Washes, gargle, douche, enema
• Culinary uses; pesto, soups, stir-fry, sauces, marinades, dips, vinegar, salad dressings, meat rub, salt, drinks, breads, treats, smoothies and more

Herbal preparations

Care/Harvesting

Lavender is super easy to care for and grows like a weed (in fact my hubby refers to all my herbs as weeds:).   Follow these few guidelines and you can have lavender gracing a spot in your landscape. 

• Place in a dry and sunny hot spot.  It must have well drained soil and can be planted in full sun or part shade.
• Water lightly
• Best to plant from a root division or get a plant from the nursery

• Space plants at least 12-24” apart

• Mulch in the fall

• For highest quality medicinal properties harvest the lavender flowers when the buds are just opening. The blossoms hold the highest concentration of constituents.  
• ​Cut the blossoms as they are just opening. I always have little helpers for this job.  I like to cut around my plant and leave some blossoms in the middle for the bees.

printable for herbal

Recipes

Burn Soother Spray

Boo Boo Bag or Herbal Sachet

Lavender Lemonade

Sweet Dreams Herbal Pillow

Wound Wash

Decongestant Salve

Healing Salve

Herbal Baby Balm and Natural Skin Care for Babies

Bite Bee Gone Salve

Burn Salve

Resources

​​What to make and do with lavender by Strangers and Pilgrims
How to Make Lavender Wands - The Herbal Academy
100 Plants That Heal: The Illustrated Herbarium of Medicinal Plants - Gerard Debuigne, pg.125
A Modern Herbal, p. 467
Breverton’s Complete Herbal, p.198
Essential Herbal Wisdom by Nancy Arrowsmith, p.433
Flower Fairies: The Meaning of Flowers, p.
Herbs and Spices by Linda Gray, p.51
Herbs for Stress and Anxiety, p.93
Homegrown Herbs by Tammi Hartung, p. 202
Nutritional Herbology by Mark Pedersen, p. 117 (details of actions and constituents)
Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, p. 350
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide, p.49
The Herbal Academy: Recipes Monographs: Intermediate Herbal Course, p. 168
The Herbal Kitchen, p. 75
The Healing Garden, p.145
The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody, p. 73
The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz, p. 126
The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook by James Duke, p. 138
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies by Norman Shealy, p.161 (essential oil)
The New Age Herbalist by Richard Mabey, p. 65
The New Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman, p. 382
The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, p.180