For years, I had associated the idea of lavender with the unpleasant scent of some soaps and lotions that are made with artificial lavender fragrances rather than with real lavender essential oil.
For years, I had also heard and read about how soothing the scent of lavender was supposed to be and how it could help you to feel more relaxed and even fall asleep faster and night and sleep more deeply and restfully.
Those all sounded like great benefits to me, but my unpleasant encounters with the fake-smelling, soapy lavender and my own procrastination kept me from doing anything with lavender for quite some time. That is, until I saw the selection of lavender plants at my local garden center last year.
As soon as I saw the beautiful color of the purple flowers, I was hooked. And the aroma wasn’t at all like I had expected it to be. It was delicate and floral with a hint of something that seemed almost a little bit spicy. Definitely not soapy.
I bought the lavender plant and enjoyed its many blooms last summer. This summer, it came back again with even more blooms than last year.
Lavender used to be more popular in past centuries than it is today. Many forms of lavender, including dried lavender flowers, lavender essential oil, and lavender water, have been popular with royalty over the centuries such as Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I, and Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria’s love of lavender made it extremely popular during the Victorian period. It was used for perfume, potpurri, inscect repellent, soaps and other beauty products, household cleaning products, and baked goods, among other things. Because of its anti-bacterial qualities, lavender was also part of the “Four Theives Vinegar” used by grave-robbers during the Great Plague of 1665 to ward off disease. Here are some links for more information about the fascinating history of lavender and its uses throughout the years:
- Botanical.com – A Modern Herbal
- Mountain Rose Herbs
- Auracacia.com
- Lavenderenchantment.com
- The Herbal Kitchen
What do I use lavender for? So far, I’ve mainly used it for its aromatherapy benefits. I’ve haven’t done any experimenting with using it in baking yet (but I hope to soon!) The variety of lavender plant that I have in my herb garden is meant more for potpourri usage rather than for culinary usage. The lavender I have right now isn’t an organic plant either, so before I try using lavender in cooking and baking, I want to find a plant that’s organic.
One of the main ways I’ve been enjoying my lavender is by putting the dried flowers in a sachet by my bed. Before I go to sleep, I breathe in the aroma of the lavender, and I really can feel it starting to make me more relaxed. I’ve noticed that I fall asleep a little bit faster with the lavender close to me bed. I also think my sleep is a bit more restful because of the calming influence of the lavender. It might just be all in my head since I know lavender is supposed to be a soothing scent, but it seems to work, and even if it is just my imagination, the lavender makes the room smell amazing anyways, so it’s a win-win situation 🙂
I also like to use a few drops of lavender essential oil mixed with some jojoba oil as a moisturizer since lavender is supposed to sooth the skin as well as the mind. it smells amazing and feels great too.
The other way I’ve been using lavender is with my laundry. I put a few drops in with the wash, and it makes my clothes smell so fresh and nice. I especially love doing this when I’m washing sheets and pillowcases. There’s nothing quite as soothing as freshly-washed bedding scented with lavender.
Lavender is a pretty amazing plant, when you think about it. It looks beautiful, smells beautiful, and is useful for everything from homemade air fresheners and potpourri to natural flavorings and decorations for baked goods. Using dried lavender flowers or lavender essential oil is a great way to add a sense of beauty and tranquility to your home.
How do you use lavender in your home?
~ Lori
This post is linked to Make a Move Monday at Simply Made Home and Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.