Lavender Essential Oil

If I could only buy one essential oil, it would be lavender.  Lavender has such a lovely smell, is relatively inexpensive, and has a huge variety of healing powers.  

                                                           (photo credit: theflowerexpert.com)

Some of the healing properties include:


*tonic to the nervous system, including treating anxiety, depression, nervous tension, and emotional distress
*treats headaches and migraines
*helps induce sleep
*helps with sore muscles, sprains, backache, and joint pain
*helps with hormone balance
*helps relieve PMS
*helps to treat urinary tract inflammation
*helpful remedies for colds, flu, and coughs
*helps to treat asthma and bronchitis
*can help to kill lice and nits
*helps promote circulation
*great for treating a number of digestive issues
(You can read more here for further helpful details.)

Do you see why I love it so much?  For detailed information on how you can use this oil on children, I recommend buying the book from amazon, Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child (it is on my recommended book list).  This book includes a variety of ways to use lavender and many other essential oils on your child.

One of my favorite ways of using lavender right now is putting a drop on a cotton ball and placing the cotton ball near my pillow (away from my eyes) and enjoying the beautiful aroma while I sleep.

I also enjoy putting 2-3 drops on a cotton ball and placing in a closet - you can refresh as needed every few days.

(photo credit: whatscookingamerica.net)