Lavender: An Essential Oil for Your Home
More and more families are discovering the versatility and value of essential oils. Essential oils can be a substitute for many potentially harmful chemical and pharmaceutical products we use in our daily lives. One of the most versatile of these essentials oils is lavender. If you’ve been considering more natural ways to address issues in and around your home, here are just some ways lavender can help.
Distilled from the plant Lavandula angustifolia, there are many helpful properties to lavender oil. They include antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties along with detoxifying and sedative effects. Here are some ways these properties can be put to use around your home.
- Homemade Dryer Sheets
Place a few drops of essential lavender oil on coffee filters or clean cloths to make fresh smelling dryer sheets.
- Keep in a First-Aid Kit
Lavender oil can help with scratches and minor cuts, bee stings and bites and can even reduce swelling around splinters to aid in their removal.
- Use to Minimize Scarring
Lavender is so skin-friendly it can minimize the negative appearance of scars. Just rub it in daily until you see results to your satisfaction.
- Freshen the air While You Vacuum
Put a few drops of lavender oil onto some cotton balls and place in a vacuum bag or dust cup prior to cleaning your floors. The scent will flow through your room and your home.
- Improve Sleep
Lavender is noted for its ability to reduce stress and relax those who breathe it in. Spritz some diluted lavender oil on pillow cases and sheets before retiring for a deeper, higher quality sleep.
- Treat Cold Sores Naturally
Cold sores are painful and last far too long. Create a mixture of a drop of lavender essential oil diluted with 10 drops of fractionated coconut oil and apply it directly to the affected area to enhance healing.
- Make Your Own Natural, Relaxing Perfume
Simply use a drop of essential lavender oil on the wrists or behind the ears in the morning and reapply periodically through the day. The fresh floral scent will have a relaxing effect on you and those around you!
- The Secret to a Truly Relaxing Bath
A few drops of lavender oil and a handful of Epsom salts added to a hot bath can relax muscles and soothe the mind and spirit. Soak for a least 20 minutes.
Discover the value of essential oils in creating a more natural atmosphere in your home. Start with a versatile oil that is hard to beat by choosing lavender oil. From relieving headaches to treating smells of pet stains you may find yourself using it almost daily!
