Lavender and lavender oil have the oldest thousand-year history. To this day in perfume it remains one of the main oils. His homeland is the Mediterranean. Since ancient times, it was used in washing, for flavoring baths, hence its Latin name "lavare", which means washing or washing. Hippocrates noted the extraordinary healing properties, saying that "lavender warms the brain, tired of past years." Nowadays, wild lavender is found in the Canaries, in Iran, in the South of France.
Chemical composition
This substance has a very complex chemical composition, including more than 150 components. The main ones are:
- alcohol esters (linalools);
- acids: valeric, acetic, caproic, butyric;
- nutrients: karyofillen, lavender, geraniol, coumarin, borniol, herniarin;
- subsidiary components: tannins, resins, bitterness.
Important! Undiluted essential oil when applied externally may cause burns.
What is useful lavender oil
The range of beneficial qualities is unusually wide. This aromatic substance has the properties:
- antidepressant;
- anesthetic;
- antioxidant;
- antispasmodic;
- antimicrobial;
- anti-virus;
- healing;
- disinfecting;
- expectorants;
- relaxing;
- placating.
Find out what is useful lavender, whether it is possible to grow lavender at home, in the garden, and how to plant narrow-leaved lavender.In addition, this unique substance can reduce aggressiveness. The strongest natural aphrodisiac, which helps to perceptively and delicately feel the partner, contributing to a deeper expression of feelings, affection and attention. Lavender fragrant gold is used in the treatment of:
- cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension;
- atherosclerosis and varicose veins;
- infectious and catarrhal diseases;
- erectile dysfunction;
- violation of the menstrual cycle;
- skin ailments;
- chronic rhinitis and otitis media;
- pediculosis;
- epilepsy;
- enuresis;
- gout;
- ulcers and gastritis.
Did you know? According to world standardization, lavender oil should have 30-60% of esters, an acidity of not more than 8 and the ability to dissolve in 2-3 volumes of 70% alcohol.
Can i use
Despite its many beneficial properties, lavender in some cases need to be used with caution. And we will tell about it below.
Pregnant
In such a delicate state, apply with care starting from the second trimester. Better after consulting with a gynecologist.
You will also be interested to learn about the use of clove oil, citronella, cumin, opuntia, flax and castor oil.
Nursing
During lactation, the use of lavender is undesirable. Although there is no single opinion on this.
For children
It is recommended for a newborn after two weeks after birth, when the umbilical wound is finally healed. It is good for skin of all types, eliminates peeling and irritation, and also helps with: rashes and itching, when teeth are cut, the stomach hurts, if you need to calm down before sleep, with a cold or cough, if insects have bitten. 
For massage
Added to base oil: 4-5 drops of lavender per 10 milliliters of base oil. Mothers in order to reduce pain and accelerate the exit of the fetus shows a massage of the lower back with lavender oil. Composition for massage: 2% lavender and 98% base substance.
Important! Before using lavender oil, you must pass an allergy test.
Use in traditional medicine: recipes
Over the centuries, in folk medicine, a huge variety of recipes for the healing use of this fragrant lavender gold have arisen, but we will consider only the most common ones.
When insomnia and nervous tension
To get rid of these ailments, you should mix one drop of thyme, three drops of lavender, four drops of geranium and two drops of juniper. The resulting composition is used in the oil burner, bath or massage. Only with a massage or bath, mix this mixture with ten milliliters of base oil (for example, almond or olive oil). You can also use it inside: first, spread lavender oil on the temporal region, and then drop two or three drops on a piece of sugar or honey and eat.
For insomnia, they also take salvia, safflower, derben, anemone, catnip, sweet clover, vervain, marigold, garlic, zyuznik, and marjoram.
With headaches
A massage of the occipital region of the head with the use of the fragrant lavender substance or a lavender compress on the diseased area will help to overcome this ailment: put 3 drops on a gauze napkin on the eve of sleep and place it on the forehead so that it captures the temporal areas. Close your eyes and lie down for 10 minutes. 
For muscle pain
In this case, recommended compresses. The recipe is simple: dissolve 15 drops of lavender in 100 ml of warm water. Moisten in this mixture a napkin of gauze and attach to the place that hurts. Wrap in cellophane and leave for 20 minutes. After this time the compress is removed, and this place is massaged for a while with lavender oil. Composition will help you quite well: 2 drops of eucalyptus, 2 drops of rosemary, 1 drop of juniper, a drop of mint and 4 drops of lavender. A mixture to rub into sore spots.
Did you know? During the 15 days of lavender blooming, over 230 kg of essential oil evaporates from one hectare of sowing, and this is four times more than the entire industrial tax.
With increased sweating feet
Foot bath will contribute to the elimination of this trouble. First prepare the composition: 20 g of sage leaves mixed with 20 g of lavender. The resulting mixture pour a liter of boiling water. Insist for half an hour, then strain. Add 5 ml of lavender oil and 3 ml of sage oil to the filtered composition. Pour into the appropriate basin and put there for 20 minutes feet.
Mask for legs. Mix one tablespoon of honey, three teaspoons of flour, two teaspoons of lemon oil, one teaspoon of lavender oil. Steam out the feet and apply the mixture to them for 30-40 minutes. For better impact, do not interfere with the foot wrap film and wear warm socks.
For skin diseases
For the treatment of skin ulcers: 20 g of lavender, 20 g of pre-melted chicken fat, 100 ml of chamomile tincture (100 ml of boiling water 1 tablespoon of chamomile, leave for half an hour and drain), sage leaves tinctures 70 ml (200 ml of boiling water 1 Art. L., insist half an hour, then strain). The resulting mixture for 24 hours to place in the reach of light. 
Then they lubricate the affected areas on the skin twice a day, after each time for 10 minutes, rinse with cool boiled water. The course of treatment is two weeks, then a pause for seven days, repeat one more time. For eczema and dermatitis, add 30 drops of lavender to 30 ml of base oil. Dilute and apply on diseased skin.
Wellness baths
For a relaxing bath, 5-6 drops of lavender should be mixed with 60 g of milk, kefir, cream, honey or salt. The resulting composition is slightly diluted with water and poured into a water bath. Take a bath from twenty minutes to half an hour. Shower after this bath is excluded. For insomnia, neurosis, depressive state or severe asthenia, you need to take a bath with 15 drops of fragrant lavender gold at night.
How can you use in home cosmetology: recipes
Essential lavender fragrant gold has a beneficial effect on any skin of the face.
Nourishing mask
You can mix a couple of droplets of ethereal lavender with either peach, or apricot, or cedar or olive oil, with avocado or coconut oil. The therapeutic composition is left on the face for 10-12 minutes.
Nutritious mask can also be made with zucchini, purslane and spinach.
Cleansing mask
A very simple recipe. 100 ml of purified water, 50 ml of glycerin, 25 ml of undiluted alcohol and 5 drops of lavender. Mix. Twice a day, clean your face with a cosmetic disc moistened with this composition.
Rejuvenating mask
Warm 30 g of olive oil and mix with 3 drops of lavender oil. The resulting composition is applied for half an hour on clean skin. At the end of the procedure, do not rinse, but wipe the face with a napkin. 
Acne and Acne
In mineral water, cosmetic clay, preferably blue, diluted to a state of uniformity. Drip 5 drops of lavender, mix well and cover your face with this composition. When the clay is completely dry - wash off. Add one or two drops of lavender to one part cream or lotion for daily use. With a daily procedure using the composition, you can get rid of acne.
Against dandruff and hair loss
To eliminate dandruff, it is necessary to carry out a special procedure. The basis of take two tablespoons of oil and slightly heated in a water bath. Then mixed with egg yolk and add 4 drops of lavender aromatic substance, 2 drops of rosewood oil and two drops of ylang-ylang oil. 
Before shampooing the composition is thoroughly rubbed into the skin. In order to prevent premature baldness, a few drops of lavender should be added to the shampoo when washing your hair. If other popular methods are used, then it will only benefit there, but on condition that there should not be any other essential oil.
Important! Internal use of undiluted lavender oil is strictly prohibited.
Contraindications
They are not so much, but they are. About lavender oil should be forgotten in the first few months after childbirth or abortion, while breastfeeding, with anemia and a tendency to hypotension. During the reception of drugs containing iron and iodine (until the end of the course of administration), as well as during chemotherapy of malignant tumors. In addition, should not be used in case of individual intolerance. 
Remember this rule: the smell that does not like, will not bring benefit. Lavender essential oil is almost a universal remedy for many physical and mental ailments. Thousands of years of experience in studying and cultivating have made it possible to develop universal and useful recipes and methods for its versatile use.
