Lavender is one of the most generally useful, gentle and effective healing herbs to have around.

With the ability to soothe irritation, disinfect wounds, speed healing of the skin and even help to regulate moods, no medicine cabinet should be without a vial of lavender essential oil.

Once you’ve seen how much faster cuts treated with lavender heal or feel the instant, lasting relief of aloe vera mixed with lavender on an excrutiating rash, chances are you’ll adopt it as a personal care mainstay like so many others.

First Aid with Lavender Essential Oil

Naturally, you should seek proper medical attention if you seriously cut or otherwise injure yourself. Medical disclaimers out of the way, the healing powers of lavender when it comes to ANY skin condition are truly worth recognition.

Even though lavender is one of the gentlest herbs and the only essential oil commonly applied ‘neat’ (undiluted), it is a good idea to test your sensitivity to lavender essential oil if you have never used it before. This can be done by applying a small amount of undiluted lavender essential oil to healthy skin. If you find you are sensitive to it (bad hae no strong reaction) you should dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil. Start with 2 parts carrier oil and 1 part lavender essential oil, adjust as necessary.

Cuts and Scrapes

Small cuts and scrapes are prime candidates for undiluted lavender essential oil treatment. Simply dab a liberal amound of oil on the affected area and gently massage into the skin. Apply as often as desired for relief of itching, pain and to speed healing.

Larger Surface Wounds

For reasons of comfort, cleaning larger surface wounds, such as badly skinned knees, lavender essential oil diluted with a carrier oil is the best approach. Otherwise the brief initial sting may be too intense for some people. Once the wound has mostly healed over you can begin regular applications of undiluted lavender essential oil to ease discomfort, speed healing and possibly lessen scarring.

Rashes and General Skin Irritation

Dilute pure lavender essential oil with a carrier oil when treating larger areas of irritation. To treat a rash or other irritation, combine lavender essential oil and a carrier oil starting with 1 part essential oil and 3 parts carrier oil. Feel free to experiement with the strength of your oil mixture.

Skin Soothing Lavender Aloe Vera

You can find aloe vera gel in most drug stores. The pump bottles are the best. Just unscrew the pump cap, drop in your lavender essential oil, mix and voila! You’ve got a powerfully soothing skin treatment perfect for sunburns or rashes. The aloe vera helps promote moisture, so critical in healing damaged skin. The lavender turns things up several notches by disinfecting, providing powerful pain relief and increased healing.

Aromatherapy

Lavender has the distinction of being a mood regulator. Though the effect is not completely understood, the scent and inhalation of lavender essential oil can stimulate the senses and rouse energy when we’re tired, or relax and soothe fazzled nerves when we’re feeling overwhelmed or fatigued.

Lavender is also disinfecting when used as part of inhalation therapy. By itself or combined with essential oils of eucalyptus, add 10 drops of so to a large bowl of steamign water. Drape a towel over your head while bending over the bowl. Inhale the healing vapors for at least 10 minutes. This is a great treatment for colds, asthma or other respiratory ailments.

To enjoy the aromatherapeutic benefits of lavender esential oil you can rub some into your skin or add a few drops to a candle or a diffuser. You can even purchase unscented cosmetic bases, such as lotion or facial cream and add your own lavender essential oil to create unique bat hand body preparations.