Lavender Is Widely Used To Make Products

Lavender (Lavandula) - only decorative aromatic evergreen shrub. Genus of plants of the family Labiatae (Lamiaceae, or Labiatae). Includes about 25-30 species of lavender. It grows in the Canary Islands in the northern and eastern Africa, southern Europe, Arabia and India. Cultural forms are grown in gardens worldwide. There are thirty nine species of flowering lavender plants which is distributed across Africa, Arabia, SE India, SW Asia, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Europe and the Mediterranean as well as other parts of the world. Lavender is thought to have originated from Asia and distribution spread from there. Included in the genus annuals are sub-shrubs, small shrubs and herbaceous plants. Due to the forms of lavender planted in gardens around the globe, there are species that grown wild beyond their natural range. Lavender grows well in dry well drained gravel or sandy soils and these plants need no special attention accept some good air circulation and a bit of fertilizer. Lavender that is grown in humid countries tends to develop fungus infections and root rot and do not flourish. Most people grow lavender in their gardens due to the lovely fragrance.

Lavender is widely used to make sachets, soaps, lavender bags for scenting clothes, shampoos and a host of other uses. Latin for lavender is Lavare which means to wash hence the lavender plant has been used for decades to purify the mind, body and soul when bathing in the essence. The plant has also been widely used for medicinal purposes such as fatigue, anxiety, insomnia and depression. The oil of the plant is also used extensively by massage therapist, chiropractic manipulation and acupuncture. For decades pillows were filled with the flowers of the lavender plant in folklore to aid people fall asleep. Studies have been carried out and have concluded that lavender oil does lift the mood of subjects suffering from sleep disorders and that it does promote relaxation. Being massaged with lavender oil results in better sleep patterns, stabilized the mood, reduces anxiety and improves concentration.

When the scent of the lavender plant is inhaled researchers have shown that the scent of the plant has a soothing, sedative and calming effect. The fragrant smell comes from the oil retained in the small blue violet flowers. Lavender is considered to be an herb. The flowers of the plant are beneficial for a number of ailments which include post operative pain, alopecia and others and the plant has shown to have antiviral as well as antibacterial properties. People that suffer from alopecia used a solution of lavender oil and other essential oils and within seven months of massaging the lotion into their scalps experienced re-growth. Inhalation therapy of the lavender plant is also used to treat headaches, exhaustion and nervous disorders. Fungal infections, acne, muscular pain and wounds are also treated with lavender oil successfully. Patients that were treated with oxygen supplemented with lavender reported that better pain control and people suffering from scaly dry skin lesions improved after using lavender oil.