LAVENDER
(I got these pictures off the internet)
I would love to share with you all the many benefits and uses of the Lavender plant and the oil that comes from it. So if this is something you would like to learn dear sisters read on..............
Lavender flowers/leaves have so many uses as does the Essential oil that comes from the Lavender plant. Besides their beauty lavender smells wonderful and is a natural relaxant. You can take the dried flowers and put them in an empty cloth tea bag and tie it up or you can put some in a colored piece of netting and tie it closed with a pretty ribbon. Add either one of them to your drawers or home to help scent your clothes or decorate your shelves. You can also put one of the sachets into your pillow case to help you rest as you enjoy the relaxing smell of lavender. I do this for each of my children whenever I buy dried lavender flowers.
Another thing you can do is add lavender leaves to your dressings or foods. We chop ours up and add it to meals we make that have fresh herbs in them. Some people make lavender flavored cookies. I have never done this but it sure sounds interesting. If you want to make a tea you can use dried leaves or flowers but you want to use the flowers before they bloom. Then put them in a tea ball and steep in hot water, add honey and enjoy. Hot lavender tea will cause sweating and it reduces fevers. It will help to detoxify the body by increasing the elimination of toxins via the skin, and with its mild diuretic action, it will help your body eliminate through the urine. You can also take lavender by grinding up the dried flowers into powder and making your own capsules or you can turn the dried herb into a homemade tincture. Taken the herb internally helps soothe spasms and colic related to tension and relieves distention, flatulence, nausea, and indigestion, and it also enhances the appetite. Lavender in any form is effective for colds, coughs, pneumonia, flu, tonsillitis, and laryngitis. Whether you take this herb as a tea, tincture, or an oil internally this herb can help with stomach and bowel infections that are causing vomiting or diarrhea. Lavender can be used as often as you like. Lavender should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Refrigeration or freezing will delay the loss of its highly nutritional value and it's amazing medicinal properties but is certainly not necessary to do.
Lavender oil has all the same effects as taking this herb by capsule, tea or tincture.
You can grow your own lavender plants The plant loves full sun and loose well drained soil. Lavender is a perennial shrub. Most lavender plants are drought tolerant so they are suitable for most areas.
Lavender essential oil can be used internally if you buy a therapeutic grade oil and they state you can take their oils internally. Wyndmere Naturals makes very nice Essential Oils but they say you shouldn't take their oils internally. Young Living makes therapeutic grade oils too but they claim you can take theirs internally so do your homework before taking any oil internally. Be sure the company says it is safe to do so. You also want to be sure you buy the real thing when it comes to lavender oil for this is one of the essential oils which tends to be adulterated in some way. The real oil is called Lavandula Angustifoilia.
Taking lavender as a dried herb in capsule form, as a tea or in a tincture form it has all the same effects as taking the oil internally. While the oil is alittle more potent you will reap the same benefits by taking this herb in any one of these forms.
The uses of the oil are as follows:
Taken Internally: it is used as a sedative, dizziness, as a stomach aid and for migraine headaches. Lavender oil is antiseptic in nature so it may be useful against riding your body of unwanted bacteria in your digestive system. Lavender oil is also a muscular relaxant as well as it has anti-inflammatory properties it is also a powerful tonic for your entire body. Lavender oil is indicated to help with things like hiccups, insomnia, ulcers, cramps etc.
Used Externally: You can make a warm compress to put on your forehead for headaches, and it is also helpful with bruises and insect bites. You may also use a compress on your chest to help relieve congestion from colds etc. You can also make your lavender herbs or oil into a vapor rub. You can use the oils in your bath or add it to your powders. I will put a drop or two in my children's hands tell them to rub their hands together and to breath in deeply through their nose and out their mouth. I have them do this several times this will help get the lavender into your bloodstream. It is also a way to relax a child before bed or if they had any kind of traumatic experience. It also helps to ease depression, nervous tension. It is great to use for mothers in labor, diffuse some lavender oil in a cold diffuser you can usually purchase these in any health food store. It will help soothe and relax her during the labor and birth of her baby. I diffuse lavender oil into my home all the time. You can also boil water in a crock pot and add a few drops of lavender oil to the water. You should be aware that when you use your crock pot, to diffuse your oils, you may never get the scent out of your crock pot. So if you choose this method be sure to use a crock pot that you don't mind if it gets ruined. It is always better to cold diffuse essential oils for it helps them to keep their beneficial properties but it is still beneficial if you diffuse them through a heat source of some sort. Besides the crock pot method you can put water in a pot add some lavender oil drops and simmer on your stove or on your wood burning stove. They also sell little diffusers that diffuse through burning a small tea candle under a ceramic or glass dish that you add water to. You can add lavender oil to your homemade soaps, creams, candles and any other body products. Another thing lavender is good for is to put on bug bites or cuts to soothe and heal them. You can use it to soothe burns or scalds, it is great for your hair and skin care in general, add some to your brush before brushing your hair or your children's hair. People with eczema and other skin conditions will apply lavender directly to their skin to soothe it. Lavender is one of the few essential oils you can do this with without adding it to a carrier oil. On a hot day, I will add a few drops of lavender oil to a water bottle and spritz my children with it. Do your animals smell or does your furniture smell from your animals? Spritz your animals and furniture with the lavender water too it will get rid of the smell and kill bacteria. People with asthma and bronchitis have inhaled the oil to help soothe their conditions. You can also use this oil as a perfume. We like to use lavender oil in our laundry. I add a few drops to my wash before, during or after the cycle has completed. I will also add a few drops to the clothes before they go into the dryer. This helps disinfect the clothes. I especially use this oil when washing cloth diapers to help kill germs in the diapers. I will add it to my cleaning water when cleaning my floors, counters or bathrooms. If we are out and I need a quick hand sanitzer I will a drop or two directly to our hands and rub them together for a quick antiseptic. I also like to put water in empty spray bottles and add lavender oil to them as a quick air freshener to use in our bathrooms.
If you want to make a gift you can make those pretty colored netting and ribbon sachets that I mentioned earlier and give them to friends and family. You can also fill an empty tall clear bottle and fill it with dried lavender flowers, this is a great gift or just a pretty decoration for your own home. Add distilled water to a pretty cobalt blue spray bottle and add several drops of lavender oil to it. This can be given as a gift for body care to those you love. Use your imagination I am sure there are many ways to give this beneficial herb and oil as a gift to those you love and care about.
As you can see Lavender sure has allot of beneficial properties besides it's beauty in your fields, garden or planters it is a true gift from God. All the information I have provided you with comes from many different sources through all my research over time. I am just another mom who is always looking for ways to take care of her family naturally. Don't take my word for it do your own experiments, research and share with us all what you learn.
Happy healing and smelling!!
Dearest Lord,
Thank you for all the wonderful healing herbs you provide us with. There is so much to learn and enjoy in nature! Thank you for teaching us and healing us through your creation! In your name I pray! Amen.
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