Lavender Essential Oils

Source Plant: Lavandula Angustifolia – known as ‘True Lavender’.  A perennial herb, which is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae).

Plant Part Used: Flower

Oil Extraction Method: Steam Distillation

Main Constituents: Most active ingredients are Linalyl Acetate (21-47%) and Linalol (23-46%).

Note:  True Lavender does not contain camphor to the same levels as Lavandin, a hybrid of True Lavender and Spike Lavender.

 

There are 39 known species of Lavandula (lavender)

A lot of the “lavender” sold today is actually Lavandin, a hybrid of True Lavender and Spike Lavender.

As lavender oil is created from the flowers, Lavandin is a “more efficient” plant with more flowers and produces about 50% more oil per plant.

Lavandin is commonly used to scent personal care products where there are no therapeutic benefits. Lavandin contains much higher concentrations of camphor (7-18%), a terpene that invalidates its use to soothe burns or skin irritations.

View a mini clip on Lavender Essential Oil.

Young Living is very particular about the quality of the plants that are used for the essential oil production.  True Lavender grown under certain conditions may have camphor levels that are too high and will not be suitable.

The distillation process impacts the quality of the essential oil.

Young Living distills its lavender for 1 hour 15 minutes at zero pounds of pressure.  Cheaper commercial lavender is often distilled for 15 to 20 minutes at 155 pounds of pressure, removing most of the therapeutic qualities.

Young Living’s processes ensure that the essential oils we create include all of the therapeutic qualities.

Essential Oil Blends

• Aroma Siez: A key blend in Young Living’s exclusive Raindrop Technique®, Aroma Siez™ combines lavender and peppermint essential oils to promote relaxation.  Ingredients: basil, lavender, cypress, marjoram, peppermint.
• Dragon Time: is a blend of calming and soothing essential oils, including clary sage, which contains natural phytoestrogens – the perfect choice for women’s emotions during special times and needs. Its balancing properties make it a perfect choice for supporting normal, healthy emotions during the female monthly cycle. Dragon Time is recommended for young and mature women.  Ingredients:  Clary sage (Salvia sclarea), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), marjoram (Origanum majorana), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and jasmine (Jasminum officinale).
• Gentle Baby:  is a soothing blend of pure essential oils with an aroma that invites a sense of calming for mothers and children. Because of the photo-sensitivity of lemon, which is in this blend, do not apply to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight within 48 hours.  Ingredients:  Pelargonium graveolens† (Geranium) flower oil, Aniba rosaeodora† (Rosewood) wood oil, Coriandrum sativum† (Coriander) seed oil, Cymbopogon martini† (Palmarosa) oil, Lavandula angustifolia† (Lavender) oil, Cananga odorata† (Ylang ylang) flower oil, Anthemis nobilis† (Roman chamomile) flower oil, Citrus limon† (Lemon) peel oil, Jasminum officinale** (Jasmine) oil, Rosa damascena† (Rose) flower oil.
• R.C.: is an invigorating blend of cypress, spruce, and three varieties of eucalyptus that is comforting when applied to the chest and throat.  Ingredients:  Eucalyptus (E. globulus, E. radiata,E. citriodora), myrtle, spruce, peppermint, pine,lavender, marjoram, cypress.
• Shutran: An empowering essential oil blend specially formulated for men to boost feelings of masculinity and confidence, Shutran™ is perfect for use as a cologne that appeals to both men and women. Ingredients:  Idaho blue spruce, ocotea, hinoki, ylang ylang, coriander, davana, cedarwood, lemon, lavender.

Personal Care Products

• Copaiba Vanilla Shampoo: Natural and environmentally responsible, our Copaiba Vanilla Moisturizing Shampoo is a rich hydrating cleanse for dry or damaged hair.
• Copaiba Vanilla Conditioner: Plant-based and environmentally responsible, Copaiba Vanilla Moisturizing Conditioner is a rich hydrating cleanse for dry or damaged hair.
• Lavender Mint Daily Shampoo: Plant-based, safe, and environmentally responsible, Lavender Mint Daily Shampoo is an invigorating daily cleansing blend suitable for all hair types.
• Lavender Mint Daily Conditioner: Plant-based, safe, and environmentally responsible, Lavender Mint Daily Conditioner is an invigorating daily moisture blend suitable for all hair types.
• Lavender Hand & Body Lotion: Infused with Lavender essential oil and other plant-based ingredients, Lavender Hand & Body Lotion moisturizes and protects skin from overexposure for long-lasting hydration. This formula is eco-friendly and all natural.
• Mirah™ Shave Oil: is formulated with a rich blend of essential oils, emollients, and botanical ingredients for a luxuriously close shave. Exotic baobab, meadowfoam, and avocado oils work together with our exclusive Mirah essential oil blend to reduce razor drag, bumps, and nicks.
• Orange Blossom Facial Wash: This gentle, soap-free facial wash cleanses the skin without stripping natural oils. It contains MSM for softening, kelp to improve elasticity, and Lavender essential oil to soothe skin.

• Can help reduce the symptoms of a cold and cough.
• Acts as a nervine and calmative, which enhances relaxation as well as helps to relieve headaches.
• When experiencing digestive discomfort it can act as a carminative and antispasmodic.
• To enhance relaxation, add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet at bedtime.
• Freshen your linen closet, mattress, car by combining Lavender with water in a spray bottle.

The sense of smell is the only sense connected to the limbic lobe of the brain, the emotional control centre.

A scent can evoke an emotion before we are consciously aware of it.

There are two ways we detect odors:

1) In the air we breathe through the front of the nose (orthonasal olfaction)

2) Through the back of our nose from our mouth, when chewing food (retronasal olfaction). This is how we appreciate the flavor of food when it is in our mouth and why many people suffering from a smell disorder believe that there is something wrong with their sense of taste.  This  is looked at further on the Smell, Taste and Flavor page.

When sniffing a flower, odor molecules from it are drawn to the top of the nose, or olfactory cleft, as we breathe in.  They then dissolve in a layer of mucus membrane known as the olfactory epithelium.  This ‘drawing in’ of air is aided by the turbinates; bony cushions inside the nose which not only help direct the airflow but also warm, humidify and filter the air as it passes over them.  Sniffing improves this process by increasing the flow of air.

Once the odour molecules have dissolved in the mucus, they spread through it (or are carried by special proteins) and attach to hair-like structures called cilia.  The cilia are attached to receptor cells, as shown in the animation.  The odour molecules then bind with the receptor cells themselves which then generate a signal, or impulse.

These signals are passed along tiny nerve fibres called axons, which pass through tiny perforations in the cribriform plate, a layer of bone in the base of the skull.  Bundles of many thousands of these axons together make up the olfactory nerve, much like the individual copper strands in an electrical cable.  They converge on the edges of the olfactory bulb, a structure on the frontal lobe of the brain (there is actually one on each side of the brain, one for each nostril).

The olfactory bulb is responsible for processing the signals it receives from the receptors,  and passing this information on to other parts of the brain, including the thalamus, limbic system and the orbito-frontal neocortex.  The role the limbic system plays in further processing the information it receives from the olfactory bulb is of particular interest; see Psychology and Smell for more information.

Psychology and Smell

Upon detecting a smell the olfactory neurones in the upper part of the nose generate an impulse which is passed to the brain along the olfactory nerve. The part of the brain this arrives at first is called the olfactory bulb, which processes the signal and then passes information about the smell to other areas closely connected to it, collectively known as the limbic system.

The limbic system comprises a set of structures within the brain that are regarded by scientists as playing a major role in controlling mood, memory, behavior and emotion. It is often regarded as being the old, or primitive, part of the brain, because these same structures were present within the brains of the very first mammals. Knowing this helps us to understand why smell plays such an important role in memory, mood and emotion.

Smell and Memory

The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses.  Those with full olfactory function may be able to think of smells that evoke particular memories; the scent of an orchard in blossom conjuring up recollections of a childhood picnic, for example.  This can often happen spontaneously, with a smell acting as a trigger in recalling a long-forgotten event or experience.  Marcel Proust, in his ‘Remembrance of all Things Past’, wrote that a bite of a Madeleine vividly recalled childhood memories of his aunt giving him the very same cake before going to mass on a Sunday.

Smell and Emotion

In addition to being the sense most closely linked to memory, smell is also highly emotive.  The perfume industry is built around this connection, with perfumers developing fragrances that seek to convey a vast array of emotions and feelings; from desire to power, vitality to relaxation.

On a more personal level, smell is extremely important when it comes to attraction between two people.  Research has shown that our body odor, produced by the genes which make up our immune system, can help us subconsciously choose our partners – read more here.  Kissing is thought by some scientists to have developed from sniffing; that first kiss being essentially a primal behavior during which we smell and taste our partner to decide if they are a match.

It is likely that much of our emotional response to smell is governed by association, something which is borne out by the fact that different people can have completely different perceptions of the same smell. Take perfume for example; one person may find a particular brand ‘powerful’, ‘aromatic’ and ‘heady’, with another describing it as ‘overpowering’, ‘sickly’ and ‘nauseating’. Despite this, however, there are certain smells that all humans find repugnant, largely because they warn us of danger; the smell of smoke, for example, or of rotten food.

Some Interesting Facts:

• Humans possess around 12 million olfactory receptor cells that can detect approximately 10,000 odours. Dogs, on the other hand, have anywhere from 100 to 200 million plus receptor cells, depending on the breed. The bloodhound is thought to have more receptor cells than any other dog (as many as 300 million) and can detect 40,000 different odors!
• The higher concentration of an odor, the stronger the signal sent by the receptor cells to the olfactory bulb.

 

• Apply 2-4 drops or dilute for local application.
• Helps relieve joint or muscle pain associated with sprains, strains and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Local application, body massage, topical application and with compresses.

• Young Living’s lavender essential oil has been registered by Health Canada as a natural health product (NHP).
• This means Health Canada regards it as a naturally occurring substance that is used to restore or maintain good health.
• Note that Young Living’s Lavender NHP registered oil has a Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label.
• Being registered as a natural health product allows you to make the claims about lavender oil as described above.

Mix the following ingredients in a medium bowl:

• 2 cups Epsom salts
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 25 drops of Young Living Lavender essential oil
• 1/4 cup sea salt (optional)
• 15 drops of Young Living Peppermint essential oil

Store in an air-tight jar.

Use 1/4 cup per bath to relax and rejuvenate.

 

Get ready for the magnesium boosting effects of Epsom salts, the moisturizing effects of coconut oil, and the skin calming effects of Lavender all in one!

Mix the following ingredients in a medium bowl:

• 2 cups organic virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 20 drops of Young Living Lavender essential oil

Store in glass container with tight-fitting lid until ready to use.

Always consult “Guideline for safe use” when working with essential oils.

15 ml (#357503) Retail: $40.13 CAD Wholesale:  $30.50 CAD

Place an order or become a member today to receive this product at 24% of the retail value!

Lavender Label

Our oils go through this unique “Seed to Seal” process to guaranty that each home receives the best 100% pure essential oil.