Natural Mom Loves Prada

When I am doing a live Dr. Mom meeting I always start off the oils portion with Lavender. Many people have a bottle of lavender in their house for using in diffusers and/or baths. It’s a well known – highly used oil and for good reason…it’s pretty awesome!!  I’m going to post testimonials throughout the blog from myself and people I know who are using oils to allow you to hear all the different ways people have used it.

We are in Manitoba where the mosquitos are the size of horses. Libby’s bites used to swell up to the size of an adult hand, but if I get the lavender on quick it doesn’t, and if it has, it brings it down nice and quick and the itch goes away almost right away. ~Sarah D.

Let’s get started with some logistics:

Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia – it’s important to know the botanical names of the essential oils you are using so that if you are looking at different brands.  In most plants there are several different species, so each oil can have therapeutic value but likely offer different types of healing. For example, lavandula angustifolia is a great oil to use when you have suffered any kind of burn but other types of lavender oil can and will make the burn worse and more painful. So you don’t have to become an aromatherapist to use oils, just know the botanical names of the oils you do use frequently in case you are looking for it on your shopping travels.

Almost from the time Cameron was born he had a sty. At some points it was quite large and red.  It didn’t seem to bother him but it was really big and noticeable. When we moved to Ontario when he was about 9mths old it just went away.  It was gone for quite sometime when it reappeared and I decided to give Lavender a try. I put a bit on my finger and rubbed it on the bridge of his nose. I didn’t really know if it would do anything because it was not applied directly…but I couldn’t apply it directly…it was on his eye!  The lavender did the trick, every time it has come back we put lavender on and within a short time it’s gone. ~Shanta

Properties: Analgesic, anticoagulant, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antifungal, antihistamine, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, antitumor, cardiotonic, regenerative, sedative.

Lavender is considered to be a universal oil. This means that it can be used for almost anything.  It is well known for it’s relaxing, sedative quality.

“I use lavender with a combo of oregano, tea tree and peppermint oil for my dog’s chronic yeast infections in her ears” ~@mirandababy

The ways I have used lavender:

• skin related issues: rashes, hives, bruises,cuts, wounds, burns, scars, sunburns
• teething
• for relaxation and calming
• depression
• acne
• in combination with other oils: fever, muscles aches
• ear aches

I love using lavender on the kids when they have gotten hurt as it offers germ protection and also helps them to calm down quickly. I have also used it for teething although I think that the effect was more calming in addition to them having a funny taste in their mouth than it was the pain going away…but I say “whatever works!!” When I have used it for ear aches or what looks to be sore ears I will apply the oil around the outside of the ears – remember never to drop any essential oil inside of the ear. I do know that some people have put a few drops on a cotton ball and then place that over the opening of the ear – but I have never needed to do that personally.

Lavender is a really fun oil and the rule of thumb is – if you don’t know what to use…use lavender.