Lavender essential oil has traditionally been used to speed the healing and ease the pain of burns and wounds of all kinds , including those involving sunburn , fire , or scalding . The efficacy of these traditional uses have been verified by extensive research , including a study in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice that showed that lavender essential oil reduced the recovery time needed after episiotomies linked to childbirth . Additionally , research published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that scientific and clinical data support the traditional uses of lavender essential oil .
If you ’ re suffering from hormone-related pain , nerve pain , or burns of any kind , it is worth considering lavender for your pain management protocol .
HOW TO USE :
Lavender essential oil can be diffused in an aromatherapy diffuser , applied topically , or used internally . In my experience , while diffusing lavender essential oil works well to relax the nervous system , ease stress , and alleviate anxiety and depression , the best way to experience lavender ’ s analgesic effects is to apply it topically to painful areas and deeply inhale the aroma at least a few times daily . Obviously , that ’ s not possible for all types of pain , so diffusing may be a good option for some conditions .
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS :
Purchase lavender essential oil that is extracted from the lavender species Lavandula angustifolia . Most of the lavender oils on the market are made from cheaper varieties that do not yield the same
Lavender essential oil has traditionally been used to speed the healing and ease the pain of burns and wounds of all kinds , including those involving sunburn , fire , or scalding .
therapeutic results . If you ’ ve selected pure , high-quality , therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil , it is likely safe to apply undiluted ( neat ) directly to your skin , unless you have highly sensitive skin . If you have sensitive skin , dilute one drop of lavender with five drops of a carrier oil like fractionated coconut or apricot kernel oil before applying . It is best to conduct a forty-eight-hour skin patch test on the inside of your wrist before applying to a more widespread area .
DR . MICHELLE SCHOFFRO COOK - Dr . Michelle Schoffro Cook is an international bestselling book author and a popular natural health blogger at
www . drmichellecook . com . Her health articles have appeared on Yahoo , WebMD , Huffington Post , and many other popular sites . She is a board-certified doctor of natural medicine , doctor of acupuncture , registered nutritionist , certified herbalist , and aromatherapist with over 25-years experience in these and many other forms of natural medicine . Her new book , Pain Erasers is available
here .