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It is said that a mere glimpse of the vast Provençal fields bathed in purple lavender immediately soothes the soul. Lavender has been regarded for centuries as a precious little plant that brought good energy and healing power into homes.
Lavender oil contains more than 150 active substances that fight many physical and mental ailments. Lavender oil has strong anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and detoxifying effects.
Known effects of lavender on health:
- Helps with high blood pressure,
- Better than pills for bloating,
- Effective against fungus,
- Fights insomnia,
- Invigorates, relieves stress and anxiety,
- Positively affects concentration,
- Destroys mold, heals infected wounds and blisters,
- Has a similar loosening effect on the respiratory tract as nasal sprays.
- Speeds up the healing of burns,
- Lavender essential oil in undiluted form is used as a remedy for severe headaches – simply rub it on your temples and painful areas,
- Helps against muscle cramps,
- A warm mixture of lavender essential oil and olive oil can solve dandruff and hair problems,
- Dried lavender fights bloating and contributes to proper bowel function.
Best recipes from lavender
Lavender syrup
We need:
- 1.5 l of water
- 700 g – 1 kg sugar (granulated or cane)
- 30 g citric acid
- 100-130 g lavender flowers, chopped finely
- 1 lemon (well washed)
Procedure:
Put the ingredients (except the lemon) simply into a pot. Pour 1.5 l of boiling water over them. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the sliced lemon. Cover with gauze, secure it with a rubber band and let it stand for two days at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Stir every day. Then strain and store in glass bottles. Use it to prepare lemonades, teas, and to pour over desserts and pancakes!
Healing lemonade for stress, insomnia, high blood pressure and bloating
We need:
- 3/4 cup of honey
- 12 cups of cold water
- 1-2 drops of lavender oil
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- ice
Lavender sprigs for garnish
Procedure:
- Mix all ingredients in a jug and serve with a lemon slice.
- Lavender tea for migraine
- Simply pour boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of dried lavender and let steep for a few minutes. The tea is also excellent during illnesses.
Lavender vinegar – a treasure for every household
If lavender is blooming in your garden, or you have dried bunches at home, this is a wonderful way to use them. Just pour ordinary vinegar over them and let them steep. After three weeks you will have an amazing helper for the household. I can’t imagine life without lavender vinegar anymore, especially in summer. I also recommend it to mothers with small children and to pet owners. It’s really an inexpensive natural miracle.
We need:
- vinegar
- lavender flowers
- a jar or bottle
Procedure:
Fill a clean bottle with chopped lavender flowers that you gathered at midday on a sunny day. Pour vinegar over them and let steep at room temperature for about 3 weeks. Then strain through cloth and add 2-3 fresh flowers to the strained vinegar. Shake regularly while steeping. If you don’t have fresh lavender, dried will do, but fresh is better.
Lavender liqueur
Non-alcoholic liqueur
We need:
- about 10 lavender stems (approx. 150 grams of flowers)
- half a liter of water
- 500 g cane sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 piece of cinnamon
Procedure:
Strip the lavender flowers, pour boiling water over them, add the cinnamon and heat on low for about 5 minutes, add the lemon juice and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Let steep until the next day, then strain through cloth, add sugar and stir carefully until the sugar dissolves. Then pour immediately into dark bottles and seal well.
Store in the dark and cool. It tastes best with chilled soda and lemon.
Alcoholic liqueur
We need:
- about 10 lavender stems (approx. 150 grams of flowers)
- 50 g cane sugar
- peel of 1 organic lemon
- 1 liter of water
Procedure:
Mix the lavender flowers with lemon peel and sugar, stir and pour in alcohol. Let stand in light for 4 weeks, shaking occasionally. Then filter and pour into bottles.
You can add a lavender stem and a piece of lemon peel to the bottle. The liqueur helps digestion and creates a pleasant mood. Protect it from sunlight.
Lavender oil – excellent for migraine, respiratory inflammation and for massaging tired muscles
The oil is excellent for rubbing on the temples when you cannot sleep or suffer from headache, stress or tension. A few drops can also be placed on the upper lip.
We need:
- Dried lavender flowers
- Oil (you can use olive, almond, flaxseed, rapeseed, or nut oil)
- Optional: a few drops of vitamin E to extend the oil’s shelf life
Procedure:
Gently crush the dried lavender flowers – you can use a mortar and pestle or a simple spoon.
Put the crushed flowers into a small sealable container and cover with oil so the flowers are completely submerged. The oil should reach about 2-2.5 cm from the rim of the jar.
Close the jar and place it in a spot with sufficient sunlight (for example on a windowsill) and let it steep for 48 hours.
After this time, strain the oil through cloth and store it in a dark glass sealable container. Keep it in a dark, cool place.
Note: You can add a few drops of vitamin E to the infused oil to extend its shelf life. Even without adding this vitamin, the oil will last for months if stored properly (in a dark, cooler place). Shelf life also depends on the freshness of the oil you used for preparation.
For extra-strong lavender oil
If you want to obtain extra-strong lavender oil, repeat the infusion process 4-6 times – pour the infused oil over the crushed flowers again, let steep, strain and repeat this procedure.
Balm
From the oil mentioned above you can easily create a lavender balm that you can use for massaging tired muscles or massaging temples and neck for headaches. If your skin dries out, you will surely appreciate it.
Put roughly two centimeters of water in a pot, 100 grams of lavender oil from the previous recipe and 15 grams of beeswax. Heat on medium until the wax has completely melted. Finally stir in a few drops of fragrant lavender oil and pour into prepared jars. The balm will last up to a year.
Tincture
If you are troubled by headaches or insomnia, try curing yourself with a lavender tincture, which you can rub on your temples. When applied directly to the scalp, it can also be used as protection against lice. Diluted (30 drops in half a cup of water) it helps with skin ulcers and infections.
You can make tincture from fresh plants by filling a jar with the flowers and pouring vodka over them up to the top. The amount of alcohol should be twice that of the flowers. Close, shake and store in a dark place for six weeks. Finally, filter. You will need less dried flowers; the ratio is one part flowers to five parts alcohol. Otherwise the procedure is the same. The tincture lasts about a year.
Scent for the closet against moths
We need:
- 2 cups of water
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of salt (slows mold growth)
- Gelatin powder (I used 2 packets)
- 25 – 30 drops of lavender essential oil
- Small glass jars or dishes for the gel
- Optional: a few drops of food coloring
Procedure:
Prepare the gelatin according to the instructions by letting it swell in part of the water and then dissolve it in the remaining water by heating. Then remove from the heat, add the salt, food coloring and essential oil.
Mix the mixture and then quickly pour into jars. Place the containers filled with gel into the refrigerator so they cool quickly or leave on the counter to cool and set. You can use them immediately – the fresheners work for weeks – put them mainly into closets and also into the bedroom, where they will also help repel mosquitoes.
