Keep Calm & Restore

With Winter Solstice less than a month away now is a great time to share with you three unexpected benefits of lavender oil at this time of the year and how you can use it to help you keep calm.

Look at nature, it’s time to be still…..or to at least build more moments of calm into your daily routine.

I’ve given you some ideas of how to do that a bit further down but let’s first discover why lavender oil is so beneficial in the lead up to Christmas.

It’s a natural antiseptic

Keeping lavender oil in your first aid kit can prove invaluable for a number of minor conditions.

Diluted in a carrier oil, it can be applied to the skin to treat cuts and grazes; its natural antiseptic properties inhibit bacteria growth and help to prevent infection.

It can also be used to soothe colds, flu and headaches associated with nasal congestion: try either gently massaging your sinuses with diluted lavender oil or putting a few drops into hot water and inhaling the steam.

It rejuvenates and restores damaged skin

Lavender oil is cytophylactic which means it promotes rapid cell healing and therefore is an extremely useful for many different injuries.

Its ability to repair skin was first discovered by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in 1910, after he burnt his hands during an experiment.

He used lavender essence to rinse the affected area and was impressed by how quickly the oil was able to not only stop but also reverse the effects of the developing gas gangrene.

Gattefossé then worked with doctors to use lavender and other essential oils to treat wounded soldiers during the war.

Always keep some lavender oil in your kitchen to treat minor burns.

 

It provides pain relief

Lavender oil contains a mild analgesic, so it’s a good one to have to hand if you’ve been playing sports or over-doing it in the garden.

Blend it into massage oil or add 3-5 drops of lavender oil to a warm bath to soothe muscle aches and pains.

Studies have found that using lavender oil can significantly help to lower post-operative pain after surgical procedures and, obviously, it doesn’t carry the same risk of side effects that medicinal painkillers do.

In one particular analysis, a group of patients recovering from breast biopsy surgery were given aromatherapy treatments with lavender oil and reported higher satisfaction with their pain management than the control group, who didn’t use the oil.

If you find you suffer with stressful headaches try massaging some oil into your temples or Relax or Clear aroma roll on.

Here are two simple ways you can create your own moment of calm…

1. Set the scene for your time to relax by using a space spray like Peace Room & Linen Mist

This is perfect before a morning meditation or perhaps just before bedtime to help create a peaceful atmosphere. It’s safe to use in young children’s bedrooms too.

Close your eyes and focus on your breathing taking three deep breaths in and out and then just let your body breathe and check in, how does your breath feel?

How does your breath sound?

Is your inhalation longer or shorter than your exhalation?

Take a few moments to check in with your body, your breathing and acknowledge how YOU are feeling.

It’s so easy to become distracted and detached from ourselves when roles of employees, parents, friends, relatives take over.

2. Are you someone who is always giving, taking care of others and leaving yourself last?

When did you last take a good look in the mirror at your face, your skin?

How often do you touch your face gently?

Are you always just quickly moisturising, maybe applying a bit of make up, and later quickly removing it if you have time?

An aromatherapy facial oil is a fantastic way to nourish your skin and your mind together.

I developed Calm Facial oil to be calming for sensitive skins but also to have a calming effect on the mind though the therapeutic properties of Carshalton Lavender.

Why not put aside five minutes, just five minutes to apply a bit of facial oil to your skin, close your eyes and feel your hands running over your face. Use gentle upward strokes massaging around your jaw, around your cheek bones around your eyes and around your temples.

Use slow movements, breathe and feel, really feel your skin underneath your fingertips, what do you notice?

As always I hope you’ve found these tips useful. Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know.

Best wishes,

Louisa

To see the full Carshalton Lavender range of products please click here.

I’m proud to be involved in the Carshalton Lavender not-for-profit project.  It is an amazing and unique essential oil.