Lavender seems to have found it’s way into a lot of my conversations this week.  From headaches to burns to sleep aids, I’ve found myself sharing why lavender essential oil should be a staple in everyone’s household.  Jamie gave a Five Uses For post on Lavender last month.  I want to follow it up with a few recipes and practical applications for life and love.

Here’s a practical application – I burned my thumb earlier in the month.  In the kitchen, whipping up dinner and I lifted the lid off of a pot and the steam that rose scaled my knuckle.  If you’ve ever damaged the skin across a knuckle or knew  you know that is a hard area to have heal without scarring because it’s always bending and flexing and doesn’t get a chance to properly heal(hence why we all have various scars on our knees from our childhood years).  Well, when I initially burned it, I immediately rubbed a couple drops of lavender essential oil directly on it for two reasons: one – it hurt terribly and lavender is an excellent pain reliever for bites and burns; two – because lavender also promotes healthy skin growth and I did not want an ugly scar on my hand.  Over the next two weeks, it darkened, hardened then finally peeled.  The new skin that finally resulted appears completely normal.  To look at my hand, you would never know I’d burned it.

I offer you a recipe for a spa at home experience -  Blend the following ingredients in a resealable container for a simple, relaxing, skin softening bath experience

• 1 cup dead sea salts
• 1/3 cup lavender buds
• 1/3 cup of powdered milk

Sprinkle into bath tub as desired.  Lounge in the tub with your favorite book, glass of wine, candle or any combination for a luxurious experience.  Be sure to incorporate your favorite lavender scented bath products.

Keep this all purpose Lavender infused oil handy

• 1 oz jojoba/olive/sweet almond oil
• 20 drops lavender essential oil

Mix and store in a plastic bottle with a dropper or nozzle top. Keep this oil blend on hand to apply directly to your skin when you need to unwind and a bath or diffuser simply isn’t available to enjoy the scent from.  Perfect for relaxing before bedtime, calming from a stressful work situation, or managing a migrane.  Can also be applied to scalp to help treat hair loss and promote hair growth.

Can you see yourself in any of these experiences?  Have you used lavender for any other real life solutions?