Lavender is the new black
Not old fashioned. Not for little old ladies.
We use locally sourced lavender for our beautiful Lavender Swirl soap- one of our absolute favourites, and a firm best seller- and it’s perfect for the bath, basin or shower. Used before bed, our little lavender beauty will relax and soothe, helping you to sleep well and wake refreshed and calm. But did you know that lavender isn’t just for soothing and sleeping? This humble plant has many different uses- making it a bit of a super ingredient, truth be told. Hold on to your hats people! Here are ten wonderful little ways to use lavender…
As a deodorant
There’s nothing nicer than smelling nice, don’t you think? Lavender is a brilliant deodoriser and this is something that you can make easily yourself at home. What you need is:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2-4 drops lavender oil
What you need to do is:
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl
- Apply to underarms and rub in thoroughly
Simple!
Soothe headaches
Lavender is well known for it’s soothing properties, and many swear by it’s abilities to cure headaches due to the mild analgesic properties. To soothe your headache, try this:
- Fill a large bowl with 3 cups of boiling water and 2-4 drops lavender essential oil
- Form a tent over the bowl by draping a towel over your head and neck
- Inhale the lavender scented steam
- Dip a cloth into the water and ring it out thoroughly. Use this cloth to make a compress to leave on your head as you lie back and relax
As a moisturiser
Lavender can be used to treat dry or chapped skin and it’s really easy to make at home. What you need is:
- A third of a cup of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
What you need to do is:
- Melt the coconut oil and beeswax together in a bowl over boiling water in a pan (a double boiler)
- When melted, add the oil and remove from the heat to cool completely
- Use an electric whisk to beat to a cream
- Store in an airtight container
Treat scar tissue
You can minimise the appearance of scars by massaging lavender essential oil onto the affected area.
Sanitise your hands
This is a great one to have handy, especially if you have kids that like to play in the dirt. As kids do. To make it you need:
- Half a cup of pure aloe vera gel
- 1 tablespoon witch hazel
- 10 drops tea-tree essential oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- A small coloured glass spray bottle
What you need to do is:
- Mix all the ingredients together gently
- Pour the mixture into the bottle, using a funnel
- Shake gently before each use. Simply spritz onto your hands
Treat dry hair
Sometimes the stresses of life, lifestyles and the things we use on our hair can make it dry, and some of us suffer from dry scalps and dandruff too. But never fear! Of course lavender can help! It’s so simple too. Either add a few drops of lavender essential oil to warm water and spritz through you hair as and when needed, or add a few drops to your hairbrush. That’s it.
Clean
Lavender can even be used around the home. Add a few drops to of lavender essential oil to warm water and use to clean your kitchen work tops. The natural antiseptic properties help to kill bacteria and germs.
Eat it
Yum! Lavender can be used in many different foods- ice cream, cookies cakes… Fancy some home-made lavender tea? Sure you do! What you need is:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lavender florets, chopped
- 8 cups cold water
What you need to do is:
- Place lavender into teapot or mug
- Pour a cup of boiling water over the lavender
- Cover the cup to keep the steam inside
- Allow to infuse for 5 minutes
Aid sleep
What it is best known for. Lavender can help to relax, calm and soothe and all of these things are perfect for aiding sleep. Either directly inhale, or add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your pillow case. Now lie back and relax.
Cleanse yourself
As mentioned before, our Lavender Swirl soap is hugely popular, and its no wonder when you consider how wonderful lavender is for cleansing. It has long been known for it’s abilities to treat acne and to cleanse the skin, and researchers have also found links to reduction of stress levels too. Used as an essential oil, lavender can reduce inflammation and can also be used to treat eczema and superficial wounds. Add to that, of course, that it smells lovely, and you have yourself a super little soap ingredient.
So, naturally, we recommend our Little Local Lavender Swirl for all your skin and relaxation needs! This soap is made from local lavender and sits alongside our English Lavender and Citrus soap, which is designed to cleanse, tone and revitalise your skin. We also have the new Little Beast Pet Shampoo bar (rated 10/10 according to Dog’s Monthly Magazine) which is a wonderful bar packed with calming lavender essential oil, apricot, ground coffee beans and vegetable oil. Perfect for taming shaggy pooches!
So there you have it- lavender really is the new black!
