Lavender for Beauty
Lavender has a long history as both a beauty product and a cleansing tonic. Romans used it to scent and purify their baths centuries ago, ancient Egyptians turned its oil into a perfume for the mummification process, and bundles of lavender were burned during the Great Plague of 1665 to try to ward off infectious diseases. More modern day applications include:
DIY Massage Cream
If you don’t have time to wait for your lavender oil to infuse, whip up this soothing massage cream and say goodbye to sore muscles.
Simply simmer one cup of fresh lavender flowers in one cup of aqueous cream in a double boiler for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain out the flowers and allow to cool for 10 minutes before adding one tablespoon ofsweet almond oil and 10 drops of an essential oil of your choice. Store this in a sealed and sterilized glass jar.
1Strong and Healthy Hair
Use the power of your lavender plant to get those long and luscious locks you’ve always wanted. Lavender and other essential oils have been shown in studies to stimulate hair growth when used as part of a daily massage. 44% of alopecia patients studied experienced new growth after seven months of the therapy.
You can also harness the plant’s cleansing properties with a regular lavender hair rinse which will remove product build-up, combat bacterial infections and reduce breakage. To make the rinse, add a few sprigs of fresh lavender to a glass jar of warm water and leave in the sun for several hours. Remove the herbs, add in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and work through the hair after shampooing.
Detangling Spray
Say goodbye to knots and keep hair shiny and manageable with a homemade lavender detangling spray.
Infuse lavender flowers in one cup of warm water and leave to steep overnight. Discard the flowers and decant the water into a spray bottle. Mix in a half teaspoon of jojoba oil, a half teaspoon of vitamin E oil and 30 drops of homemade (or store-bought) lavender oil.
Because this is water based, it will keep in the fridge for up to a month. When you need to use, shake well to distribute the oils and spray the hair with one or two light mists. Comb through and style as normal.
Bath Salts
Salts like Epsom and Himalayan pink salt are beneficial for overall health when used in the tub. They work to draw toxins out of the body, while adding back some essential minerals like magnesium.
Blend either (or both!) of these salts with dried lavender and lavender oil for a de-stressing and detoxifying soak.
Relaxing Eye Pillow
Get all the beauty sleep you need with a relaxing eye pillow. Simply fill a soft fabric with two parts dried lavender and one part organic rice or flax seed before sealing or sewing.
