5 Handy Health And Beauty Benefits Of Lavender On The Skin

Sometimes, people tend to ignore the benefits of natural plant extracts such as essential oils, tea and other parts of plant for treatment and skincare.

They usually prefer to buy expensive synthetic products. And these synthetic skincare products are proved to be hazardous to the skin cells. They were found to promote cancerous cell growth, skin aging, and skin cells death.

One effective and inexpensive method to improve your skin, and the general body is the use of natural plant products like aloe vera extract, essential oils, and Lavender essential oil.

In this guide, I'm going to talk on the 5 benefits of lavender on the skin.

But, before I jump into the benefits of lavender, let me briefly talk about the botany and biochemistry of this plant.

LAVENDER

Lavender is a flowering plant native to southwestern Asia, Africa and Europe. Taxonomically, lavender is classified under the same family with rosemary and sage. Lavender belongs to the genus Lavendula, family Lamiaceae.

It is characterized by a toothed pinnate or just pinnate leaves but sometimes the leaves can be multiple pinnate and dissected, which in most species covered in fine hairs or indumentum. 

However, some of the cultivated forms of lavender have simple leaves. The flower is whorled and is held on a spikes which arose from above the foliage. 

The spikes are branched in some species. Some of the species of lavender produce colored bracts at the apices. The flowers colors may be lilac, blue or violet in the wild species, occasionally blackish purple or yellowish. The floral parts (petals and sepals) are tubular.

BIOCHEMISTRY

Lavender essential oil is a reservoir of many polyunsaturated fatty acids and their derivatives such as geraniol, cineole, limonene, linalool and linalyl acetate. 

These are phytochemical compounds that are found to fight free radicals, help in skin cells regeneration and prevent skin aging, and they are also recognized safe for human consumption.

Here are the five health benefits of lavender on the skin:

1. Effective in the treatment of burns and scalds

Lavender is a powerful agent in the treatment of skin burns and scalds. Its essential oil when used as an additive such as in body moisturizer, body deodorant, soap, Vaseline, lotion and cream and then apply on the skin help reduce stress and dilate blood vessels, which in turn allow more blood to circulate around the skin.

The blood is enriched with vital nutrients that are essential for tissue growth and regeneration. The blood also contains white blood cells which are useful in the healing process of the wound. So, the combination of these nutrients, white blood cells and with some polyunsaturated compounds such as linalyl acetate in lavender, the process of wound healing is quickened.

This also helps to remove the damaged tissues around the affected area.

2. Serve as antiseptic

Lavender extract or essential oil has an antiseptic property, that is lavender can fight against harmful microorganisms living on the skin.

These microorganisms are organisms which cannot be seen by an ordinary eye. They live beneath or above the epidermal layer of the skin. They are found to cause unpleasant skin odor and diseases.

So with the help of lavender supplements, these harmful microorganisms can be eliminated.

3. Lavender acts as antioxidant

Lavender reduces the action of reactive oxygen species or free radicals which are believed to be one of the causative agents of wrinkles or skin aging. 

Free radicals are highly reactive atoms, molecules or ions such as H2O2, OH, NO, N2O and many more. 

They can damage the DNA structure of the skin cells. 

These free radicals are known to oxidize the nucleic acid molecules of the DNA, which later result in skin diseases like aging.

4. Lavender can be used as a lightening agent

Do you want a glowing skin?

If your answer is yes.

 lavender is one of the few options for you to use as a lightening agent. The action of lavender as a lightening agent is not by bleaching the melanocytes, but by removing dead skin cells and replenishing it with nutrients which are vital for skin cell regeneration.

5. As antibiotic

The last but not the least is the antibiotic property of lavender. 

Antibiotics are substances that can fight against the growth of bacteria in or on the body.

Lavender contains phytochemical compounds which can inhibits growth and development of bacteria on the skin.

Conclusion

For those trying to streamline beauty routines, current trends in cosmetics suggest that it is all about going back to basics.

And lavender is one of such plant to consider for beautification.

if you have a dry skin or abdominal cramp, combine 12 drops of lavender essential oil, 0.1% vitamin E oil and 30ml coconut oil in a clean dark bottle or Vaseline container.

Calculate the amount in relation to the amount of the coconut oil. Use this moisturizer until you obtain a better result.

Note: pregnant women and nursing mothers are not allowed to use lavender because it may affect the fetus or infant. And also young babies should not be given too much amount of lavender. Lavender is not also administer orally.

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