For the Love of Lavender

One of my favorite & most-used herbs & essential oils is lavender. Just love it. It can be used for so many things . . .

~ to calm nerves ~ I'm a speaker & a singer, if I'm about to walk out in front of a large group &/or speak about an emotional subject, I take my little bottle of lavender essential oil & take about 5 long whiffs & I'm good to go.

~ to help w/headaches ~ enjoy a few whiffs &/or put a few drops of lavender essential oil on a cool cloth for your head.

~ to help w/sleep ~ one of my tricks to lure myself to sleep on a restless night is to shake 4-5 drops of lavender essential oil onto my pillow. Works like a charm.

~ to simply relax & feel human again ~ add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath. For a little extra luxury sprinkle a few lavender flowers in the bath. too.

~ homemade laundry detergent ~ add about 30 drops of lavender essential oil to my homemade laundry detergent. It's anit-bacterial, anti-fungal & it adds just enough fragrance to smell lovely but not too "girlie" for your husband or boys.

~ homemade oily skin face wash ~ I add 20 drops of lavender essential oil (among the other ingredients) to a 7-10 oz bottle.

~ soap fragrances ~ lavender is the fragrance I use in my bathrooms for my homemade foaming hand soap & in some of my homemade soaps (glycerin & some time soon when I make castile soap bars)

~ for your home first-aid kit ~ lavender essential oil is great not only for headaches, but for minor burns, sunburn, insect bites & even congestion.

Here are a couple of other lovely ideas for your relaxation & enjoyment:

Herbal Footbath~

~2 TB lavender flowers
~1 TB sage
~1 TB hops
~2 ts rosemary
~10-20 drops of lavender essential oil

1) Simmer all the herbs in a large pot of water - 10-15 minutes.
2) Pour into a container large enough to cover both of your feet. Your water must be HOT but you may have to adjust it w/a little bit of cold water. Make it hot but don't burn yourself.
3) Add the lavender essential oil
4) Settle yourself into a comfy chair, stick your feet into the foot bath & then cover the bowl & your feet w/a towel to hold in the heat.
5) Some lovely praise music & a cup of chamomile & lavender tea will be the cherry on top!

Facial Steam~

~1 TB lavender flowers
~3 TB comfrey leaf
~2 TB calendula
~2 TB chamomile
~1 TB sage

1) Place the dried herbs in a bowl &, using a whisk, mix them gently but well.
2) Store in a glass container w/lid, a used canning jar is perfect.
3) You can make a larger mix than I have suggested so that you have more on-hand.
To Use~
1) Fill a large pot of water to nearly full, bring to boil.
2) Add about 1 c. to the boiling water & let simmer for about 5 minutes.
3) On your kitchen table, lay down a folded, thick towel OR a few hot pads - enough so that the large hot pot won't burn or scar your table; set pot of herbs on the towel/pad.
4) Sit down in front of pot, lean in & over it, cover the pot & your head w/a towel.
5) Enjoy the relaxing steam for about 10 minutes.
6) Occasionally raise the towel to let in some cool air if you get too hot.

Calming Room Mist~

~A small new or used (clean) mist bottle, 1-2 oz size (can be found at most health food or craft stores).
~Lavender essential oil
~Water (preferably a filtered/purified water)

1) Fill bottle nearly to the top w/water; leave room to add oil & to shake.
2) Add 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil.
3) Shake & spray in your rooms, on your sheets & pillow cases, in your lingerie drawer, in your bathrooms.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><