12 Lavender Oil Benefits For Skin, Hair And Health

There are countless lavender oil benefits for your inside-out health. It is super beneficial for your skin, hair and overall health. If we talk about skin then lavender oil can help treat acne, thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It moisturizes dry skin. It has antimicrobial properties that can help heal wounds, burns and other injuries related to skin. It is also used in anti-aging serums to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Lavender oil is very beneficial for your hair and overall health too. It helps stimulate hair growth. It has powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties which help treat and prevent dandruff. This keeps your scalp healthy. It also moisturizes your scalp which strengthens your hair follicles. This makes follicles to grow long and thick hair.

Lavender oil has a calming aroma which helps in reducing emotional stress and fatigue. It can also reduce depression and anxiety. It is considered an effective remedy for relieving headaches. It has calming properties which help improve your sleep quality and can also be used to treat insomnia.

Lavender oil or lavender essential oil is obtained by steam distillation from the flower of lavender. Lavender essential oil has been used for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes for about 2500 years. The origin of lavender is believed to be from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Southeast India. Studies also suggest that lavender essential oil has been used both cosmetically and therapeutically for centuries. It is antibacterial, antifungal, carminative (smooth muscle relaxing), sedative, antidepressive and effective for burns and insect bites(source). Now this proves keeping a bottle of lavender oil at home can help you get healthy.

Table of Contents

12 Lavender Oil Benefits For Skin, Hair, And Health

1. Lavender Oil Treats Acne

Lavender oil is very effective in treating pimple and acne. It has antimicrobial properties which would help in treating acne. It has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help in healing your skin. As per a study lavender essential oil is found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammation activities(source). It provides a proper nourishment to your skin.

As I mentioned lavender is very popular in aromatherapy for its calming properties. This is another attribute of lavender oil which helps in treating acne because stress can be one of the reasons for acne. As per a study published in Archives of Dermatology, it was found that emotional stress can increase the severity of acne(source).

You can mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of argan oil. Apply the mixture on the affected area daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.

Also Read: 10 Best Essential Oils For Acne And How To Use

2. Lavender Oil Prevent Skin Aging

Lavender oil has got powerful antioxidants properties which help in preventing skin aging. Studies suggest that lavender oil helps produce glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase which are antioxidants found in the body(source). The antioxidant properties of lavender oil protect skin cells from getting damaged by harmful free radicals. It promotes cell regeneration which makes your skin soft and firm. This helps in reducing fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps in promoting better blood flow to the skin, thus improving its elasticity and strength.

You can mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply the mixture on your skin daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.

Also Read: 7 Best Anti-Aging Essential Oils And How To Use

3. Lavender Oil Heals Burns, Cuts And Wounds

Lavender oil has been used for healing burns, cuts, and wounds for centuries. The powerful antimicrobial properties of lavender oil help in this skin healing process. It kills bacteria and fungi growing in your wounded part of the skin. This helps in cleaning the wound and prevent it from getting infected. Lavender oil also boosts the production of collagen which helps in the healing of tissues. This makes your skin to get back to health. In a study conducted on rats, it was found that topical application of lavender oil to the wounds on alternating days for 14 days promoted wound healing in the early phase by the acceleration of formation of granulation tissue, tissue remodeling by collagen replacement and wound contraction(source).

In order to heal burn, cuts or wounds you can mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply the mixture to the affected area using a clean cotton pad. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.

4. Lavender Oil Moisturizes Dry Skin

Dry skin is just a normal skin condition that you experience generally during winter. But if the dry skin is not taken care of then it can cause you some troubles in the future. Dry skin often leads to developing cracks which make it easier for the bacteria to enter into the skin. This can infect your skin which causes itching, redness, and inflammation. Lavender oil is a perfect moisturizer that you can apply to your dry skin. It soothes your skin and replenishes the sebum(oil) in the skin. This fulfills the moisture requirement of your skin.

Mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply the mixture daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.

5. Lavender Oil Gives You Glowing Skin.

Using the lavender oil can help you get glowing skin. Lavender oil has got some powerful antioxidants which neutralize free radicals. This protects your skin cells from getting damaged by free radicals and prevents the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. These harmful free radicals can also cause inflammation on your skin which ultimately leads to acne. Since antioxidants fight and neutralize free radicals, it helps in reducing inflammation on the skin. So the antioxidant properties of lavender oil make it an effective remedy for treating acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. Studies also suggest that free radicals can cause inflammation and antioxidants protect against inflammation induced by free radicals and tissue damage by virtue of their ability to scavenge free radicals(source).

Lavender oil boosts production of collagen which is the most abundant protein in the body. Increase in the production of collagen improves the firmness, elasticity, and strength of the skin. This reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and makes your skin look young and healthy. Collagen also plays an important role in giving a natural glow to your skin. As per a study conducted on mice, it was found that orally administration of Collagen hydrolysate to mice for six weeks improved the elasticity of their skin(source).

Lavender oil has antimicrobial properties. This would not only help in treating acne but also protect your skin from bacterial and fungal infection. As I have already mentioned lavender oil is a great moisturizer for dry skin. These are the lavender oil benefits that make your skin flawless and glowing.

Take 5 ml of rosehip oil and mix it with 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply it twice a day on cleansed face. Make sure to store it in a dark-colored dropper bottle.

6. Lavender Oil Promotes Hair Growth

Lavender oil benefits are not restricted to skin only. This can also give many benefits to your hair too. Lavender oil is considered one of the best essential oils for boosting hair growth. It improves blood circulation in the scalp. This provides proper nourishment to the hair follicles. This encourages follicles to grow healthy, thick and long hair throughout the entire scalp. As per a study conducted to find out hair growth-promoting effects of lavender oil in mice, it was found that lavender oil stimulated hair growth in them(source).

Also Read: 10 Best Essential Oils For Hair Growth And How To Use

7. Lavender Oil Treats Dandruff

Lavender oil has antimicrobial properties which kill bacteria and fungi lurking on your scalp. This makes your scalp healthy. Dry scalp can also be one of the causes of dandruff. It makes the skin get irritated and flake off. Lavender oil is a very good moisturizer for your scalp. This prevents dry and itchy scalp. It has antioxidants that protect cells from getting damaged by free radicals. On the other hand, it helps in repairing damaged cells. These are the lavender oil benefits which make it an effective remedy for treating and preventing dandruff.

8. Lavender Oil Prevents Hair Loss

Hair loss is one of the most frustrating hair problems that you can have. Preventing hair loss is also included in the long list of lavender oil benefits. I need not mention how much effective lavender oil is in treating and preventing dandruff. The powerful antioxidants and antimicrobial properties of lavender oil help in treating dandruff and keep your scalp healthy. You must know that it is very important to treat dandruff because it can lead to hair loss if not treated soon. However, dandruff is not linked to hair loss directly but the itchiness it causes can make you scratch your head. This harms the hair follicles which ultimately leads to hair loss.

Scalp inflammation is also one of the major cause of hair loss. When there is inflammation on the scalp your hair follicles gets damaged which ultimately leads to hair loss. Lavender oil has got anti-inflammatory properties which would not only reduce inflammation but also soothes your scalp. Studies suggest that lavender essential oil has antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity (source).

9. Lavender Oil Helps Reduce Stress

In today’s world stress is our biggest enemy. It is a root cause of many diseases whether we talk about skin, hair or your overall health. Keeping a bottle of lavender oil can help in reducing stress. It has a calming aroma that promotes relaxation. Lavender oil has been used as an effective remedy for various neurological issues like stress, anxiety, depression, and migraines. As per a study it was found that supplementing with 80 mg of silexan (lavender essential oil capsule) helped in reduction of anxiety and sleep disturbance. There was no major side effects, drug interactions or withdrawal symptoms at daily doses of 80 or 160 mg capsules of lavender essential oil(source).

In another study conducted to determine if aromatherapy improves anxiety and/or depression in 28 high-risk postpartum women. It was found that by inhaling lavender essential oil for four consecutive weeks helped in reducing anxiety and depression in them(source).

10. Lavender Oil Relieves Migraine

Being a migraine patient I can tell you how painful headaches you get. It can disrupt your whole daily routine. Using the lavender oil can give you relief from those painful headaches. The scientific researches also support lavender essential oil for relieving migraine pain.

A study was conducted to find out the efficacy of lavender essential oil inhalation for the treatment of a migraine. In this study, forty-seven patients with definite diagnosis of a migraine headache were divided into two groups: cases and controls. Case group inhaled lavender essential oil for 15 min, whereas the control group used liquid paraffin for the same time period. Patients of both the group recorded their headache severity and associated symptoms in 30-min intervals for a total of 2 hours. It was found that the case group experienced a significant reduction in their severity of a migraine(source).

Lavender oil is not just effective for migraine headaches. It can also be used to get relief from general headaches and stress-induced headaches.

11. Lavender Oil Improves Sleep Quality

Using the lavender oil can help you sleep better. There are basically two main reasons which help lavender oil benefits your sleep quality. It has calming and sedative properties which calm down your nervous system. This allows you to have a better quality of sleep. In a study conducted to determine the effect of lavender oil on quality of sleep in 158 postpartum women. It was found that inhaling lavender oil before bed for 4 times a week for 8 weeks improved their sleep quality(source).

12. Lavender Oil Relieves Motion Sickness

Lavender oil is effective in relieving symptoms of nausea or motion sickness. Research backs lavender for preventing or treating motion sickness. According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention adding distractions like controlling breathing, listening to music, or using aromatherapy scents such as mint or lavender can help in preventing or treating motion sickness(source).

How To Use Lavender Oil At Home

For Acne: Mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of argan oil. Apply the mixture on the affected area daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.
For Aging Skin: Mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply the mixture on your skin daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.
For Burns, Cuts, And Wounds: Mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply the mixture to the affected area using a clean cotton pad. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.
For Dry Skin: Mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Apply the mixture daily. For future reference, you can keep the mixture in a dark colored glass dropper bottle.
For Glowing Skin: Take 5 ml of rosehip oil and mix it with 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply it twice a day on cleansed face. Make sure to store it in a dark-colored dropper bottle.
For Hair Growth: Mix 5 drops of lavender oil with one tablespoon of castor oil and one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply the mixture to your scalp and then to your hair strands. You can keep it overnight or you can rinse it off with a mild shampoo after an hour. Repeat it 2-3 times a week.
For Dandruff: Mix 4-5 drops of lavender oil with two tablespoons of jojoba oil. Apply the mixture to your scalp and then to your hair strands. You can keep it overnight or you can rinse it off with a mild shampoo after an hour. Repeat it 2-3 times a week.
For Hair Loss: Mix 5 drops of lavender oil with one tablespoon of argan oil and one tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply the mixture to your scalp and then to your hair strands. You can keep it overnight or you can rinse it off with a mild shampoo after an hour. Repeat it 2-3 times a week.
For Stress, Headaches And Disturbed sleep: Diffuse few drops of lavender oil in your bedroom before an hour of going to sleep. This would help you get sound sleep. You can also diffuse lavender oil in your living room for relieving stress and headaches.

Precautions

Although lavender essential oil is very healthy and beneficial for you but it is very important to take following precautionary measures before using it.

Be sure to do a patch test to make sure your skin does not have an adverse reaction to the lavender essential oil. The inner forearm is a great place to do a test since the skin is delicate, similar to facial skin.
Keep the DIY recipe container away from sunlight.
Pregnant women, infants, and young children should avoid using essential oils. so be sure to do your homework beforehand.
If you have any disease related to skin or hair or you have any chronic health condition then consult your medical practitioner before using lavender essential oil.
If you are about to go through a surgery or have gone through it then make sure to talk to your medical expert before using lavender essential oil.
Do not put essential oils in your eyes, ears, nose or mucous membranes.

Summary

Using lavender oil would be helpful to you in improving your inside-out health. It is definitely one of the best essential oils that you can use. In order to avail the benefits of lavender oil, you must use it with the aforementioned precautions. So get a bottle of lavender oil and start using it to get the long list of benefits that lavender oil provides.