Of all the plants used for stress-reduction in today’s herbal formulary, lavender is by far the most common — and for good reason! It’s anti-stress effects are well documented by researchers around the world, and it’s scent is softly sweet. While some folks find certain herbs and flowers overpowering or mildly distasteful, lavender’s aroma appeals to many. And it’s so easy to use: just a touch of lavender essential oil, or even a sachet of flowers under the pillow can have a dramatic effect on the quality of one’s rest. It’s ease of use and wide appeal make it a must for the natural home medicine chest.

The word lavender comes from the Latin root levare, meaning “to wash,” most likely because of its long-time use as an herb in bathing. Its vibrant buds have been used in French cooking for centuries, namely in the aromatic blend Herbes de Provence, and also as a pollen source for highly-praised lavender honey. This humble evergreen shrub has earned a world-wide reputation as a powerful plant ally. Species of lavender – including true lavender, spike lavender, lavandin and maritime lavender – are now cultivated in climates similar to its Mediterranean home all over the globe. True lavender, however, whether grown at high elevations or found wild in lower altitudes, is the prize jewel of the lavender family.

Lavender can be used in its flower form or as an essential oil, a product of distilling the potent natural molecules from the tiny purple buds. As the most popular and versatile of essential oils, lavender is used in a wide variety of medicinal and calmative applications. Its energetic properties of cooling and restoring the central nervous system make lavender a potent oil for combating nervous anxiety, irritability and physical and mental fatigue.

Lavender has long been in the toolkit of natural health practitioners, and its efficacy is widely accepted in this community. “Western” science has more recently taken interest in validating the anti-stress (anxiolytic) effects of lavender in a great many peer-reviewed studies. Many of these are directly applicable to our daily lives. For example, researchers in England gave study participants small amounts of lavender essential oil to ingest while watching videos designed to produce physiologically measurable stress responses (higher blood pressure, heart rates, and the like). The results quite interesting: women were more susceptible to lavender’s effects than men (though both genders showed positive, anti-stress effects from the oil). Women’s heart rates remained significantly more stable when watching the videos under the effects of lavender, a result that could easily translate to our daily lives (inhale while driving, inhale while dealing with hungry children, inhale during husband’s poker night…!)

Several studies have been published verifying lavender’s anti-stress effects for patients undergoing medical procedures. In Austria, one hundred subjects inhaled lavender while waiting for their dental appointment. In Japan, participants inhaled lavender from a diffuser before undergoing surgical examinations — in both situations, measurable and significant changes in anxiety levels were noted. And unlike many anti-anxiety drugs, lavender’s effect is nearly immediate, though not overly long-lasting. Further, lavender aroma is a completely safe alternative. Lavender is considered one of the safest essential oils in use, with only the occasional allergic skin reaction reported (and this has been traced to lavender used in over-the-counter skin creams and preparations, where the essential oil has oxidized during processing and while sitting on store shelves).

Recovering from medical procedures can also be extremely mentally and physically grueling. In order to test lavender’s ability to combat post-procedural stress and recovery, NYU Medical Center implemented a test on twenty-five women receiving breast biopsies. Subjects were given aroma of lavender in their oxygen supply during post-procedural recovery. A promising relationship was noted between how satisfied patients were with their pain recovery and the use of lavender aromatherapy. This is significant, as control group subjects seemed to experience more discontentment with pain management post-surgery. A second study, at the same university, sought to determine whether lavender could be an effective pain management tool in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Traditionally, opioids and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are administered to combat post-operative pain. In this study, lavender was used in conjunction with these medications to again test its efficacy as a pain-management tool. Researchers found lavender aroma lowered patient’s dependence on traditional medicines, offering hope that this plant could be used with other medical procedures.

The central nervous system, both the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems, respond powerfully to lavender’s soothing qualities. Because it affects the entire nervous system, lavender is capable of alleviating symptoms of stress – raised heart rate, frustration, worry – without interfering with our capability to deal with stressors that require immediate action. Anxiety and stress often find their sources in situations which are not always related to actual threats or emotional turmoil, but are instead simply turnings of the mind in response to feelings or helplessness or heightened expectations or fears. Discovering ways of calming stress responses is imperative for creating harmony in the body and mind. Lavender penetrates the central nervous system, making it a perfect plant for working with daily stress and also for pacifying our nerves at the end of a long day, when we so dearly need our sleep.

Essential oil of lavender can be incorporated into carrier blends for use in Massage Oils, compresses, ointments and skin care. It can also be used in a bath or sitz bath and is safe for children. An ideal way to infuse an entire room (think bedroom, office or that place of constant anxiety – the car!) with the gentle scent of lavender is to place it in a diffuser or vaporizer. The flowers can be used in cooking and in making herbal decoctions and make a perfect addition to a flax seed eye pillow for sleep. Lavender is also an ideal oil to carry in our purses, pockets or vehicles for unexpected stress. Simply stop, take a deep breath and allow this delightful oil to help you recover your sense of balance and clarity.