The oil is extracted by a steam distillation process, in which the flowers are steamed, the steam is captured, and the oil is separated and collected from the water. You can usually find lavender oil at health food stores, or even drugstores, located near the other essential oils. It can even be used as a natural alternative for healing pesky bug bites—when mixed with a little baking soda and applied to the bites, you’ll hardly even notice they’re there. However, it is important to note that this was a preliminary in vitro study, meaning infected cells were combined with lavender oil in a test tube for observation. Do not topically apply lavender oil, or any essential oil for that matter, to your vagina since the pure form is too strong and can burn. These types of studies help inform researchers about the properties and potential uses of substances, but more research is needed to understand how lavender oil can be used on fungal infections in the future. Before hailing this floral concoction as a miracle oil, it’s important to note that more rigorous clinical trials are necessary before it should be treated as a prescriptive gospel. That being said, the work that has been done to put lavender oil to the test has generated some pretty impressive health benefits. When it comes to your skin, dilution is important: The oil can be applied topically to help with irritated or inflamed skin but only if it has been diluted in a “carrier oil” or neutral, minimally processed oil such as coconut, argan, or olive. The mixture can be used just as you would a lotion or moisturizer, once or twice daily. For hair health, you can massage a couple of drops of lavender oil into your scalp as a calming end to the day, or add two or three drops to each dollop of shampoo or conditioner you use. If it’s improving anxiety or getting a sound night’s sleep that you’re after, putting your oil in a diffuser is your best bet. There are a few ways to use the scent of lavender for your benefit, one of the most popular being diffusion. Essential oil diffusion consists of using a small device to disperse particles of oil into the air, allowing for easy inhalation. If you’d rather not diffuse, a few deep inhales of the scent before bed (or anytime you need a moment of calm) will do the trick. You can even draw the perfect calming herbal bath using a few drops of lavender to soak your stresses away.
