Lavender eos

[Guest guest]

Hi Michele

You wrote:

<Recently I picked up a bottle of lavender, lavandin and spike

lavender blended eo. It has a much fuller and complete scent. Do all

lavenders have similar properties? I really like the blend but I wondered if

it could be used in the same way that the angustifolia can be used.>

 

This is very interesting. Looking in my 'bible' (Tisserand & Balacs' Essential

Oil

Safety) I see that Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) contains 20-60% linalool,

15-50% linalyl acetate, 5-15% camphor and 5-25% 1,8-cineole. Spike (Lavandula

latifolia) contains 30-35% linalool, 10-20% camphor and 25-32% 1,8-cineole.

 

Compare this with a French Lavender (the Latin name isn't given) with 41%

linalool,

34% linalyl acetate, 4% 1,8-cineole and 3% camphor; and a French alpine lavender

with 42% linalyl acetate and 35% linalool, no camphor, no 1,8-cineole. Wish I

could put this in a chart for ease of reading, but it doesn't work on e-mail.

Gee,

sorry about all this chemistry!

 

Firstly, they warn that taking these oils orally should be avoided in pregnancy

and

epilepsy because of the camphor content. But then, most of us don't take them

orally. Anyway, I think I would avoid using your blend in these cases.

 

However, the 1,8-cineole content is very useful as this oxide is the one found

in

eucalyptus in large quantities, and also in tea tree and rosemary. Therefore I

would say your blend would be excellent for staving off colds and flu, and for

inhalations for respiratory infections and sinusitis. So the blend would

amplify

the physical effects of lavender angustifolia, including muscular aches and

pains.

The only thing I don't think it would do is be particularly good for emotional

stress - here a high altitude/alpine lavender would be my choice.

 

Hope I haven't bored you to death.

Helen in Cape Town