Fine lavender, True lavender, Spike lavender, Lavandin: are they all the same? If you're new to the field, you can get confused!
This article will tell you the difference between the lavenders used in aromatherapy, and which lavender essential oil to choose for specific problems. Follow the guide and get to know this plant typical of the south of France, with its mauve and blue spikes and its unmistakeable aroma! One thing is certain, always trust the Latin name, which corresponds to the precise botanical name of the plant: there's no chance of getting confused about the various species of lavender.
Un article written by Amandine Devillard, aromatologist.
Contents
- Organic True Lavender essential oil: soothing
- Organic Lavender aspic essential oil: the repairer
- Organic stoechade lavender essential oil: wound healing (for adults only)
- Organic Seville Lavender essential oil: an original to discover
- Do lavandin essential oils have anything in common with lavender essential oils?
Organic True Lavender essential oil: soothing
Characteristics of organic True Lavender essential oil
- Botanical name : Lavandula angustifolia Millet ct Maillette
Also known as fine lavender (if it has a PDO) or true lavender (if it is obtained by cuttings), it can be considered the queen of lavender essential oils. It is more focused on the psycho-emotional sphere. Definitely calming and relaxing, it helps you fall asleep and get rid of insomnia, while containing the anxiety and stress of modern life. If your mental workload and nervous tension are weighing you down, True lavender essential oil will lighten the load and help you move towards greater serenity. Are everyday problems clouding your mind? A whiff of fine lavender will help you refocus and concentrate better on your task. Don't forget that the word lavender comes from the Latin lavare, to wash, which should be understood both literally and figuratively. In cases of emotional instability and overflowing sensitivity that are difficult to contain, this essential oil of True lavender is supreme: it helps to eliminate the negative and regain balance.
However, the skin can also benefit from its soothing properties. Problem skin, skin prone to imperfections, irritated skin or skin that reflects internal stress will benefit from using it on a daily basis.
How do I use organic True Lavender essential oil?
To relax
- As a vapour: about ten drops in an ultrasound diffuser, possibly with one or two drops of Roman chamomile essential oil.
- Pocket inhaler: 8 to 10 drops on a cotton wick, to be inhaled throughout the day.
- Massage: 10 drops of fine lavender essential oil (or a synergy of 10 drops in total with bergamot essence, Roman chamomile essential oil or ylang-ylang essential oil, according to your own olfactory tastes) in a 10 ml bottle of sesame vegetable oil; massage into the back, nape of the neck, hands and feet.
Caution with bergamot essential oil: do not expose to daylight for 24 hours after application.
Taking care of your skin
- in an anti-blemish roll-on: 6 drops of True lavender essential oil in a 10ml roll-on; top up with jojoba or hazelnut vegetable oil to reduce blemishes on the face and back, applied very locally.
Organic Lavender aspic essential oil: the repairer
Characteristics of organic lavender aspic essential oil
Botanical name : Lavandula latifolia
Its scent is similar to True Lavender, but Spike Lavender essential oil has a more powerful note. It's definitely a must-have in your natural first-aid kit, especially in summer. It helps the skin to recover its integrity in the following cases:
- scars ;
- light burns (it is sovereign over sunburn) ;
- wounds ;
- acne
- stings of all kinds: jellyfish, mosquitoes, poison ivy, nettles... ;
- irritation, itching, sensitivity, redness.
Its biochemical composition also makes it a good essential oil for the lungs, thanks to its high 1.8 cineole content. It helps with otitis, bronchitis and sinusitis. Its mucolytic and analgesic properties relieve bronchial congestion, and this essential oil also has an anti-infectious action.
It also has a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect on aching joints, particularly when combined with essential oils specifically designed to promote joint comfort: lemon eucalyptus, copahu, rosemary camphor.
How do I use organic Lavender aspic essential oil?
Taking care of your skin
- to relieve a sting: 1 drop undiluted on the sting, repeated every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the irritation, for one hour.
- to soothe a sunburn: 2 drops in a dab of aloe vera gel, mix well with the fingertips and apply to the burnt area.
> Discover our soothing after-sun oil formula
For respiratory comfort
- 2 drops of spike lavender essential oil in a bowl of very hot water (take care not to heat the essential oil). You can also add a drop of eucalyptus radiata or globulus essential oil or niaouli essential oil. Lean over the bowl with a towel around your head and breathe calmly for about ten minutes.
Precautions for use: Spike lavender essential oil contains more than 1.8 cineole and more camphor than True lavender essential oil. It is therefore contraindicated for pregnant and breast-feeding women, and for children under the age of 6. Be careful if you are prone to epileptic seizures.
Organic stoechade lavender essential oil: wound healing (for adults only)
Characteristics of organic Lavender stoechade essential oil
Botanical name: Lavandula stoechas
Stoechade lavender essential oil is without doubt the oil that requires the most care when used. Its ketone content (camphor and fenchone) gives it an excellent healing effect on wounds and bedsores, but makes it tricky to use, especially on children. It is also a very good mucolytic and anti-catarrhal, particularly for serous otitis and all ENT conditions that burden the bronchial tubes with mucus. This essential oil of stoechade lavender, also known as maritime lavender or butterfly lavender, produces an aroma quite different from fine lavender, harsher, earthier and more pronounced.
How do I use organic Lavender stoechade essential oil?
Stoechade lavender should only be used by adults, excluding pregnant and breast-feeding women.
For serous or purulent otitis
- 10 drops of stoechade lavender essential oil in 5 ml of calendula or St John's wort oily macerate, applied as a peri-auricular massage 3 to 4 times a day until improvement.
Organic Seville Lavender essential oil: an original to discover
Characteristics of organic Seville lavender essential oil
Organic Seville lavender essential oil remains undiscovered, but has extraordinary potential. It is a subspecies of stoechade lavender, but does not share its contraindications, making it a remarkable alternative to stoechade lavender, especially for children. Its fragrance is quite surprising, starting out fresh and flowery and quickly developing into a mixture of sweet tobacco and candied fruit, almost leathery. Its orange colour differs from other lavender essential oils. It is a precious ally for problematic, irritated and damaged skin that has been exposed to the sun for too long. It soothes superficial burns, itching and irritation, and helps the skin to initiate beneficial regeneration. Mature skin will love using it as a day or night serum. If children must avoid stoechade lavender essential oil, they can take advantage of the analgesic, anti-infectious and mucolytic benefits of Seville lavender, particularly in relieving painful ear infections.
How do I use organic Seville Lavender essential oil?
For pediatric ear infections
- 6 to 8 drops of Seville lavender essential oil in 5 ml of sesame vegetable oil or calendula oily macerate, applied as a peri-auricular massage 3 to 4 times a day until improvement.
Do lavandin essential oils have anything in common with lavender essential oils?
Lavandin essential oils are hybrids of two different lavenders, True lavender and Spike lavender. While they share some traits with their parents, lavandin essential oils synthesise different molecules, in particular more camphor. The olfactory impression they give off can sometimes resemble True lavender, without always having the same finesse. In any case, they should not be considered as ‘sub-lavenders’, but as plant extracts in their own right, with their own specific characteristics.
