By Anyone who has visited Hitchin Lavender will tell you that our fields are a treat for the nose as well as the eyes. A quick search online will take you to thousands of gorgeous pictures of farms like ours, but none of them can convey the rich aroma that greets you when you walk into a lavender field.
In the buildup to Christmas, we’ll be posting a mini-series of suggestions and ideas for gifts on our blog. In this week’s post, we want to talk about the thing that makes every lavender flower a scent sensation: its essential oil.
Typically produced using the process of steam distillation, lavender oil is a concentration of all the flower’s aromatic and remedial properties. The healing and meditative powers of lavender essential oils can be harnessed both directly and through the oil’s incorporation into other wellbeing products. Today, let’s discover more about these oils and how they could make the perfect gift for a loved one this festive season!
Angustifolia oil
AVAILABLE IN 10 AND 25ML BOTTLES
Lavandula angustifolia is widely regarded as the most valuable lavender species. It serves as an exquisite addition to any garden and is prized for its production of top-notch oil.
Angustifolia oil has an enchanting fragrance, combining a sweet floral scent with a subtle woody undertone. Because of its delightful aroma and various therapeutic properties, this oil has become a popular choice in the world of aromatherapy.
Indulging in the aroma of angustifolia oil has a soothing effect on mood, mind, and body, making it ideal for relieving stress, improving sleep quality, and promoting a sense of inner peace.
Lavender oil also has antimicrobial properties, meaning that it works well in natural deodorants and even (in combination with other essential oils) as mosquito repellent!
Lavandin oil
Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a naturally occurring hybrid species of lavender, combining flowers of the common (L. angustifolia) and spike (L. latifolia) varieties. Worldwide, lavandin has become the most commonly grown lavender species. This is primarily because of its excellent oil-yielding properties, although it is also a popular choice for gardeners seeking a larger-growing lavender variety.
Due to the plant’s larger lavander spikes and greater number of flower heads, oil yielded from lavandin can be up to 10 times the amount obtained from an equivalent quantity of angustifolia flowers! Because of this, lavandin oil is typically available at a lower cost to consumers, and can certainly be considered a sustainable choice. Equally, the natural presence of camphor in lavandin oil is seen by some to reduce its quality relative to angustifolia oil.
AVAILABLE IN 10 AND 25ML BOTTLES
With the addition of subtle camphoraceous notes, the clean and refreshing scent of lavandin oil is stronger in profile than its angustifolia counterpart. This makes it an excellent choice for use in scented candles, reed diffusers, and other forms of home fragrance.
Using lavender oils
Throughout time, essential oil has been lavender’s lifeblood when it comes to how human beings have used the flower. The long-term association between lavender and cleanliness is indicated by the fact that the flower’s name potentially derives from the Latin lavare (‘to wash’). These days, you don’t need to go as far back as ancient Roman bathing practices to get the best out of these sumptuous essential oils!
Direct uses
There are many ways to access the healing power of lavender essential oils with a minimum of fuss and hassle. Just a few drops of either angustifolia or lavandin oil in bath water, for example, work wonders in creating a relaxing and restorative atmosphere. The energising qualities of lavandin oil, on the other hand, can be gained by using an oil burner or a reed diffuser.
Because lavender oil, like all essential oils, is highly concentrated, it must be handled with care when applied to the skin (i.e. topically). Many people like to use lavender oil in this way to make further use of its anti-microbial and relaxing properties, but it must be diluted first to avoid the likelihood of skin irritation. The easiest and most common way to dilute lavender oil is by mixing a few drops with a carrier oil (e.g. jojoba, sweet almond, coconut, camellia seed).
Indirect uses
Although neat lavender oil is easy and beneficial to use, there are also ways to take your aromatic experience up a notch. Scented candles, bath salts, and reed diffusers are a fantastic way to produce a tranquil atmosphere at home. Skincare routines can, likewise, be enhanced by lavender-imbued soaps, lotions, and balms.
For a fun and fulfilling activity, try using lavender oils in a cosmetic recipes to produce your own wellbeing activity! Marta Trallo’s blog, Bottega Zero Waste, and her recent book, The Little Book of Essential Oils (2023), are great places to start on cosmetic crafting with essential oils.
If a more hands-on approach isn’t for you, there’s no need to be denied handmade lavender goodness – we have a great range of such items available on the Hitchin Lavender online store.
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s Hitchin Lavender blog! Follow us for more Christmas gifting suggestions in the coming weeks!
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