Lavender Oil by Julia Lawless Page B

Aromatherapy in England has consequently developed along different lines from that of the French model, and is seen more as a ‘complementary’ type of therapy than a ‘mainstream’ clinical treatment. In Britain, aromatherapy is mainly the province of qualified aromatherapists, most of whom also use massage as a central part of their work, making it particularly suited to stress-related problems or psychosomatic conditions.
    Aromatherapy could therefore be said to have developed into three interrelated forms or practices:
Clinical Aromatherapy – principally practiced in France
Aromatherapy Massage – principally practiced in the UK
Home Aromatherapy – in the tradition of ‘herbal simples’, i.e. easy-to-use household remedies that can be used to treat a variety of common ailments.
    This book touches on all three areas, especially the last, for lavender oil has been used as a household remedy for centuries and its various applications have been tried and tested over time. It is a very safe oil which can be used easily for first-aid purposes as well as for a wide variety of common problems such as skin complaints, respiratory disorders, muscular pains and children’s illnesses. Its classic floral fragrance lifts the spirits; its soothing anti-depressant properties are ideally suited to the stressful climate of 21st century life.
    The type of lavender oil that is most commonly available, and the type which is referred to here, comes from the ‘true’ lavender ( L. angustifolia, L. officinalis, L. vera ), also known as ‘Old English Lavender’. There are, however, many varieties of lavender, each having its own characteristics: for example, the oils of aspic or spike lavender ( L. latifolia ) and lavandin ( L. x intermedia ) have a more stimulating effect than that of ‘true’ lavender. A comparison of these different types of lavender can be found in Appendix A at the end of this book.

CHAPTER ONE
The Scent of Times Past
    Lavender has been a popular perfume material since ancient times. In ancient Egypt and Turkey lavender was valued for its clean, refreshing scent, while Arab women once used the oil to add lustre to their hair. The Romans used lavender to scent their bath water, and its name is generally thought to have derived from the Latin lavare – to wash. The early Greeks also thought highly of its fragrance; Dioscorides is reported to have said that:
                                   Oil of lavender, when made by passing flowers through a glass alembic [i.e. when distilled], surpasses all other perfumes.
    According to Greek myth, lavender was also one of the herbs dedicated to Hecate, the Goddess of witches and enchantment. Conversely, throughout Europe a sprig of lavender was believed to avert ‘the evil eye’ and it was commonly strewn in churches and dwelling places, especially on the feast days of St Barnabas and St Paul.
    Lavender remained in great demand throughout this ancient period, both in its fresh and dried form. From medieval times in Europe, the dried flowers were used in pot-pourris, ‘tussie mussies’, sweet-bags and for laying among clothesand linen to keep moths away. In Tudor times it was also used to stuff quilted jackets and caps – during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I it was common for women to sew little sachets of lavender into their skirts. Sprigs of fresh lavender or woodruff were bound into bundles and laid upon pillows or hung in homes as air fresheners in both Elizabethan England and the American colonies.
    Essential oils (or ‘chymical oils’ as they were called) were beginning to make an appearance at this time, but prior to the 16th century there are few records of the process of distillation taking place using native herbs. One remarkable exception to this rule can be found in the Meddygon Myddfai , a famous little collection of remedies and charms written by the celebrated Welsh physicians of Myddfai in Carmarthen round about the