5 Ways to Heal with Lavender

More than just a gorgeous hit of purple in the garden, lavender has been a natural remedy for centuries. Here’s how to use lavender to relieve headaches, settle upset stomachs and treat general aches and pains.

5 Ways to Put Lavender’s Healing Power to Work

A perennial shrub with spikes of purple or light blue flowers, lavender has a long history of healing. Having trouble sleeping? The dried flowers can be sewn into a pouch and tucked under your pillow to promote rest and relaxation. Feeling anxious or tense? Lavender can help with that, too. Here are five more handy-and healthy-uses for lavender that can make a difference in your life.

1. Use Lavender to Ease Headaches

No relief from a crippling headache? Apply a little lavender oil to each temple and massage it in.

2. Soothe an Upset Stomach with Lavender

German doctors often recommend lavender tea as a digestive aid. The oils relax the smooth muscles of the digestive tract and soothe after-meal cramps in the stomach and intestine. Lavender also helps to ease intestinal wind. To make an infusion, steep a heaped teaspoon of lavender flowers in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain.

3. Fight Infection with Lavender

The tannins in lavender kill bacteria and help to prevent minor cuts and scrapes from becoming infected. Soak a clean cloth in a lavender infusion and apply the compress to the wound.

4. Relieve Aches and Pains with Lavender

Lavender oil has minor pain-killing properties. It appears to reduce the transmission of nerve impulses that carry pain signals. Mix a few drops of the oil into a tablespoon of carrier oil and rub it in. Lavender also relieves itching, thanks to its anti-inflammatory action. It’s the perfect remedy for insect and stings.

5. Use Lavender to Soothe Swimmer’s Ear

The same chemical compound in lavender that fights skin infections will knock out the itch and irritation of swimmer’s ear.

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From Readers Digest, www.readersdigest.ca/home-garden/tips/5-ways-heal-lavender/