Ingredient probe: Lavender

Perhaps the most well known and popular of all the essential oils - and for good reason - lavender has been used for thousands of years as it is thought of as a ‘first-aid’ oil. Healing, soothing, antiseptic and analgesic properties make lavender the first choice for minor burns and wounds, itchy bites and aggravated skin conditions including eczema, fungal infections, psoriasis and acne. It can even help with menstrual pain and PMS.

Consuming lavender in tea can aid digestive issues such as vomiting, gas and bloating!

We love lavender here at Raw Nature because of all of the above properties. Lavender oil is also known to promote a feeling of calm to help you relax, and can also combat depression and anxiety (something we could all use a little help with under the current Covid-19 crisis!). As such, it can also assist with soothing you to sleep if you put a few drops of oil on your pillow, or even rub one of our lavender lotion sticks onto your pillowcase.

Putting a dried bunch of lavender in your drawers or hanging some in your wardrobe will leave your clothes smelling clean and fresh.

We only use New Zealand lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil in our products that has been extracted via distillation of the flowering tops.  Our local lavender is considered to be the best in the world due to it being hypoallergenic because of its low levels of Linalool (which some people are very sensitive to). 

Of course, the bees love lavender too, so planting a big bunch of it in your garden has got to be a good thing for the environment!

Caroline Patterson is a freelance writer and editor who lives with animals and teenagers, and is wild about nature (and wine).