Lavender CO2 extract

Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia

Blends well with: Most oils, especially citrus and florals; also Cedarwood, Clove, Clary Sage, Pine, Patchouli, Frankincense etc.

Precautions:
Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.

Lavender is one of the most enduringly romantic and evocative scent in the world. It is a well-known folk remedy and its floral scent is still familiar to almost everyone. The oil and the flowers themselves have restorative properties; a pleasant nerve tonic against faintness/giddiness and vomiting, sprains and spasms, relieves headaches and neuralgia, sunstroke, hysteria, paralysis, weakness of limbs and swelling of limbs. Lavender is also known to have a powerful anti-venom property that starts neutralising the poison of a snake or insect bite immediately after it is applied.

A study on supercritical CO2 extract of Lavender has shown that it has a significantly higher (63%) antioxidant activity than its common steam distilled essential oil (48%) and hexane extract (12%). The antimicrobial activity of Lavender CO2 extract has also proven to be effective against the growth of a wide range of microorganisms, particularly Candida albicans, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Another study done by Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research reveals that, “When lavender oil is inhaled for 10 min, there is an increase in blood flow rate and a decrease in galvanic skin conduction and systolic blood pressure (indicating a reduction in sympathetic nerve activity. Human studies with lavender have demonstrated a significant relaxation effect and reduced anxiety…” Inhaling in the form of aromatherapy is useful for treating insomnia, fatigue, stress, and fear. Warm compress is used in menstrual cramps, stomachache, arthritis, migraines and muscle cramps.

In comparison with all the different extraction methods, this lovely CO2 extract has the closest aroma to the fresh flowers of the lavender fields.

Herbal Folk Tradition

Indigenous to the Mediterranean region. In ancient Greece and Rome, Lavender was considered precious and was often used to symbolise luxury or to recognise outstanding achievement. The flower stalks were woven into crowns bestowed on high ranking citizens during celebrations. The homemakers also included the flowers in rinsing water to impart its lovely scent to household items; not knowing that they were in fact disinfecting!

Lavender was used during the medieval times to purify air in musty sick rooms, and as a “strewing herb” (scattered around on the ground as an air freshener). It was then that there was a general sense that the presence of Lavender was healthful, and it was then used to dress battlefield wounds.