When my children were little, one of my sons had a particularly difficult time sleeping. I had lavender lotion that I had bought for sleep myself, so I put some on him. It helped quiet his mind and he was able to fall asleep. After that, he frequently asked for it when it was bedtime. It wasn’t long before he had his own bottle. After a while I decided I wanted to make lavender lotion myself.
I Wanted Something More
My husband was a beekeeper at the time and whenever we would go to the bee store for supplies I would scour the book rack for natural recipes and things to make. First, I made natural soaps with oils and lye. Then I added lotions, creams, and lip balms. Some of these included beeswax or honey but they all included essential oils.
My sister, Carol, and I made many of these together in my kitchen. We loved coming up with different combinations of aromas, using different molds, and even using natural additives. We made a soap with a fine pumice that was good for exfoliating. It was perfect for our legs and feet. My husband discovered it was great for cleaning oily, greasy hands after working on the car. (I made sure he got his own bar of soap.) Making all natural products that were nourishing to the skin, healthy for my family, and had wonderful aromas was very satisfying. The more products I made, the more I learned about essential oils and their wonderful properties.
How I Used Lavender Oil
Lavender was the first oil I used. Not only is it calming and helps with sleep, but it is also fabulous for the skin. I add it to a variety of products!
One time, when my kids were older, we were out in the west desert of Utah and one of my sons got burned. I didn’t have any ointment for burns and we were about 20 minutes from any store. However, I did have some lavender essential oil. I had read that it was good for burns but had never used it that way. I got it out and put it on the burn. Immediately, he felt relief. He applied it a few more times and within a short time he was out of pain. He commented on how the lavender really took the “flame” out. We were both pleasantly surprised. Lavender continues to be one of my favorite essential oils. It has so many uses and such a lovely aroma.
