Sometimes when things seem so simple and abundant, they get taken for granted. This post is meant to invigorate our appreciation for the beauty and grace that lavender can offer to our lives. Sometimes, there is a VERY good reason that things become so popular!
By Kristie Nackord
If you asked most herbalists they would probably say that lavender is a staple in their herbal apothecary. Here’s the proof! We did a simple search on Poppy Swap for lavender and there are over 300 items in our shops galleries that include lavender.
Lavender has a wide variety of healing benefits including soothing nervousness and anxiety as well as alleviating insomnia and headaches. It is a superior herb to use topically in salves and as an essential oil to heal burns, rashes or other skin issues. It’s wonderful for children and animals, too!
Consider planting lavender in your garden as an aromatic plant that will encourage pollinators. You can easily create lavender wands and flower arrangements such as an herbal wreathes. Nothing smells more heavenly then lavender wafting through the room. Lavender is also delicious in tea and can be found in tinctures, elixirs, eye pillows, soaps, room sprays, body butters and so much MORE!
Here are some great DIY recipes from our Poppy Swap herbalists!
Cedar Mountain Herb School says that when she had sheep and goats, lavender essential oil was a steadfast friend in the barn for broken horns, cuts and sores. Make sure to use a high quality oil for working with wounds. For all the farm girls out there, Suzanne says “that lavender is straight up healing medicine!”
Kathy at Dragonfly Botanicals says that she incorporates lavender into her body butters, face cream, soap, room sprays, bath salts, and uses it as a topical ally for various skin conditions. We recommend checking out Kathy’s Intense Lavender Face Cream made with Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E oil!
Jess with Good4U can’t keep her hands off of lavender. We found her Lavender flower Elixir that is infused in organic apple cider vinegar. Just the color makes us feel better! For a zing of the garden, add a few drops to a salad for delicious lavender pop.
Spirit Horse Herbals loves to blend lavender into her calming and relaxing tea blends. Soothing to the stomach after a meal it also helps calm the mind and body after a long day. Consider blending lavender with rose, chamomile, and lemongrass. Yum! She reminds us, a little bit goes a long way, so you only need a ½ teaspoon or so per 8 oz of water.
Here are some other great ways to use lavender at home
Natural Fabric softener: Steep dried lavender in plain vinegar for a month or so, strain the lavender, and use the vinegar as a natural fabric softener. You can also just add 1-2 drops of the essential oil into your vinegar and add in during the rinse cycle. Here is a recipe for homemade dry sheets!
Room freshener: Steep lavender in witch hazel extract to make a spray to freshen up your sheets or room with. You can even sew dried lavender into homemade fabric trivets—then when a hot pan sits on them, the lavender smell will come through.
It’s Child Proof!
Lavender is such a safe and mild herb. It is soothing qualities make it idea for kids. Consider creating your own cloth diaper wipe solution and adding lavender hydrosol or lavender essential oil to the mix.
Share YOUR ideas below!!
RSS Feed 
It was his encounters with the Reishi mushroom that inspired James to explore the rainforests of Washington. Lucky for us he never left! James is an explorer of all things wild. Wild water, wild food, wild medicine and wild nature! He is the manager of our Community Map and Social Media team on Poppy Swap.
Kiki is an East Coast transplant living in the deep cedar forests of the Pacific NW. In her life long study of Chinese Medicine, she has studied with herbalists all over the world but it was her love affair with the local Mugwort growing on her small island that brought her to her passion for local herbalism. She is the Creative Director for Poppy Swap and shares her hand~spun moxa and mugwort products through her Poppy Swap shop Moxa NW.
Originally from Northern California, Kristie moved to Westcliffe, Colorado to LIVE her dream life. Cultivating a garden in the Rocky Mountains, sharing her fields with her horses, dogs and feline friends she stays constantly inspired to learn and grow. Kristie is the social butterfly of Poppy Swap, as the Marketing Director and Event Coordinator. She is currently studying herbalism with Aviva Romm and offers her own line of herbals through Spirit Horse Herbals on Poppy Swap!
Natalie is a Traditional Herbalist whose roots are firmly planted in the South. Although she was born and raised in Tennessee, Natalie has spent the past 24 years living and loving life in North Florida. Natalie provides consultations as well as classes and is one of the founding members of the North Florida Holistic Network, a Non-Profit organization which is dedicated to promoting holistic and sustainable practices. She sells her herbal products on Poppy Swap as The Family Herbalist.
Rebecca is a Scottish girl who lives in the wilds of Los Angeles. She spends her time cooking wild foods, concocting magic healing potions, painting, and running her herb business, 
After years of activism in Vermont, Susan moved to her family's home in Fryeburg, Maine with views of her beloved White Mountains where she grew up, to dig in the Earth, learn from the healing plants and trees, and replenish her spirit. The first thing she did was put in a large, organic garden that has grown and evolved over the years into a beautiful and enchanted space, a mix of flowers, healing herbs, veggies, "weeds", rocks, crystals, and many surprises. Her land is bordered by huge white pines, large maples, and the old course of the Saco River. After years of sharing her creams, salves, and other herbal creations with family and friends, she created Gaia's Garden Herbals to offer them to the public. Everything is made in very small batches with only the best ingredients, often from her garden or wild-harvested nearby, and lots of love.
I like to put a drop of lavender EO on minor burns and scrapes on my hands (which is often!) It helps them to heal quickly. I sometimes put a drop behind my ear at bedtime to help me to relax and fall asleep.
I use lavender essential oil and tea tree oil mixed in vinegar, in a spray bottle, as a kitchen counter and bathroom cleaner.
Where do we find the recipe for homemade dry sheets????
This is a great article! I love lavender so much. I have a bunch right now that I’m going to infuse into apple cider vinegar and almond oil and make tincture!
<3