Lavender Benefits for You and Your Littles

Lavender isn’t just a lovely scent – it’s a powerhouse of benefits for both parents and kids! From promoting better sleep to soothing skin irritations, lavender essential oils can be a game-changer for your family's wellness routine. Let's explore how this versatile and calming herb can help bring tranquility and comfort to your home, all thanks to Mother Nature.

Essential oils are plant extracts mixed with a carrier oil, like coconut oil or jojoba oil. These oils are typically made by distilling a plant with water and steam or by using a process called cold pressing. These processes capture the natural aromas of plants, like lavender, so that we can easily enjoy their smells and benefits at any time.

Lavender essential oil is famous for its calming effects. Compounds like linalool that are found in lavender essential oil may even help to reduce blood pressure, lessen anxiety and promote a better night’s sleep, per Cleveland Clinic. 

Using lavender essential oils in your nightly routine can help you and your little one to relax and get the restful nights’ sleep you deserve. Luckily, there are lots of different ways that you can incorporate this scent into your bedtime routine!

You can find lavender oil in many forms, such as:

• Pure essential oils
• Pillow sprays
• Lotions
• Body washes 

These products can help you incorporate lavender’s calming effects into your bedtime routine. Just make sure that the products you choose are safer and healthier for you and your kiddos by reading ingredient labels and looking for trusted certifications like EWG VERIFIED®.  

Lavender benefits go far beyond promoting sleep, too. From reducing pain to improving mood, there are several reasons you may want to incorporate lavender essential oils into your daily routine. 

Because it has anti-inflammatory properties, lavender can help reduce pain and inflammation in the body. This can be used to help certain body pains like menstrual cramps. The fragrance can also be used to help reduce the intensity of headaches and migraines. 

Lavender can also be used to calm our nervous systems, which can help you and your kiddos feel more calm and relaxed at nighttime. Lavender essential oils may also help to reduce anxiety and depression naturally.

Lavender essential oils can be diluted with water and applied to the skin, which may help certain skin conditions, such as: 

• Eczema
• Acne
• Psoriasis
• Rashes
• Dermatitis

As is the case with any new treatment method, just remember to consult with your doctor first! We're sleep experts here at Lullaby Earth, not medical experts.

Studies have shown that the calming effects of lavender essential oils can even be used to help reduce blood pressure in the body. Again, before using lavender essential oil (or any essential oil for that matter) for healthcare purposes, make sure to talk with your primary care provider to see if treatment with essential oils is right for you.

As is the case with any everyday product, it’s important to read the labels of essential oils and investigate the ingredients before use. This is actually especially important while shopping for essential oils because there isn’t a grading system for them yet. 

No standards mean that manufacturers can more easily deploy greenwashing tactics to make their products appear safer or healthier than they actually are. One of the ways to ensure your essential oils are more pure is to look for oils made with synthetic fragrances or fragrance fillers. And, even though they may smell enticing, essential oils are never meant to be ingested!

As long as your little ones don’t mind the smell, are not allergic to the oil and do not ingest any product, lavender essential oils can be a safer way to help promote calmness and sleep for littles. But regardless, we’ll say it again: talk to their pediatrician first!

For people who are sensitive to strong smells, it may be beneficial to use lavender essential oils (and all other aromatherapy techniques) sparingly. Using scents that are too strong can cause headaches and migraines for people who are bothered by stronger smells. People who are allergic to lavender can also develop skin irritation from lavender oil, so be aware!

Lavender essential oil is more than just a pleasant fragrance – it’s a versatile herb that has lots of potential wellness benefits for both parents and children! From enhancing sleep quality to easing skin irritations and more, lavender can be a great addition to your family's existing wellness routine.

If you’re looking for more ways to create a calming bedtime routine for young kids, we have the perfect blog for you. Read more.