Steam-distilled from the flowering tops of Lavandula latifolia, grown at low Mediterranean altitudes. Fresh, herbaceous and distinctly camphorous — recognisably lavender, and nothing like the soft sweetness people expect from the word.
It is not a substitute for true lavender
This matters more than the shared name suggests. Spike lavender is naturally high in camphor and 1,8-cineole, where true lavender (L. angustifolia) is high in linalool and linalyl acetate and low in both. The result is a sharper, more medicinal, more opening oil — and a set of cautions that true lavender does not carry.
(The third of the family is lavandin, the natural hybrid of these two, which sits between them in camphor content and is what most of the world's "lavender" products actually contain.)
Because of the camphor and cineole
- Do not use it in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
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Do not use it on young children, and do not diffuse it where a baby is sleeping. Cineole-rich and camphor-rich oils can trigger laryngospasm — a sudden closing of the airway — in infants and small children, and there are documented cases of serious harm from chest rubs and drops on pillows. Never apply anything of this type to a small child's face, nose or chest.
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Caution with epilepsy. Camphor is a convulsant at high doses and camphor-rich oils are on the standard caution list. Ask a professional first.
- If you have asthma, be careful with diffusion — strong aromatic vapour triggers bronchospasm in some people.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Spike lavender is commonly sold as "a great choice for clear, easy breathing", as "a warming massage oil for tired, aching muscles", and as a scent that "helps sharpen focus and alertness". None of that appears here. Claims about breathing, about aching muscles and about cognitive function are health claims, and none is authorised in the EU for any essential oil.
What it is genuinely good for
Its smell, and its usefulness in a blend. Spike lavender gives a clean, bracing, almost surgical freshness that no other lavender provides, and it is superb in a household cleaning preparation and in a winter room blend. It works beautifully with rosemary, pine, eucalyptus, peppermint, cypress and lemon.
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Diffusion: a few drops, ventilated room, short sessions. Not around children, pregnant women or pets.
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On skin: one to two per cent in a carrier oil (6–12 drops in 30 ml), for adults only. Patch test and wait 24 hours.
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Household: excellent in a vinegar-and-water surface spray. Keep it off unsealed wood and painted surfaces.
Safety — the essentials
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Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional. Camphor is genuinely toxic if swallowed.
- Keep out of reach of children, in the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
- In eyes: flush with plain vegetable oil rather than water.
- Accident or swallowing: in Portugal call CIAV on 800 250 250 — free, 24 hours. In an emergency, 112.
Storage: cool, dark, tightly closed, upright.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
