Steam-distilled from the flowering tops of Lavandula angustifolia — true lavender, fine lavender, the one grown at altitude. Soft, sweet and floral, with far less of the sharp camphorous edge that the other lavenders carry.
Three lavenders, and the one you have
Almost nobody explains this, and it changes everything about how the oils behave:
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True lavender (L. angustifolia) — this bottle. Grown high, low in camphor, rich in linalool and linalyl acetate. The softest and the most expensive, because each plant yields little oil. In the field it has one flower head per stem.
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Spike lavender (L. latifolia) — grown low and hot, high in camphor and 1,8-cineole. Sharp and medicinal, and carrying real cautions.
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Lavandin (L. × intermedia) — the natural hybrid of the two, and the plant in almost every photograph of a purple Provence field. It yields far more oil, so most "lavender" products in the world are actually lavandin. It has three flower heads per stem.
If a recipe says lavender without saying which, and if the price is low, assume lavandin.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Lavender is routinely sold on the promise that it "quiets nervous tension and eases the way into restful sleep" and that it is "a favourite for soothing sensitive or irritated skin and calming the small bumps and scrapes of everyday life". None of that appears here. Claims about sleep, tension and treating skin or minor injuries are health claims, and none is authorised in the EU for any essential oil.
Lavender is the oil most often described as if it were a medicine, and we would rather sell it for what it is: the most loved smell in aromatherapy, and the most versatile thing in a blending kit.
Two myths worth correcting
"Lavender is safe to use neat." This is repeated everywhere and it traces back to a single much-embellished story about a French chemist and a burnt hand in the 1910s. Neat application of any essential oil raises the risk of sensitisation, and lavender is no exception. Dilute it.
"Lavender is hypoallergenic." Also not so. Linalool and linalyl acetate oxidise on contact with air into hydroperoxides that are genuine contact allergens — lavender appears on dermatology patch-test panels for exactly this reason, and reported cases have risen as the oil has become ubiquitous. Linalool and limonene are both on the EU's list of fragrance substances that must be declared on a cosmetic label, which is why you see them at the end of ingredient lists. Fresh, well-stored oil is far less of a problem than an old bottle.
How to use it
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Diffusion: a few drops in a ventilated room, twenty to thirty minutes at a time.
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On skin: one to two per cent in a carrier oil (6–12 drops in 30 ml). Patch test and wait 24 hours.
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Linen and drawers: a drop on a cotton pad or a wooden block, not directly on fabric — essential oils stain.
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Blending: lavender is the great connector. It sits happily between citrus and wood, and it will rescue a blend that has gone too sharp.
- Not around babies, young children, pregnant women or pets — cats especially.
Safety — the essentials
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Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional.
- 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 — which for lavender is a safety matter, not just a quality one.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
