Lavender essential oil is used in many DIY bath and body products. And not just because lavender has such a lovely fragrance.

Many clinical studies show why lavender is a smart choice for use in body care products and for aromatherapy.

Here are the top 14 8 clinically proven benefits of lavender essential oil:

1. Decreases cortisol level [1,4,7,13]
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3. Promotes deep sleep [3,7, 20]
4. Enhances relaxation [4,5,7]
5. Improves mood [5, 10, 11, 16, 20]
6. Boosts brain power [5, 10]
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10. Reduces anxiety [11, 13]
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13. Pain relief [16, 17, 19]
14. Stress relief [17, 18]

I love using lavender essential oil by itself and in my own DIY bath and body care products (recipes coming soon).

[Edit: Even though my article made no disease claims, the essential oil company I represent has told us not to even link to research studies that have a disease name in the title. My article edits reflect the policy change. I apologize for this inconvenience.]

References:

1. Atsumi T, Tonosaki K., Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva. Psychiatry Res. 2007 Feb 28;150(1):89-96. Epub 2007 Feb 7. PMID:17291597
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3. Goel N, Kim H, Lao RP, An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. Chronobiol Int. 2005;22(5):889-904. PMID:16298774
4. Shiina Y, et al, Relaxation effects of lavender aromatherapy improve coronary flow velocity reserve in healthy men evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Int J Cardiol. 2008 Sep 26;129(2):193-7. Epub 2007 Aug 8. PMID:17689755
5. Diego MA, et al. Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. Int J Neurosci. 1998 Dec;96(3-4):217-24. PMID:10069621
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7. Field T, et al., Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Jun;84(6):399-401. Epub 2007 Nov 28. PMID:18053656
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10.  Moss, M, et al., Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. Int J Neurosci. 2003 Jan;113(1):15-38.PMID:12690999
11. Lehrner J, et al., Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5. PMID:16095639
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17. Kim S, et al, The effect of lavender oil on stress, bispectral index values, and needle insertion pain in volunteers. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):823-6. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0644. Epub 2011 Aug 19. PMID:21854199
18. Toda M, Morimoto K, Effect of lavender aroma on salivary endocrinological stress markers. Arch Oral Biol. 2008 Oct;53(10):964-8. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2008.04.002. Epub 2008 Jul 16. PMID:18635155
19. Hadi N, Hanid AA, Lavender essence for post-cesarean pain. Pak J Biol Sci. 2011 Jun 1;14(11):664-7. PMID:22235509
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