Beautiful, Balancing Lavender
I have to admit, when I see those tiny, light purple lavender buds start to appear in my garden, I get excited. There is even more anticipation this year, as I have a good-sized plot of lavender that is destined for my still to make lavender hydrosol. The hydrosol and/or lavender essential oil is found in nearly all of the products in my Balancing Line for it’s skin-loving and healing properties.
I’ve written about the history and many uses of lavender before (read it here), but today is all about BALANCE.
A Balanced Skincare Routine
Before we get into lavender’s skin-balancing powers, it’s important to understand what our skin needs (and doesn’t) to stay healthy. As our body’s largest organ, our skin is designed to take care of itself. Under ideal conditions, it can maintain its own moisture, regenerate, and heal itself.
Unfortunately, the skin can become unbalanced for a variety of reasons, and not all of them are in our control. Where we live, the weather, stress, diet, and poor skincare practices can each negatively impact our skin. In addition, harsh chemicals, peels, or synthetic serums can wreak havoc on your skin, often creating new problems while “fixing” another. Those intense acne treatments may get rid of the bad bacteria, for example, but they will irritate the skin, making it red and sensitive.
My skincare respects our own natural processes of rejuvenation and encourages our skin to work for itself again; the aim is to use fewer products over time, not more, and not to rely on products to make our skin look good.
Take our newly developed Skincare Quiz
Lavender’s Balancing Power
Lavender is the ideal ingredient to bring balance back to your skin, especially if it’s blemished, inflamed, sensitive or oily. It’s one of the most gentle essential oils, safe even for small children (over 18 months) – yet it’s also one of the most powerful.
The word “lavender” is said to come from the Latin word “lavare”, which means “to wash”, as it was commonly used to wash and scent fabrics. Yet civilizations were using the plant for much more than just laundry! In 50-70 AD, the herbal medicine bible “de Materia Medica” was written, making it the first known documentation of lavender’s benefits.
Today, I love lavender most because it is:
Antibacterial & Antiseptic: It helps to eliminate unwelcome bacteria and prevent infection, making lavender a gentle and effective treatment for acne and pimples. Learn more about my approach to acne here.
Soothing & Healing: Lavender cools and calms inflamed skin. It’s an effective remedy for inflammation stemming from injury, bug bites, burns, acne, and inflammatory skin conditions such as dermatitis.
Toning: Reduce oily skin with lavender’s toning and antiseptic properties.
Stress Relieving: In addition to relieving physical stresses in the skin (inflammation, burns, etc.), the scent of lavender has been shown to reduce mental stress and anxiety levels, and encourage a more restful sleep. Since our skin often reflects what’s going on inside, this is a good thing!
If you’re struggling to find balance for your skin – or in your skincare routine – browse the Balancing Collection. And if you can’t decide between products? Choose the scents that you love most, or try the Balancing Skincare Set. It includes smaller sizes of my favourite balancing products, so you can try the whole line.
Here’s to feeling balanced from the inside, out!
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