The old quiet, the old comfort of home. Not a sound but that of pattering rain in the still night. As always, the room smelt of lavender, blended with that indescribable fragrance which comes of extreme cleanliness in an old country house. (from Will Warburton by George Gissing)
Lavender has been somewhat over-exposed in mass market products, which far too often deliver only a symbolic representation of its true qualities. Making a flower water doesn’t take much time or effort and the results are more fragrant and effective.
Lavender is amazingly multi-purposed, but especially good when made into a flower water and used for the face as a toner/astringent. Its antiseptic, healing effect soothes problem skin, while stimulating cell turnover and the growth of healthy cells, and it is good for all skin types. Its calming and balancing attributes can help to relieve a headache or nervous tension. French households routinely keep a bottle of lavender essential oil as a staple domestic remedy.
Camphoraceously sweet and balsamic, with a woody undertone, Lavendula officinalis (angustifolia) is the standard variety often preferred for its aromatic warmth and versatility. The particular qualities of a lavender’s beauty and strength depends on the country, altitude, and microclimate where it is grown and its method of distillation. The high altitude varieties, such as Haute Provence, Himalayan and wild gathered Alpine, are considered the most therapeutically effective. French Mailette and especially English Lavender are the most fragrant, and the most camphoraceous is Spanish Lavender (probably the one used by the ancient Romans for bathing; it is considered too fierce for our modern tastes and for those with sensitive skin).
Lavender has a long tradition in use as a flower water. I fondly think of the heroines of Regency and Victorian novels that have been revived from a faint by having their temples and wrists rubbed with lavender water (those darn corsets had a lot to answer for...)
There are many recipes for lavender water, but my personal preference is to start by making lavender tea. Steep one to two teaspoons of dried lavender flowers in a covered cup of filtered, boiled water for five to ten minutes, strain, and add 20 drops of essential oil of lavender to the warm tea. You can use a washcloth or paper towel and wring it out in the mixture, applying it on the face like a compress for a few moments, then using friction in a circular motion over the face and neck.
An even easier recipe is to simply put 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the essential oil into two cups of nearly boiled, filtered water in a large ceramic bowl. The steam will clear your sinuses. After letting it cool to a comfortably warm temperature, mix together well and rinse the face or massage it into the skin with your fingers. I find this is almost immediately smoothing, because the pores are tightened, and any minor redness or inflammation is noticeably diminished.
Your floral water can be chilled in the refrigerator in a glass container for later use. It will keep indefinitely, although you should stir or shake to make sure it is well-blended. The cooling combines well with the herbaceous scent and is refreshing after being out in the city on a hot humid day. You can rinse your face off with warm water, but I prefer to leave it on for the full benefit. If you leave the cloth out to dry, its evaporation will refresh the air.
You can also use it as a final rinse for your hair for shine, to detangle, and to impart an aromatic note. Another very easy method is to take a cup of bottled mineral water and combine with 10 drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle, spritzing the face for a skin freshener (making sure to keep the eyes closed, of course, and shake it well each time).
One of the best aspects of making your own floral waters is that you can experiment. The same methods can be used with different materials, for example with chamomile, to make a very soothing and calming facial toning treatment, famously good for blondes because it helps keep the fairness of the hair and skin. Please note that chamomile, a relative of ragweed, is not recommended for those with allergies. I would also recommend melissa (aka lemonbalm), which is a little more difficult to obtain in tea form but well worth the trouble. It has a woody tone to its lemon aroma, and has a famously calming, soothing and antiviral quality (which makes it an effective preventative and treatment for fever blisters). Make these up for use within a two week period.
Resources:
Nature’s Gift has a Lavender Species sample kit of 8 5ml size bottles for $46.00, on sale, both high altitude for therapeutic purposes and for fragrance.
Ito En carries lavender flower tea; $6.95 for 3 oz.
Eden Botanicals carries wild, high elevation, Maillette and Bulgarian Lavender; $9 for 1/2 oz.
Barry Farm carries fresh and dried plant materials, including lemon balm $2.09 for 1 oz., Roman chamomile flowers $3.29 for 1 oz.
White Lotus Aromatics, about $9-$12 for 1 oz. wild harvested and conventional Lavender essential oils. Their site also lists extensive information about the lavender industry in Grasse, and has a wonderful selection of historical and literary references, from Jane Austen to Amy Lowell.
For more information about lavender, see the reference page at botanical.com.
Note: image by fir0002 via wikipedia.
What a great item – thanks very much for the detailed info, especially the suppliers. I've known about the soothing and healing properties of lavender from a dalliance with aromatherapy back in the 90s (like everyone else), but I was never sure how to make anything other than a massage blend. Lavender water is a much more flexible way to use the oil I always carry in my travel bag. (Good for small burns, bites and stings as well as aiding sleep.)
Hey Lucy! Great piece, I have both a commercial version of lavender water and an essential oil. It does work for headaches, I apply it at the temples and it is a wonderful alternative to popping a pill! I've noticed that the French use lavender in household products the way us North Americans use lemons; most of their laundry detergents and cleaners are scented with lavender. From now on, instead of buying a ready-made concoction of lavender water, I will make my own. Thank you! xo
I concur – very informative, and I feel calmer just having read it!
What a wonderful quotation to open this piece. The thought of lavender, cleanliness, and old houses was a gift to receive. Thank you.
Thanks, Lucy, this was great! I look forward to seeing more of your botanical and homeopathic knowledge on NST.
II often make very amateur water sprays with drops of essential oil, but didn't know I'd get a better result by heating the water. Will give it a try!
BTW — those looking to make lemon balm tea might check in with their neighborhood gardeners — once established it grows like a weed and has to be drastically cut back quite often. You might find someone more than happy to share their source.
Thanks so much for the informative post, Lucy. There's a marvelous herb farm just a few miles from my house – they supply local health food stores with lavender, but I've not looked for lemon balm. This will be fun to try.
Thanks Wordbird! I find it very nice to use on my face first thing in the morning. I like the stimulating and cleansing wake-up quality it has, especially chilled. Then as it warms up and evaporates on the skin the fragrance is released a little more — it's quite enjoyable.
Tigerlily, thank you so much!
I love thinking of all those lavender scented French households — I have incorporated some lavender into my own household cleaning and will do a post on scenting and improving our own cleaning products another time…
Existentialist – thanks!
One of the best things about lavender is its calming quality, so I prize it all the more for that. The hectic quality of NYC can get into my own domestic haven–noise, etc., so I do what I can to balance all that out the best I can…
Quarry Joy — I am so glad you enjoyed it. If you want more along those lines, do visit the White Lotus Aromatics newsletters linked to, they have gathered many beautiful quotations to do with lavender from across American and British literature.
Thanks Ahtx!
I am no expert, but inevitably gravitate to what is appeallling and makes me feel good, so I found out as much as I could and experimented with it myself.
I think heating the water intensifies the vapor and fragrance and rinsing my face with it warmed seems to be more immediately effective on my skin…
I like the idea of getting some lemonbalm for my window boxes next year. It's funny that people weed it out and throw it away, not realizing how good it is. I'm surprised it's use has not been more commercialized, or at least as much as chamomile has been…I''ve seen it escape into the cracks between the pavement in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, but they are letting it grow, which is nice…
Rosarita — you are so lucky to have such a wonderful resource nearby!
I have tried the essential oil for blistering, and it works! I've been drinking the tea and like it — it reminds me of drinking Chamomile tea, it's very mild and soothing…
Hello Lucy–lovely post! 🙂 Love lavender….
Just wanted to concur on the suggestion of checking with neighborhood gardeners re lemon balm, LOL, as I happen to be one of those people who innocently planted a few small lemon balm plants some years ago and now have more than I know what to do with. We use a few sprigs of lemon balm in pitchers of ice water or lemonade to add a refreshing twist, and people seem to love it.
thank you, the lavender water is a great idea. i love the scent of lavender and its soothing qualities, i try to have a tiny bottle of the essential oil at hand at all times; it makes headaches better and calms down stress and temper. i also add 3-4 drops of the oil to the softener when i wash clothes, gives it a nice, subtle aroma. or, take distilled water and add a few drops of the oil and fill into a spray bottle, shake well and use when ironing or just anywhere
Thanks Zara —
I have tried it in the rinse water on my hand-washing also, especially for hand washing wool sweaters — and I love the idea of ironing it into sheets (if I were the type that had ironed sheets, that would be the life…) amazing how versatile lavender is!
Great article. I have been making lavender products from cuttings I've taken at my job at the US Botanic Gardens in Washington for a while now…However, I think you may want to reconsider your picture. I am 99% sure (due to lower resolution) that the photo is not of lavender, but instead a close relative in the same family (Lamiaceae) called Perovskia atriplicifolia or Russian Sage. It's also wonderfully scented and is a favorite of mine. Try running a google images search for Lavandula angustifolia. 'Hidcote' is a particularly common and popular cultivar. Not that it's essential to your post, but though you may like to know. Thanks for the cool links!
Wow, I took the picture myself, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, it was planted around the parameter of the rose garden there — I thought it was a form of ornamental lavender — so thanks for letting me know — I will have to replace the picture once I get something else. I saw some in Washington Square Park the other day…
Yeah, it's an easy mistake. Both have similar scents and are closely related so even the physical appearances share many similarities (especially the flowers). Try getting cuttings of each and comparing the scents. I think you'll find the differences in their scents interesting even as subtle as they are. I'm a horticulturalist by profession so don't feel bad about the mistake. If you are a gardener I highly recommend Russian Sage in the garden, especially if you've had any problems growing lavender. It's an easy-to-grow, wonderfully fragrant perennial and is readily available at many garden centers.
Jardinier — I will try that, it sounds like a very nice thing to do.
Unfortunately, I have not gardened in years, except for my tiny window boxes in Brooklyn, so I will go back to the BBG (I can bring a lavender cutting to compare to their live Russian Sage)…