Who doesn’t know the relaxing scent of lavender… Beloved! Being one of the main ingredients of our signature tea Athometha, we initially where using organic lavender bought from locals. The excitement and gratitude upon bumping upon our first stoechas (lavender), was beyond words. Still is, every time we get to collect it and we feel honoured to be able to share it with you!
Lavender is said to have the ability to relieve stress, improve mood, promote restful sleep, lower skin irritation, prevent infections, reduce inflammation, eliminate dandruff, and soothe stomach bloating. It can provide relief from chronic pain, inflamed tissues, arthritis, insomnia, high anxiety, mood swings, gastrointestinal upset, tension, and headaches, just to name a few. Some qualities given to lavender flowers are antiasthmatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, digestive and expectorant.
Here are some of the ways that we love to use lavandula stoechas.
As a tea:
Brew a pinch of flowers in hot water covered up for 5 to 10 minutes. Add some honey if you wish. For a wonderful tea that has been used for to induce sleep and relaxation for thousands of years and you can too.
Tip: Makes a great partner in fusion teas!
In the bath:
Adding some lavender in your bath water relaxes the spirit, body and mind. A long soak can help in reducing inflammation.
Tip: Your feet will be so grateful everytime you give them this treat!
Make your own fusion oil:
You can easily make your own lavender fusion oil, which then you can use e.g in a massage. Put the lavender flowers in a sealable glass jar. Fill it up with an organic oil of your choice (we like to use organic grape seed oil, there are plenty other brilliant options), close it firmly and put it on a window sill or any other sunny spot. We like to leave ours for at least 8 weeks, prior filtering it through a cotton cloth into the chosen container.
Tip: The quality of oil that you will use to make your fusion oil, as well as the amount of sunlight that it gets to receive, will determine the quality of your oil.