The Many Wonders of Lavender Oil

An Aromatic Ally for Relaxation, Calming Stress, Decreasing Anxiety, Soothing Headaches, and Much More

By Sarah LoBisco, ND, IFMCP

The Mind-Body Benefits of Essential Oils

Essential oils are volatile, aromatic oils produced from plants through steam distillation, hydro diffusion, or pressure. Their vast number of constituents gives them a multitude of actions. 

Due to their complex biochemistry and aromatic properties, essential oils can restore physiological, biochemical, and psychological balance while simultaneously addressing unwanted symptoms. As a naturopathic doctor, they are one of my most powerful allies for aiding almost any health concern for my clients. Additionally, they offer side benefits through their gentle, yet powerful ability to harmonize our overall mind-body-spirit connection.

In this article, I want to highlight one of the most well-known essential oils for nervous system support, relaxation, stress, and anxiety. Specifically, I will explore the many wonders of lavender oil.

Topics include:

– An overview of the properties and actions of lavender essential oil

– How lavender oil benefits the nervous system

– The effects of lavender oil on stress and anxiety

– The efficacy of lavender oil for pain, emphasizing migraines and headaches

Let’s get started.

Lavender Oil: An Overview

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis Chaix.) is part of the Lamiaceae family, also known as the mint family. Its key components include camphor, terpinen-4-ol, linalool, linalyl acetate, beta-ocimene, and 1,8-cineole. Various species and chemotypes of lavender exist. The overall intensity of therapeutic effects of a particular bottle of lavender oil will vary based on the constituents present, the species, and the quality of manufacturing.

In general, lavender oils are versatile with evidence of the following actions:

• anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving)
• mood stabilizer
• sedative (soothing)
• spasmolytic (stops spasms)
• antihypertensive (lowers blood pressure)
• antimicrobial
• analgesic (pain reliever)
• wound healing accelerator

Lavender oil’s calming and narcotic-like actions are often attributed to the presence of linalool and linalyl acetate. However, essential oils are greater than the sum of their isolated compounds. The synergy of all their components creates the most beneficial, balancing, and far-reaching effects. This is highlighted in the excerpt below: 

Linalool and linalyl acetate have maximum and great absorbing properties from the skin during massage with a depression of the central nervous system. Linalool shows sedative effects and linalyl acetate shows marked narcotic actions. These two actions may be responsible for its use in lavender pillows [for] anxiety patients with sleep disturbance pattern(s), improving the feeling of well being, supporting mental alertness, and suppressing aggression and anxiety [53]. 

Lavender oil shows its antibacterial and antifungal properties against many species of bacteria, especially when antibiotics fail to work, but the exact mechanisms are yet to be established. 

When talking about its use in aromatherapy, it is well documented for the treatment of abrasions, burns, stress, headaches, in promotion of new cell growth, skin problems, painful muscles and boosting an immune system [47], [48], [54]. This oil is used in the treatment of primary dysmenorrheal [period pain] and has shown some promising results in one of the randomized, double-blind clinical trials.

How Lavender Oil Benefits the Nervous System

Evidence for how lavender oil benefits the nervous system has been shown in animal and human clinical trials. Rodent studies have reported that this soothing oil protects the brain by acting as an anti-inflammatory. It has also been found to modulate the neurotransmitters (brain signals) dopamine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and serotonin.

In pre-clinical and clinical research, the mechanisms of the calming effects of lavender oil on sleep, rest, pain, and emotions have been demonstrated through influencing several biological and neural pathways. One intriguing study illustrated that this oil also electrically impacted the psyche, through shifting brave waves. This was observed through assessing how the inhalation of lavender oil affected changes in neuroimaging using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). Finally, another pre-experimental study found that lavender oil increased serum levels of the “sleep hormone” and antioxidant, melatonin, in older adults. 

Lavender Oil for Anxiety

Some of the most robust proof for lavender oil is for its ability to provide anxiety relief. In fact, the clinical trials for this indication are so impressive, Germany has a formulated prescription of oral lavender oil medication (Silexan) to treat it. (R, R, R) 

In a review of its pharmacological, pre-clinical data, and seven clinical trials of lavender, the authors reported that Silexan had superior effects to placebo in patients with subthreshold anxiety. Silexan was further found to be comparable to the anxiety medications lorazepam and paroxetine in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The lavender oil intervention was also stated to support additional symptoms related to anxiety. These included impaired sleep, somatic (body) complaints, depression, and decreased quality of life. 

Importantly, except for mild gastrointestinal symptoms, at a dose of 80-160 mg, Silexan did not have any adverse effects or drug interactions.

Lavender oil also has evidence for relieving anxiety in non-prescription form. Another systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 randomized trials and 25 non-randomized trials assessed the use of lavender oil as an intervention in various forms for anxiety. It was reported it to be effective in relieving anxiety, yet the highest evidence was for the oral form.

Finally, one study showed that lavender oil induced positive psychological and physiological changes in blood pressure post-operative oral surgery. As a result, the researchers stated that lavender was a “powerful anxiolytic.”

Lavender Oil for Stress 

Lavender oil’s ability to calm the brain and body in relation to stress has been backed by several trials. 

One small study tested the stress-relieving and antioxidant benefits of the inhalation of lavender and rosemary essential oils through salivary measurements. Both oils were shown to induce free radical scavenging activity (FRSA), a measure of antioxidant power, and decrease the stress hormone, cortisol.

Lavender oil was also assessed in a clinical trial of 90 candidates for open-heart surgery for its impact on anxiety and stress compared to a control. The results indicated a significant reduction in anxiety scores and a greater cortisol level decline in the lavender oil group. 

Lavender Oil and Headaches

Due to its synergy of impressive components, lavender oil can also be used to alleviate discomfort as it also soothes the mind and body in a holistic manner. One area of pain relief that lavender oil has been shown specifically to alleviate in human trials is headaches. 

In one study with 47 patients diagnosed with migraine headaches, headache severity was decreased more in the lavender group than in the control group. Furthermore, there were more responders to the lavender treatment than to a placebo.

In another randomized control trial of migraine sufferers on medication, the impact of a particular lavender species for prophylactic migraine treatment was evaluated over three months. The results indicated that there was a significant decrease in migraine disability scores and a decline in severity and frequency of headaches in the lavender group vs. the controls.

Finally, a small study concluded that headache intensity and depression scores were lower in a group inhaling lavender vs. a placebo group. This was based on subjects sniffing the oil for 15 minutes three times a week for four weeks. 

Lavender oil’s impact on headaches is likely due to its multiple roles as an anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, antioxidant, pain-relieving, and antianxiety agent. It is also a modulator of neurotransmitter signals.

Summary on Using Lavender Oil for the Nervous System, Stress, Anxiety, Headaches, and More…

Although lavender oil is mostly associated with its calming and soothing properties, it has a variety of effects due to its chemical composition. It is also anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, antioxidant, and pain-relieving. This oil also has human evidence for lowering the stress hormone cortisol, increasing melatonin, relieving anxiety, and soothing headaches.

As a result of its synergy and multiple components, lavender oil is overall balancing to our physiology and psychology. Its many actions can address both the symptoms and underlying causes of many ailments.

Due to evidence of the efficacy of lavender of research, its rich history in herbal medicine, and my personal experience with lavender oil, it is a go-to modality for myself and my clients for many health issues.

What is your experience with lavender oil?

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