Nails Your Way

The Origin and Benefits of Lavender Oil Manicures

The natural lavender plant has beautiful blue-violet or deep-purple blossoms resembling tiny purple pinecones that grow in a spiral-shape around a single lavender stalk. The abundant branches can grow up to two or four feet tall. Lavender thrives high atop the dry, rocky, sun-drenched mountain slopes in its native France, Persia, the Mediterranean countries, and Tasmania. It is also cultivated in England, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey.

The ancient Greeks and Romans prized lavender as a perfume and for its cleansing properties. The word "Lavender" comes from the Latin word lavare, meaning, "to wash". It is known that ancient Romans added lavender oil to their baths to relieve fatigue and stiff joints. Lavender smells clean and fresh and permeates the air with a delightful aroma that simultaneously stimulates and relaxes.

In the 1920's, a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefoss stumbled onto the powerful healing benefits of lavender oil. After an explosion in his laboratory at his family's perfumery, Gattefoss plunged his burning hand into a vat of lavender oil. When the burns healed very quickly and with minimal scarring, he began to research further the healing benefits of lavender and other essential oils.

In the early twentieth century medications for colic, coughs, headaches, hoarseness, nervous palpitations, sore joints, and toothaches contained lavender oil. It was also used as an ingredient in smelling salts. For centuries lavender oil was used as a remedy for ailments such as insect bites, muscular aches and pains, nervous disorders, and sprains. Women also relied on lavender oil to keep their skin clean, soft, and supple. During World Wars I and II, soldiers and medics carried lavender oil with them on battlefields for disinfecting wounds.

Lavender oil soothes the inflammation of severely dry cuticles and helps repair brittle nails. Lavender oil calms and smoothes dry irritated rough skin. It balances oil production and stimulates new cell growth. When lavender is combined with carrier oils such as grape-seed oil it is easily absorbed into the skin. Manicures using lavender and grape-seed oil provide benefits such as fighting infection and reducing inflammation. Lavender manicures are excellent for use in helping people to recover from the damaging effects of long-term use of artificial nails. The benefits of the Lavender oil manicures are a very big help when converting from artificial nails back to healthy natural nails.

The emotional benefits of the fragrance of lavender oil can ease depression, nervousness, stress, and reduces worry. It relaxes the mind and promotes physical and mental well-being. The aroma of lavender oil can also calm nerves and lower blood pressure.

Higher quality nail salons offer nail damage recovery programs which include healing lavender and grape-seed oil soak manicures developed especially for those who want to convert from artificial nails back to healthy natural nails. Those who suffer from brittle or slow growing nails can also experience the wonderful benefits of lavender oil manicures and pedicures at a local therapeutic nail and skin care salon staffed by a licensed manicurist and onyxologist.

Read Jeanne's Latest Monthly Article In Chapel Hill News & Views.

Nails Your Way
Jeanne Grace Curtis
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Douglasville GA 30135-4726

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