Oil Properties Lavender oil has a light fresh aroma, is clear in colour and watery in viscosity. Origin It is an evergreen woody shrub about 1 meter high (3 feet), with gray-green narrow linear leaves and the most beautiful purple-blue flowers, perched on a long stem and a few varieties of it grow wild in the Mediterranean region, but the main producer is France. The name is derived from the Latin word 'lavera' which means 'to wash' and the Romans used it frequently in their bath routine, and it is said to have been introduced by them into England, where it soon was a firm favourite.
It was a favourite for strewing on the floor, since it released an aroma when walked upon and it is often used these days in toilet water, as an insecticide or in sachets to be placed between linen. It is also used to clean wounds and to treat burns. Extraction Lavender oil is extracted from the flowering tops by steam distillation and yields 1.4 % - 1.6 %.
Chemical Composition The main chemical components of lavender oil are a-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, cis-ocimene, trans-ocimene, 3-octanone, camphor, linalool, linalyl acetate, caryophyllene, terpinen-4-ol and lavendulyl acetate. Precautions Although lavender oil is considered one of the safest essential oils, you should discontinue use is you have any allergic reactions.