Lavender is known for its healing properties, whether it be for teas, aromatherapy, or within beauty products. In addition, what makes lavender so popular is that it’s a versatile and accessible flowering plant.
Lavender has been used for centuries as an herbal remedy for healing and cosmetic purposes too. Nowadays, you can find lavender anywhere, mainly in tea, aromatherapy, and various health, lifestyle, and beauty products.
One product that can impact your body in beneficial ways is lavender soap. Lavender soap has compacted all the benefits of lavender into an easy-to-use household product that’s affordable and eco-friendly.
What are the benefits of lavender soap? There are multiple reasons why lavender has been around for centuries. First, it’s incredibly versatile and offers benefits like reducing anxiety/stress, soothing your skin, and even reducing muscle tension.
Overall, lavender has endless benefits to heal your body, mood, and mind. In addition, lavender soap can be formulated with lavender essential oils or with real dried lavender leaves. So, what other benefits can lavender soap provide?
All About Lavender
When you think of lavender, what first comes to mind? Most people think of a light purple color, while others think of the essential oil.
Lavender is a multipurpose plant that can cure, heal, and relax the body. Lavender is an abundant plant that is easy to grow in many places, though it flourishes in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa.
Both lavender essential oil and dried lavender leaves from the plant can be formulated into a soap. So, when you are looking to purchase your lavender soap, it’s crucial to examine what form of lavender is used.
Choosing a suitable lavender soap is based on personal preference. Lavender essential oil can be pretty harsh and brutal to regulate for a proper dose which can irritate the skin.
However, other people may even prefer the oil if they aren’t sensitive. Regardless if you love the oil or the leaves, lavender soap can provide multiple benefits to the body, mind, and skin.
Benefits Of Lavender In A Soap
While lavender soap can offer numerous benefits, it’s crucial to note most claims regarding the effectiveness of lavender are anecdotal. However, some studies exist that back the use of lavender for specific treatments or conditions.
In addition, it’s crucial to be aware that what works for one person will not work for everyone. Regardless, lavender, which is viewed as a natural product, can be beneficial for most people.
Are you ready to find out how you can use lavender soap to treat your biggest concerns?
1. Aromatherapy
The most common use of lavender soap is purely for fragrance. Lavender has a soothing smell that promotes peace, tranquility, and relaxation. Most spas will use essential oil diffusers, beauty products like soap, and towels, infused with lavender.
However, if you want to bring the spa to you, you will need a bar of lavender soap. Hot, steamy showers and lavender soap can create an at-home aromatherapy and spa experience.
You can find lavender soap anywhere, whether it be online or in-store.
Using your lavender soap in the shower can replace the need for an essential oil diffuser. Not only will you get a deep clean from the soap, but you’ll have an aromatic shower that can soothe your nerves and help you feel rejuvenated afterward.
So, if you are interested in aromatherapy but don’t want to make the hefty investment for an essential oil diffuser, start simple with lavender soap.
2. Muscle Relaxation
Lavender soap can tend to sore muscles or tender areas of the body. However, most lavender soaps can be textured to act as a massaging tool.
Textured soaps infused with lavender combine the best of both worlds when it comes to healing sore muscles.
On its own, lavender is known to soothe tense or overworked muscles. In addition, some people have claimed it has helped reduce joint pain. The number one herb/plant used for relaxation is lavender, so it makes sense your muscles will love it!
For the best results, opt for a textured bar of soap that’s infused with lavender so you can get a massage and aromatherapy treatment all at once. In addition, there are even lavender soaps you can use in a bath if you would just prefer to soak in lavender.
Whether you love massage bars or soap you can soak into, you will absorb all the soothing benefits lavender has to offer for your muscles or joints.
3. Improve Quality Of Sleep
Have you noticed that there are multiple room sprays or pillow products formulated with lavender to help you sleep better? That’s because lavender can ensure you improve your sleep quality. After all, it can relax your nervous system.
According to Healthline, “Once upon a time, lavender was recommended for people suffering from insomnia or other sleep disorders…Today, aromatherapists use lavender to treat headaches and nervousness or restlessness.”
Lavender soap is ideal to use at night in your shower or bath. It will soothe the central nervous system and help prepare your mind and body for a good night’s rest.
While you can use lavender soap at any time of the day, use it at night if you want to promote better sleep.
Don’t think of it as a chore or medicine. Instead, create a relaxing night routine you are excited to look forward to daily. This, in combination with lavender soap, will promote a night of deeper and uninterrupted sleep.
4. Reduce Anxiety/Depression
While the effectiveness of lavender curing anxiety and depression is unknown or anecdotal, lavender can impact our mood. For example, lavender can reduce stress levels, which can lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Healthline also states that “lavender has now been named as one of the few alternative medicines of generalized anxiety disorder that’s passed the rigors of scientific assessment for efficacy.”
So, some studies do support the use of lavender for anxiety.
Using lavender soap daily or even up to twice daily can create a calm atmosphere for your mind. In addition, the fragrance of lavender soap can linger on the skin and help combat stress throughout the day.
So, if you feel anxious, try lavender soap as a remedy next time you hit the shower. Whether you find that works to reduce levels of anxiety/depression or not, the scent of lavender will lift your mood and leave you feeling invigorated.
5. Heal Skin Irritation/Wounds
Lavender has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of health concerns. In addition, lavender is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and helps heal specific skin conditions. Some clinical studies back these claims.
Most people believe that natural products are better, and in some cases, that it is true. For example, skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis can be treated with lavender.
In addition, wounds or even insect bites can be reduced, healed, or even prevented with lavender. One of the best ways to apply lavender topically to the skin is with lavender soap.
Sometimes, pure lavender can be harsh for some skin types, so using a lavender soap that’s infused with lavender and other skin-nourishing ingredients will offer better results.
Lavender soap can be formulated with moisturizing or healing properties to help treat various skin irritations, conditions, and wounds. So why not opt for a natural alternative before considering steroid creams or invasive skincare products?
6. Compatible With Other Essential Oils/Spa Products
If you aren’t looking to treat anything within the body or mind, lavender can still be beneficial to use. As stated earlier, lavender is one of the most common fragrances for aromatherapy. In addition, lavender is compatible with other spa/bath products.
If you want to bring the spa into the comfort of your home, lavender soap is a crucial element to create a soothing atmosphere.
However, you can even amplify the benefits of lavender by combining it with other essential oils or products to customize your at-home spa experience. For example, you can mix lavender and Epsom salts to relieve tension in the body.
In addition, you can combine lavender oil with bath oil if you have dry skin and want to heal flaky skin or feel nourished and hydrated.
7. Combat Memory Loss
There are some claims that lavender can reduce the risk of dementia and other serious illnesses. Likewise, lavender is also known to boost your memory, so the connection makes sense.
Healthline states that “inhaling lavender reduced working memory under normal circumstances, but improved working memory during stressful situations.”
If inhaling pure essential lavender oil is too strong for you, a lavender soap will be the next best thing.
Lavender soap offers the same aromatic benefits as lavender, with a few extra components. Regardless, you’ll receive multiple hidden advantages once you start to incorporate lavender soap into your routine.
In addition, Healthline and the National Cancer Institute state that “aromatherapy can help patients manage the side effects of cancer treatment. Smell receptors send messages to the brain that can affect mood.”
8. Combat Hair Loss
Another benefit of using lavender soap can be for the hair. Lavender can benefit the skin, and our scalp is an extension of our skin; it should be treated as such. This leads us to believe lavender has the potential to combat hair loss and scalp issues.
We mentioned earlier that lavender could potentially treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. So if the same side effects are present on the scalp, it can lead to hair loss.
However, it’s still unclear if lavender or other soap or oil components improve hair growth. In addition, pure essential oils can sometimes cause more irritation, so it’s wise to use a product like lavender soap that has diluted oil.
If you plan to use lavender soap to combat scalp issues or hair loss, it can be helpful to perform a patch test to ensure you won’t have any allergic reactions.
In addition, multiple studies are being conducted to question the effectiveness of lavender treating hair loss.
Potential Risks Of Using Lavender
Like any new product you incorporate into your daily health routine, whether for medical or cosmetic purposes, there is a risk of exposing yourself to adverse side effects. However, most people believe that because lavender is natural, it can’t be harmful.
However, anyone can develop or have an allergy to lavender. It’s also not limited to lavender; other natural products can cause adverse reactions or outcomes.
Even though lavender is a natural herb, some people who have certain illnesses, diseases, or other medical conditions should get approval from their doctor to incorporate lavender into their daily life.
1. Allergic Reactions
The most common negative side effect is having an allergic reaction to lavender. However, this can be something minor or much more severe, depending on your body.
According to one study, “Five reports of acute contact dermatitis have been reported from the use of a muscle-relaxant ointment containing lavender.” This study by Catherine J Chu and Kathi J. Kemper, MD, MPH, also reports other allergic reactions.
One of the best ways to ensure you don’t have an allergic reaction is by conducting a patch test. You can do this by cleaning an area on the inside of your arm, or behind your ear, and place a small amount of your lavender soap.
Wait 24-48 hours and monitor these areas to see if any irritation occurs. If yes, you know not to proceed with the soap and if nothing happens you can rest assured the soap won’t cause irritation.
2. Mild Toxicity
In the same study, Chu and Kemper bring attention to the possibility that lavender can be mildly toxic.
Their study states that “although present in teas and as a flavoring in some foods, lavender oil is toxic if ingested in large quantities … because essential oil preparations are very concentrated, it is easy to overdose.”
Acute toxicity can include side effects like nausea, muscle tremors, depression, hypothermia, and more. If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, it will be wise to ask a doctor if lavender is right for you.
However, this is why lavender soap can be more beneficial. It is formulated with lavender essential oil, but it is diluted with other cleansing agents, moisturizing properties, and other skin-loving ingredients.
Final Thoughts
Overall, lavender soap can do wonders for the body, mind, and atmosphere. In most cases, it can improve your mood, skin, and sleep, and decrease muscle soreness. In addition, it’s the most common essential oil to be used for aromatherapy.
Lavender soap can be formulated with lavender essential oil or dried leaves derived from the plant itself. The soap can be more beneficial in some cases than pure oil because it’s incredibly challenging to get the correct dose, and it can be harsh.
The soap will still provide the same benefits as lavender, but it will dilute the harshness of the oil. It is usually mild and treatable in the unlikely event you receive an adverse reaction from using lavender.
If you’re unsure about incorporating lavender soap into your routine, ask your doctor for advice and conduct a patch test.
Lavender soap is lovely for reducing stress and creating a spa-like atmosphere in the comfort of your own home. In addition, you will feel calm and invigorated after every shower or bath.
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