Lavender is one of the most well-known herbs and the ambassador of aromatherapy to many people. An iconic addition to almost all postcards of southern France, it’s well-loved in aromatherapy, skin care, and hair care. We’ll discuss the plant itself, its versatility, and how to use it in cosmetics.
The Lavender Plant
Although available in many varietals, the most commonly used type and the one we use most often is Lavandula angustifolia, also known as English Lavender. It is a small evergreen shrub with beautiful purple flowers, and is also one of the many members of the mint family.
It is native to the Old World, spanning across Europe to Asia and now widespread globally. There are records of its use throughout the millennia, including as both perfume and a part of the mummification process in Egypt. It’s thought that lavender gets its name from the Latin lavare, meaning to wash, alluding to its use to keep clothes and laundry smelling clean and fresh.
Uses for Lavender
We use the flower of the plant, steam distilled and sourced from Bulgaria. We have both conventional and organic lavender essential oils, and they can smell rather different from one another (we recommend ordering samples of each!).
In aromatherapy lavender is known as a soothing and calming scent, used to help relax and often associated with sleep. Just as the scent is soothing, lavender is wonderful at soothing skin. It’s great in many types of products because of its soothing properties, and is also recommended for troubled or chaotic skin.
We have a broad range of products centered on lavender and it is a reliable scent profile with broad appeal in the market. Soaps, toners, shampoos, conditioners, cleansers, lotions—you name it. Below you can find ways to incorporate it into your own products, and consider pairing it with complementary scents!
Scenting Products with Essential Oils
These are basic guidelines for scenting bulk bases with Essential Wholesale & Labs’ Essential Oil Blends. It is best to begin by scenting a small portion of the base with a low percentage of Essential Oil Blend and to increase until you reach your desired intensity of aroma.
Proper scenting requires some skill and discretion and over scenting can ruin a base. Shampoos and Gels in particular will liquefy if over scented and are virtually impossible to fix. Remember you can always add more, but you can’t remove the excess.
| Astringents, Toners & Splashes | 0.25% – 0.75% |
| Bath Salts & Powders | 0.25% – 1.0% |
| Conditioners | 0.5% – 2.0% |
| Jellies | 0.25% – 1.0% |
| Lotions & Cremes | 0.25% – 3.0% |
| Masques | 0.25% – 1.0% |
| Melt & Pour Lip Balm | 0.5% – 1.0% |
| Melt & Pour Soap | 0.25% – 3.0% |
| Serums | 0.25% – 1.0% |
| Shampoos, Gels, Household & Laundry | 0.25% – 1.0% |
