Scents & Sensibility: 10 Everyday Ways to Use Lavender Essential Oil

When most people think of lavender, they picture soft purple flowers and that unmistakable soothing scent. But this beautiful botanical isn’t just a pretty plant—it’s also one of the most versatile and widely used essential oils in the world.

In the world of essential oils, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the equivalent of baking soda in your pantry: reliable, versatile, and quietly brilliant. While often praised for its calming scent, lavender is far more than a bedtime aroma—it’s a proven botanical tool with a long history in natural medicine, modern research, and everyday wellness routines.

Let’s dive into what the science says, how you can use it practically, and some DIYs that put its power to work.

What Makes Lavender So Powerful?

Lavender essential oil is distilled from the flowering tops of the lavender plant and contains over 100 chemical compounds, including linalool and linalyl acetate—two key constituents responsible for its therapeutic effects.

The Research Says...

• Anxiety & Stress Relief: A 2013 clinical study published in Phytomedicine found that oral lavender oil (Silexan) was as effective as lorazepam in reducing generalized anxiety, without the sedative side effects.

• Sleep Support: A 2015 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that inhaling lavender before bed improved sleep quality in college students and new mothers alike.

• Wound Healing & Skin Support: Research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine shows that lavender has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and even collagen-regenerating properties.

• Pain Relief: Studies show lavender can reduce post-operative pain, menstrual cramps, and headaches through topical or inhalation use.

Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) has a long history in herbal medicine, and modern research continues to support its many benefits—from easing stress and aiding sleep to supporting skin health and soothing sore muscles.

Whether you’re new to essential oils or just looking for more practical ways to use the ones you already own, here are 10 simple, effective, and safe ways to incorporate lavender essential oil into your daily life:

1. Sleep Support

Lavender is well-known for promoting deeper, more restful sleep. Diffuse 4–6 drops in your bedroom before bed, or apply a diluted blend (1–2% in a carrier oil) to the bottoms of your feet or chest before sleep.

Bonus Tip: Pair with roman chamomile or cedarwood for a stronger sedative synergy.Why It Works: Lavender affects the parasympathetic nervous system, helping lower heart rate and blood pressure.

2. Stress & Anxiety Relief

Inhale lavender directly from the bottle or use it in a personal aromatherapy inhaler during stressful moments. Studies have shown that lavender helps reduce cortisol levels and supports a calm nervous system. Here’s a DIY roll on you can make for stress and focus too!

Ingredients:

• 10 ml roller bottle

• 6 drops lavender essential oil

• 4 drops frankincense

• 3 drops sweet orange

• Fill with fractionated coconut oil

Apply to wrists, temples, or collarbone when you need a reset.

I also have a great stress relief inhaler for on-the-go, quick relief here!

3. Skin Soother for Burns & Bites

Apply a drop of lavender diluted in aloe vera or coconut oil to minor burns, insect bites, or irritated skin. It helps reduce inflammation and speeds up healing, thanks to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Tension Headache Relief

Blend 2 drops of lavender with 2 drops of peppermint in 1 tsp carrier oil and massage gently onto your temples and the back of your neck. The cooling and calming combo helps ease tightness and reduce headache intensity. 

Why It Works: Inhalation has been shown to reduce migraine severity and frequency, likely due to lavender’s vasodilating and sedative effects.

If you suffer from migraines, you might also benefit from my migraine roller, available here!

5. Calming Bath Soak

Combine 5 drops of lavender with 1 cup of Epsom salt and add to a warm bath. This is especially helpful before bedtime or after a long day to relax muscles and calm your mind.

Why It Works: Lavender’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects help soothe tension and reduce lactic acid buildup.

6. Gentle Support for Kids

Lavender is one of the safest oils for children (when used properly). Diffuse in their room at bedtime or make a 0.5–1% diluted roller to apply to the feet or spine to help them wind down. The safe age to start using lavender is pretty lax, and while I still recommend avoiding recreational use of essential oils topically until the age of two, for things like bug bites and sleep support, you can use lavender earlier around 1 year old! 

Pro tip: Lavender is also great for calming eczema. Here’s a quick DIY recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats, blended into a fine powder

• ½ cup baking soda

• 10 drops lavender essential oil

Mix dry ingredients and store in a jar. Add ½ cup per bath to soothe skin and relax the body.

7. Seasonal Allergy Support

Lavender, when blended with lemon and peppermint, can help calm allergy symptoms like sinus pressure and sneezing. Use it in a diffuser or diluted in a chest rub for relief.

8. DIY Skin Serum

Lavender’s soothing and balancing properties make it a great addition to facial oils for acne-prone or sensitive skin. Add 1–2 drops per tablespoon of carrier oil like jojoba or rosehip and apply gently after cleansing.

Here’s a DIY face mask I’ve been using that’s great for calming red, stressed-out skin:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp raw honey

• 1 drop lavender essential oil

• (Optional: 1 tsp plain yogurt or oatmeal)

Apply for 10–15 minutes, rinse with warm water.

9. Natural Laundry Freshener

Add 3–5 drops of lavender to your wool dryer balls or mix with baking soda for a DIY laundry scent booster. It’s a safer, chemical-free way to give your clothes a gentle, relaxing aroma.

Pro Tip: Use with your bedsheets to help you wind down climbing into bed!

10. On-the-Go Calm Roller

Make a personal inhaler or roll-on with lavender to use in stressful moments—before a flight, a meeting, or a tantrum.

Why It Works: Lavender’s scent triggers the brain’s limbic system, responsible for emotion and memory, promoting calm in real-time.

Make a 10ml roller with 5–8 drops of lavender and fill the rest with carrier oil. Keep it in your bag to apply to your wrists or temples during anxious moments or before appointments or flights.

A Note on Safety

Lavender is generally considered one of the safest essential oils, even during pregnancy and for children. That said, always dilute properly before applying to the skin and avoid contact with eyes or mucous membranes. I recommend using a 1% dilution for daily use, reserving the higher dilutions for short term, targeted use like a muscle sprain. 

Always dilute essential oils before applying to the skin. Recommended dilution for adults: 2–3% (about 12–18 drops per ounce of carrier oil). For children, 0.5% dilution from 6 months until the age of 2, then 1% at 2 years old. 

Avoid ingestion unless working with a trained clinical aromatherapist.

Final Thoughts

From your skincare routine to your sleep schedule, lavender essential oil is a must-have in any natural wellness cabinet. It’s gentle, effective, and backed by science—making it a perfect first oil for beginners and a staple for experienced users.

Got questions about any other oils? I’d love to hear them for next week’s column! In the meantime, feel free to give my facebook page a like here, or visit my website here to book a personal one-on-one consultation!