Lavender oil
Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. It is commonly used in aromatherapy, perfumery, and as a flavoring or fragrance in consumer products. A standardized oral preparation known as Silexan is also used for the treatment of anxiety disorders.[1]
There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are distinguished, lavender flower oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a density of 0.885 g/mL; and lavender spike oil, a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia, having a density of 0.905 g/mL. Like all essential oils, it is not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of phytochemicals, including linalool and linalyl acetate.
Lavender oil has been used in perfumes, aromatherapy, massage therapy, and topical skin applications, though these uses lack strong clinical evidence of effectiveness. It may cause allergic reactions in massage therapy. Silexan is approved in Germany for anxiety-related restlessness and has shown some clinical effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms, though its overall efficacy remains debated. Although generally recognized as safe, lavendar oil may act as an endocrine disruptor, is toxic if ingested, especially for children, and can cause poisoning symptoms, skin irritation, and drug interactions.
Historically, spike lavender oil was used as a solvent in oil painting before turpentine became common. Lavender oil is primarily produced through steam distillation of harvested lavender blooms—typically between late June and August—with leading global producers including Bulgaria, France, and China.
Production
[edit]Pure lavender essential oil is produced through steam distillation.[2][3] This generates a greater amount of oil compared to other methods due to reduction of polar compound loss.[4] Harvest of lavender blooms is typically between late June and August.[5] The cut lavender flowers and stems are compacted into a lavender still. A boiler is then used to steam the bottom of the lavender flower filled still at a very low pressure.[2] The lavender flower pockets containing oil are broken from this heating process and a pipe of cold water is run through the center of the still.[2] The hot lavender oil vapor condenses on the cold pipe with the cold water and is collected into a holding tank where it is allowed to settle.[2] Due to polarity and densities of the water and oil, these two will separate in the holding tank whereupon the water is piped out, leaving just lavender essential oil.[6]
Lavender oil is produced around the world, with Bulgaria, France and China leading its production.[7][8]
Uses
[edit]Lavender oil has been used as a perfume, aromatherapy, and skin application,[9]: 184–186 but these uses have no clinical benefit.[10] Lavender oil is used in massage therapy as a way of inducing relaxation through direct skin contact, although allergic reactions may occur.[10] There is no good evidence to support the use of lavender oil aromatherapy for treating dementia.[11]
In Germany, Silexan is approved as a medicine for restlessness associated with anxiety.[12][13] A 2024 review found that an oral 80 mg dose of lavender oil per day reduced symptoms in people with anxiety disorders compared to placebo.[1] According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the effectiveness of using oral lavender oil for treating anxiety remains undetermined.[10]
Oil of spike lavender was used as a solvent in oil painting, mainly before the use of distilled turpentine became common.[14]
Adverse effects
[edit]Although lavender oil is generally recognized as safe for its intended uses,[15] it is a potential endocrine disruptor that may affect breast development in children.[16]
Many essential oils, including lavender oil, can be poisonous if swallowed.[17][18] In general, 5 millilitres (0.17 US fl oz) of a diluted essential oil may cause toxicity in adults, whereas 2–3 millilitres (0.068–0.101 US fl oz) can be toxic in children.[19] Over 2014-18 in New South Wales, there were 271 reported cases of lavender oil poisoning – mostly in children – accounting for 6.1% of all essential oil poisoning cases.[18] The main toxic constituents of lavender oil are linalyl acetate and linalool.[17][20]
Symptoms of lavender oil poisoning by ingestion include blurred vision, difficulty breathing, burning pain in the throat, burns to the eye, confusion, decreased level of consciousness, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and rash.[17] Topical application of lavender oil may cause contact dermatitis.[19]
Ingestion of lavender oil may cause interactions with prescription drugs, including anticoagulants, statins, and anticonvulsants.[21]
Phytochemicals
[edit]The phytochemical composition of lavender oil varies from species to species (table), consisting primarily of monoterpeneoid and sesquiterpeneoid alcohols.[21] Linalool (20-35%) and linalyl acetate (30-55%) dominate, with moderate levels of lavandulyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol and lavandulol, 1,8-cineole, camphor, limonene, and tannins.[21] Lavender oil typically contains more than 100 compounds, although many of these are at negligible concentrations.[21][22]
The composition of lavender essential oil as obtained by chromatography:[23]
| Family | Composition | Lavande officinale Lavandula angustifolia |
Lavande aspic Lavandula latifolia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terpenes / Monoterpenols |
 Linalool |
28.92 % | 49.47 % |
| α-Terpineol | 0.90% | 1.08% | |
| γ-Terpineol | 0.09% | ||
| Borneol | 1.43% | ||
| Isoborneol | 0.82% | ||
| Terpinen-4-ol | 4.32% | ||
| Nerol | 0.20% | ||
| Lavandulol | 0.78% | ||
| Terpenes / Terpene esters |
 Linalyl acetate |
32.98 % | |
| Geranyl acetate | 0.60% | ||
| Neryl acetate | 0.32% | ||
| Octene-3-yl acetate | 0.65% | ||
| Lavandulyl acetate | 4.52% | ||
| Terpenes / Monoterpenes |
Myrcene | 0.46% | 0.41% |
| α-Pinene | 0.54% | ||
| β-Pinene | 0.33% | ||
| Camphene | 0.30% | ||
| (E)-β-Ocimene | 3.09% | ||
| (Z)-β-Ocimene | 4.44% | ||
| β-Phellandrene | 0.12% | ||
| Terpenes / Terpenoid oxides |
 Eucalyptol (1,8-cineol) |
25.91 % | |
| Terpenes / Sesquiterpenes |
β-Caryophyllene | 4.62% | 2.10% |
| β-Farnesene | 2.73% | ||
| Germacrene | 0.27% | ||
| α-Humulene | 0.28% | ||
| Ketones |  Camphor |
0.85% | 13.00 % |
| 3-Octanone | 0.72% | ||
 Cryptone |
0.35% |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Dold M, Möller HJ, Volz HP, Seifritz E, Schläfke S, Bartova L, Kasper S (March 2024). "Baseline symptom severity and efficacy of Silexan in patients with anxiety disorders: A symptom-based, patient-level analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials". European Psychiatry. 67 (1): e23. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.16. PMC 10966615. PMID 38425206.
- ^ a b c d Lis-Balchin, Maria (August 2002). Lavender: The Genus Lavandula. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-203-21652-1.
- ^ Digest of Comments on The Pharmacopœia of the United States of America and on the National Formulary for the Calendar Year ... 1905-1922. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1919.
- ^ Masango P (2005-06-01). "Cleaner production of essential oils by steam distillation". Journal of Cleaner Production. 13 (8): 833–839. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2004.02.039. ISSN 0959-6526.
- ^ Simmons, Adelma Grenier (1989). Country wreaths from Caprilands: the legend, lore, and design of traditional herbal wreaths. Rodale Press. ISBN 978-0-87857-792-7.
- ^ Chanamai R, Horn G, McClements DJ (March 2002). "Influence of oil polarity on droplet growth in oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by a weakly adsorbing biopolymer or a nonionic surfactant". Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 247 (1): 167–76. Bibcode:2002JCIS..247..167C. doi:10.1006/jcis.2001.8110. PMID 16290453.
- ^ Mihala, Lorelei (2020-07-30). "Bulgarian lavender: The sweet smell of success". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
- ^ Giray, Handan (November 2018). "An Analysis of World Lavender Oil Markets and Lessons for Turkey". Journal of Essential Oil-bearing Plants. 21 (6): 1612–1623. doi:10.1080/0972060X.2019.1574612. S2CID 107300743.
- ^ Groom N (1997). The New Perfume Handbook (2nd ed.). Blackie Academic & Professional. ISBN 978-0-7514-0403-6.
- ^ a b c "Lavender". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ Ball EL, Owen-Booth B, Gray A, Shenkin SD, Hewitt J, McCleery J (August 2020). "Aromatherapy for dementia". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Meta-analysis). 2020 (8): CD003150. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003150.pub3. PMC 7437395. PMID 32813272.
- ^ Kasper, Siegfried; Müller, Walter E.; Volz, Hans-Peter; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Koch, Egon; Dienel, Angelika (2018-08-18). "Silexan in anxiety disorders: Clinical data and pharmacological background". The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry. 19 (6): 412–420. doi:10.1080/15622975.2017.1331046. ISSN 1562-2975. PMID 28511598.
- ^ "Lasea® Fachinformation" (in German). Fachinfo Service GmbH. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ^ Ward GW, ed. (2008). The Grove encyclopedia of materials and techniques in art. Oxford University Press. pp. 605–606. ISBN 978-0-19-531391-8.
- ^ "Sec. 182.20 Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates)". FDA. Archived from the original on September 15, 2003. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "Endocrine disruptors". National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US National Institutes of Health. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "Lavender oil". MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, US National Institutes of Health. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
Poisonous ingredient: It is mainly the linalyl acetate and linalool in lavender oil that are poisonous.
- ^ a b Lee KA, Harnett JE, Cairns R (November 2019). "Essential oil exposures in Australia: analysis of cases reported to the NSW Poisons Information Centre". The Medical Journal of Australia. 212 (3): 132–133. doi:10.5694/mja2.50403. PMID 31709543. S2CID 207940224.
We found that essential oil exposures are frequent in Australia, and that more than half involve children. ... severe toxicity can be caused by as little as 5 mL
- ^ a b "Essential oil poisoning". Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. July 2021.
Volumes of 5-15 mL are likely to cause toxicity in adults
- ^ Elshafie HS, Camele I (5 November 2017). "An overview of the biological effects of some Mediterranean essential oils on human health". BioMed Research International. 2017: 9268468. doi:10.1155/2017/9268468. PMC 5694587. PMID 29230418.
- ^ a b c d "Lavender". Drugs.com. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ Shellie R, Mondello L, Marriott P, Dugo G (September 2002). "Characterisation of lavender essential oils by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with correlation of linear retention indices and comparison with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography". Journal of Chromatography A. 970 (1–2): 225–34. doi:10.1016/S0021-9673(02)00653-2. PMID 12350096.
- ^ Marincaş, Olivian; Feher, Ioana (2018-12-01). "A new cost-effective approach for lavender essential oils quality assessment". Industrial Crops and Products. 125: 241–247. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.09.010. ISSN 0926-6690. S2CID 104553013.