Lavender is a scent only your nan likes, right?
Wrong!
Lavender is one of the most enduring and widely used scents in use today. And there's a reason for that. It is uniquely pleasurable to the vast majority of people and it never seems to go out of fashion. There are sometimes grumbles of ‘old fashioned’ but that is never reflected in sales of Lavender scented products, or the sheer joy to be had in its heady scent.
There are many different types of Lavender available – some of better quality than others. Sometimes essential oil sold as 'Lavender' is a mix of various types of Lavender oils to increase the scent. An example of this is 'Lavender 40/42', which is usually a mix of Lavandula angustifolia (‘true Lavender’) and Lavandula Hybrida (‘Lavandin’) in order to adjust the levels of linalool and linalyl acetate. Sometimes this includes the introduction of synthetic compounds, which keeps the scent consistent and the price lower. However, Lavandin is generally not considered a good choice for therapeutic applications and is usually used for soaps, candles, hair care and household products. These are just a handful of examples of the myriad uses of Lavender in one of its forms.
Here at Songbird Naturals, we use Lavender oil in both our Lavender range (available in Massage Wax, Reflexology Wax and Liquiwax, plus vegan options) and in the ever-popular Balance Massage Wax, Reflexology Wax and Liquiwax. Our Lavender essential oil of choice is Lavandula angustifolia and we use HA (High Altitude) French Lavender, due to the high level of beneficial esters it contains. Esters are compounds found in essential oils, and the esters found in Lavender oil contribute to the oil's pleasant scent and relaxing properties. With High Altitude French Lavender, these esters are concentrated by the growing altitude to create a higher quality and finer fragrance.
Lavandula angustifolia by its nature can vary from season to season with varying percentages of the main scents of linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor and 1.8-Cineole. These varying percantages can make the product more or less sweet to the nose, with subtle variations of scent. However, these variations are a sign of an 'Altogether Natural' ingredient, and not adjusted by man.
Lavender is known for its calming and antibacterial properties and is a staple of the therapeutic oils. Plus, it just smells great. Enjoy our High Altitude angustifolia oil in our single-oil Lavender range and also as a part of the formula of our Balance range – you’ll be in good company!
