Using Lavender Oil as a Treatment for Burns and Sunburns

It is common knowledge that the benefits of using lavender oil for various physical issues are well recorded. Anyone who has walked into a room with lavender is immediately captivated by its amazing aroma, and soothing ambiance. Lavender harmonizes well with other pure oils, so it has a number of applications, but we tend to forget how effective it can be due to our dependency on pharmaceutical preparations.

A great many of the natural medications used to heal burns have lavender oil in them. Lavender and burns have a long history, but once again our conditioning prevents us from relying upon this essential oil to ease the discomfort of sunburn and minor burns.

The French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse stumbled upon the benefits of lavender essential oil when he experienced a professional injury in the early 1900s. Gattefosse burned his hand during an lab experiment, and then immediately stuck his hand in a vessel of lavender oil, which he was working with for another process. His hand responded to the oil within minutes and the intense discomfort subsided. His burns healed faster, and there was no long term scarring. Gattefosse's burns were probably first degree, which means only the outer part of his skin was affected.

Second degree burns may require medical monitoring due to blistering and damage to the second layer of skin, so common sense and good judgment take precedence in second degree burn situations. For more serious burns medical attention is recommended.

If the burns are thought to be first or mild second degree burns, lavender oil can work wonders if it is applied quickly. The best procedure to treat a burn injury starts with washing the burn under tepid water and then applying a cool compress soaked with several drops of lavender oil. Never use ice on a burn. Ice will only increase the discomfort for an already injured, as well as tender and fragile area of the body. One of the most important benefits of using the oil of lavender for a burn is its ability reduce blisters, as well as scar tissue, while it fights infections, which is a real worry when the skin is damaged by burns.

Most physicians agree; large burns require special attention, but if you're in pain from a first season sunburn, you can mist your skin with lavender water. If some areas have painful burns, place a lavender oil soaked gauze on the area, and then change the gauze every couple hours. When ten drops of lavender is mixed with aloe gel or aloe juice the healing benefits of both of these natural botanicals work together to heal the skin quickly.

Kitchen burns from hot pans or steam are painful, but following the prescribed medical protocol of using cool water, and then applying a few drops of the lavender essential oil to a piece cloth or gauze works magic in a very short period of time. Even radiation burns have been treated with lavender, but the degree of the burns has to be considered before a treatment process can be given.

Visit our lavender site to learn more about the beneficial qualities of pure lavender oil and discover the preferred suppliers, where to purchase the oil, and how much it can do for you.