Finding items that have multiple uses is an advantage for preppers. One of the best herbs for survival is lavender. Here are some of the reasons why this herb is powerful:
Lavender relaxes and calms: Whenever you're feeling stressed or anxious, especially during emergency situations, use lavender to relax and calm your mind. Breathing in the scent of lavender essential oil or applying it to the skin sends messages to the limbic system, a brain area that helps regulate emotion. Lavender also has a calming effect on the central nervous system that may help relieve anxiety.
Lavender helps you sleep better: Losing sleep is hard; it makes you feel drained and irritable and slows down your reflexes. Whenever you find it difficult to sleep, lavender comes in handy. You can use lavender to help you fall asleep and sleep better because of its sedative properties. You can drink it as a tea, use as a bath or massage oil, or infuse it into the air.
Lavender relieves breathing problems: Because of the increasing pollution and toxins in food, water, and air, many health problems arise, including respiratory problems. Air pollution and food can trigger asthma, an inflammation-related respiratory problem that makes breathing difficult. Using lavender oil can help fight against inflammation in the airways and relieve breath problems that come asthma. The relaxing and sedating effects of lavender also helps relieve asthma.
Lavender relieves allergies: An allergic reaction can be triggered by allergens like pollen, airborne pollutants, and specific molecules in various foods. It results in shortness of breath, swollen tongue or throat, rashes, hives, sneezing, headaches, or watery eyes. While lavender won't cure allergies, it can be used to relieve allergies because it is a strong anti-inflammatory and a natural antihistamine. According to studies, lavender can inhibit mast cells from releasing histamine, modifying the immune response to whatever is triggering a response. It can strengthen your body against allergens and reduce many of the painful symptoms of your allergies. To relieve your allergies with lavender, put a drop of its essential oil on your cheeks and around your sinuses throughout the day. You can also breathe in its aroma or put a few drops in a diffuser. You can also mix it with coconut or jojoba oil and apply it to the skin area affected by rashes or hives. (Related: Lavender oil is a powerful antifungal that fights skin conditions, Candida.)
Lavender contains antioxidants: Lavender contains antioxidant properties, which eliminate free radicals and prevent serious damage to DNA and other parts of the cell. You can reap the antioxidant benefits of lavender by making tea with it. To make lavender tea, bruise or crush fresh lavender leaves or flowers to release as much lavender oil as possible into the water. Boil some water, put the lavender in a tea ball, then steep the lavender in the water for about 10 minutes.
Lavender can be used as a fabric softener: Lavender can also be used for other purposes other than medicinal purposes. In fact, it can be used as a natural fabric softener that can brighten your clothes and remove excessive detergent buildup. To use as a fabric softener, do the following:
- Crush dried or fresh flowers and leaves enough to fill half of the jar you will be using to make the mixture.
- Fill the jar with vinegar and seal it tightly. Do not use a metal cover because vinegar's acidity will corrode it.
- Put the jar on a warm or sunny windowsill to increase the amount of lavender released into the vinegar.
- Leave it for at least three weeks so that the lavender will infuse into the vinegar.
Learn more about herbs like lavender by going to Herbs.news.
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