Lavender Essential Oil and Burns

March 23, 2011 in Alternative Therapies, Application, Aromatherapy, Common Questions, Disinfectant, Education, Family Health, First Aid tips, How do I use, Lavender, Natural, Natural Health, Quality / Pure, Therapeutic-grade Essential Oil, Using Essential Oils,

Young Living Essential Oils by Evelyn Vincent

All burns can be serious, therefore seek medical attention if necessary. If the burn is large or severe the victim may go into shock. Inhaling therapeutic essential oils may help reduce shock.?? Therapeutic essential oils can also help cleanse and help the to wound heal. Today, lavender is one of the few essential oils to still be listed in the British Pharmacopoeia.

René-Maurice Gattefossé, PhD, a French cosmetic chemist, is widely regarded as the father of aromatherapy. He and a group of scientists began studying essential oils in 1907.

In his 1937 book, Aromatherapy, Dr. Gattefossé told the real story of his now-famous use of lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) essential oil to heal a serious burn. The tale has assumed mythic proportions in essential oil literature. His own words about this accident are even more powerful than what has been told over the years.

Dr. Gattefossé was literally aflame — covered in burning substances — following a laboratory explosion in July, 1910. After he extinguished the flames by rolling on a grassy lawn, he wrote that…

“both my hands were covered with rapidly developing gas gangrene.”

He further reported… “just one rinse with lavender essence [oil] stopped the gasification of the tissue. This treatment was followed by profuse sweating and healing which began the next day.”

Lavender’s Medicinal Properties

Antiseptic, anti-fungal, analgesic, antitumoral, anticonvulsant, vasodilating, relaxant, anti-inflammatory, reduces blood fat/cholesterol, combats excess sebum on skin.
 1.First -Degree Burns (Sunburn and minor Burns):?Essential Oils – Lavender*, Helichrysum*, Rose*, Melaluca ericfolia*. Blends: Gentle Baby*, Melrose*. (Topical: neat or dilute 50/50 with V-6 Massage Oil). Spray with LavaDerm Cooling Mist immediately and as necessary to cool the area.? Use Lavender-Rosewood Soap only after the burn has started to heal 24-48 hours.
 2. Second-Degree Burns (Blisters): ?Spray immediately with LavaDerm Cooling Mist* 4-5 times every hour and follow with 2-3 drops of Lavender* essential oil. On days 2-5, mist every hour and follow with 2-4 drops of Lavender essential oil. Continue using LavaDerm 3-6 times a day until healed. Apply Rose Ointment** to keep tissue soft.
 3.Third-Degree Burns : Seek immediate medical attention. Spraying LavaDerm* on the burn every few minutes for the first 24 hours will help tissue rehydrate. Applying Lavender* essential oil after misting will help the healing process.

Essential Oils Used for Treating Different Kinds of Burns
 •Lavender* (#3575)
 •Helichrysum* (#3563)
 •Rose* (#3623)
 •Melaluca ericfolia* (#3501)
 •Gentle Baby* (#3345)
 •Melrose* (#3378)

Products Used in Conjunction with Essential Oils for Treating Burns
 •LavaDerm Cooling Mist (#3249)
 •Lavender-Rosewood bar Soap (#3673)
 •Rose Ointment** (#3709)

Tip: ** Do not use ointments on burns until they are at least three days old, or if the burn is bad ask your doctor when it would be advisable to use ointments.

Special Note: * 98 percent of all essential oils in the world are not therapeutic; meaning that they can cause a burn or other injury to become worse. Additionally, cheaper Lavender oils often are derived from “Lavandin” which has a much higher camphor level which will make a burn many times worse! Therefore, we never recommend using any essential oil that does not come from a reputable distiller, such as Young Living. I know there are cheaper Lavender oils on the market but stories abound when those are used in First Aid situations and have actually made the wound much worse.

The mercurial of Lavender on burns
Chauncey Penfold
337-856-9461