Lavender in Provence, Organic Health and Beauty

Natural Healing Plant, Essential Oil Cosmetics,Cooking with Flowers

May 1, 2009

Lavender is the hallmark of Provence, a natural product with a place in every home and many beneficial uses beyond its refreshing fragrance.

Early summer in Provence brings the lavender in bloom with dazzling rows of purple flowers stretching to the foot of the mountains, filling the air with overwhelming fragrance. From picking to distilling, it’s a busy time for the villagers and when all is done, the harvest is celebrated in colourful festivals.

Lavender in Provence has always grown wild but increasing demand in modern times led to large scale cultivation and the development of more profitable hybrids. Lavendin is favoured by growers for its powerful scent but the best essential oil comes from the original or true lavender. Known since Biblical times, lavender is praised for its fragrant essential oil, natural healing properties and more recently its contribution to French cuisine, cooking with flowers.

Lavender is a natural antiseptic for the treatment of damaged skin, from sunburn to acne or scarred tissue. It also brings relief from insect bites and has proved effective against hair lice. A good organic all rounder, it is sometimes added to herbal tea and claims to help digestion and circulation, alleviate respiratory problems and boost the immune system. It’s widely recommended to relieve nervous tension, including headache, muscle pain and insomnia, and is frequently included in aromatherapy massage.

The oil should always be used sparingly, diluted according to instructions, but the potpourris and dried flowers of Provence will bring relaxation into any home and can be enhanced by scented candles and sprays.

Organic Essential Oil Cosmetics

The lavender organic essential oil plays a major role in the highly reputed cosmetics of Provence, such as L’Occitane and Terre d’Oc, where products can be bought direct from the manufacturer.

Beyond a wide range of perfumes, the organic oil is used in soap, face wash, shower gel, bath salts and hand and body lotions. It’s popular for its scent and moisturising properties, said to help prevent or smooth wrinkles.

Cooking with Flowers

Among the flowers sought by innovative chefs to enhance colour and flavour, lavender is one of the most versatile, its use limited only by imagination. As a member of the mint family, it is perfectly edible but flowers and leaves should be fresh and organic. Buds and stems are crushed, alone or with other aromatic herbs such as sage or rosemary.

Among the favourite recipes are chicken with lemon and lavender sauce and beef with lavender and coriander. Lavender is great in scones and bread and goes especially well with chocolate cake. It adds flavour to sorbet and ice cream and a surprising touch of colour to a glass of Champagne.

Stems double up as scented skewers on summer barbecues but in the local cuisine of Provence, a favourite ingredient is lavender honey, used in myriad delicious ways and a 100% natural tonic.

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