Ca'Mora Connect
The Benefits of Lavender in Organic Skin Care Products
Everyday there are new personal care products introduced into the market which are filled with chemicals that most of us cannot even pronounce. When we use those products, the chemicals are absorbed through the skin forcing our body’s cells to respond and our kidneys and liver to process the toxins. Products formulated with organic and natural ingredients are a viable alternative to these toxin-filled products.
As the product designer for Ca'mora, lavender has quickly become one of my favorite natural and organic herbs. I lovingly refer to lavender as the “herb that loves my skin.” The very first product that I created using lavender was the Ca’Mora Organic Lavender Body Oil. Let’s talk about the moisturized skin benefits of lavender.
Lavender comes from the genus Lavandula with forty-seven species all part of the mint family. There are multiple stories of where the species originated, but it is thought to have first been documented in Egypt and then Arabia. Records show the genus sold in France, Spain, and Italy before being carried across the pond to North America as early as 1600.
The word lavender is derived from the Latin verb “lavere” meaning “to wash.” The earliest documented use of lavender includes the Greeks using it to wash laundry. The fragrant aroma of lavender was used to wash floors and provide scent in clothing and rooms within people’s home. Lavender was not just thought of as a plant which smelled good, it was also seen as one with medicinal powers. For example, Queen Elizabeth the First would infuse lavender into her daily tea to treat her headaches and during the time known as the Black Plague of London, people used lavender oil to ward off disease carrying mosquitos.
Today the use of lavender has expanded. Contemporary scientists have demonstrated that lavender has anti-inflammatory properties which aide with mild pain. It has antiseptic qualities which help with wound healing and skin irritation. Internally lavender is shown to help improve blood circulation. Probably the most prominent known benefit of lavender is its effect on mood resulting in increased relaxation and an uplifting of the human spirt. It is for this reason that lavender is very popular in products that people use before going to bed or when they simply want to relax.
Organic lavender is an amazing ingredient to include in skin care products. You can see the immediate impact of reducing acne and wrinkles while aiding to even out the skin tone. Lavender in oil helps to improve moisture retention softening the skin. Lavender oil is non-comedogenic so it will not block the pores resulting in irritating breakouts.
As the product designer for Ca’Mora, I wanted to use the best quality lavender in our products. I sourced the lavender from a farm about fifty miles from my home city in Omaha, Nebraska at a farm called the Loess Hills Lavender Farm. In 2021 this farm was run by a woman named Mary who takes a tremendous amount of pride in growing the most beautiful lavender in the Midwest. You can go to her farm to learn about the plant, walk through the fields, witness their harvest, and even enjoy the sugar cookies and lemonade that she makes for guests with the harvested plants. If you take a moment and look at the landing page for the Ca’Mora website, there is a photo of one of our lavender oil bottles in the Loess Hills Lavender Farm field. It is truly a beautiful place to visit.
Using Lavender to Treat Dry Skin
Many people often reach for the body oil first to treat dry skin. You could be using the best natural oil for dry skin available, but if you don’t use the correct process, you will not experience optimal results. Our skin needs moisture both internally and externally. Oil is not a moisturizer in most cases! Drinking plenty of water will help hydrate your body internally and applying moisturizing products externally will infuse moisture into your skin directly. You can apply moisture with water (such as showering or bathing) or by applying moisturizing products such as lotions or body butters. Apply body oil after your shower or after you apply lotion or body butter to lock the moisture in your skin. Implementing this process of water-moisture-oil is an optimal way to ensure that your skin is better moisturized.
At Ca’Mora you will find multiple products made using this amazing lavender plant and they will help you implement the water-moisture-oil process. Shower with our aromatic lavender soap made with shea butter for an amazing spa bath experience. Apply the Lavender Vanilla Body Butter to maximize moisture absorbed into the skin. Finally, apply the original Organic Lavender Body Oil, the Lavender Vanilla Organic Body Oil or the Rosemary and Lavender Organic Body Oil to seal the moisture into your skin. Each of these products is offered individually or as part of a bundled box in the webstore. Shop around and let me know what you think.
Do you like the smell of lavender? Have you ever used lavender to heal something occurring on your skin? What do you like about organic lavender? I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Blessings,
Monique, Owner and Designer for Ca’Mora Personal Care Products
References
Retrieved from (2022): https://www.growerdirect.com/fun-facts-about-lavender
Retrieved from (2022): https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/lavender-facts/