Lavender

Lavender is the common name for Lavandula, a genus of perennial flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that includes several dozen species along with many cultivated hybrids ^[1]. Native to the drier, warmer parts of the Old World and especially the Mediterranean, it is grown around the world for ornament and, above all, for the fragrant essential oil obtained by distilling its flowers, most often those of Lavandula angustifolia ^[1]. The oil is a complex mixture whose main constituents are the terpene alcohol linalool and its ester linalyl acetate ^[1].

People have used lavender for centuries in perfumes, soaps, and cooking, and in folk medicine for restlessness, sleeplessness, and digestive discomfort ^[1]. Modern research has focused mainly on its calming and anxiety-reducing properties. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that lavender, particularly when inhaled or taken as a standardized oral preparation, can reduce anxiety, while noting that the overall quality of the underlying studies is modest ^[1]. Much of the strongest clinical evidence concerns Silexan, a standardized oral lavender-oil capsule; in a controlled trial in people with generalized anxiety disorder, Silexan reduced anxiety to a degree comparable with the benzodiazepine lorazepam, but without sedation or a potential for dependence ^[2].

Lavender aromatherapy has also been tested for anxiety and pain in medical settings, with mixed results; some randomized trials, such as one following cesarean delivery, reported reductions in pain and anxiety, whereas others, including a trial during breast reconstruction, found no measurable benefit over placebo ^[3][4]. Lavender is generally considered safe in the amounts used in food and aromatherapy, though the oil can occasionally cause allergic skin reactions, and caution is advised in pregnancy ^[1]. In most places it is sold not as a licensed drug but as an essential oil, a supplement, and a herbal product ^[1].

Oral lavender oil is well tolerated, with the most common complaint being lavender-scented burps. It doesn't seem to cause dependence or heavy sedation. There has been some debate about topical lavender and hormonal effects in boys, though this is not well established.