From the Latin lavare, “to wash”: the herb the Romans added to their bath water — and the most recognisable scent of Provence.

What is lavender?

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, “true” lavender) is a small evergreen shrub of the mint family, with narrow grey-green leaves and purple flower spikes. The essential oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops and consists mainly of linalool and linalyl acetate, which give it its sweet, floral-herbaceous scent. Cosmetics also use the dried flowers, for their colour and texture. There are other species too, such as lavandin (a hybrid) and spike lavender, with a more camphorous scent.

What are the benefits of lavender?

Lavender is perhaps the most widely used essential oil in the world. Applied topically it:

• Gives a feeling of calm and relaxation
• Soothes the skin and gives a feeling of comfort
• Suits every skin type
• Offers polyphenols with antioxidant activity
• Scents with a clean, floral, slightly herbaceous note

Gattefossé’s lavender

In 1910 the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé burned his hand in an explosion in his laboratory and, by his own account, plunged it into lavender essential oil. The experience led him to study essential oils systematically, and in 1937 he coined the term “aromatherapy”. Lavender has been the symbol of the field ever since — and of the fields of Provence that turn purple every July.

Where does it come from?

Lavender originates in the mountains of the western Mediterranean. Today the main producers of the essential oil are Bulgaria, France (Provence), Ukraine and Spain, while in Greece it is increasingly grown, mainly in northern Greece and Kozani.