A Guide To Spike Lavender Essential Oil and Its Benefits and Uses

Spike lavender essential oil (Lavandula latifolia) is a stimulating oil that contains more camphor than true lavender (Lavandula angustfolia).

Plant family: Lamiaceae

Production: Steam distilled from the buds/flowering tops of the plant. The plant yields much more essential oil than the true lavender plant. Spike lavender is sometimes used to adulterate true lavender oil so it costs less.

Aroma: Floral, camphorous, harsher than true lavender.

Perfume/Aromatic note: Top to middle

Is spike lavender safe to use during pregnancy? No, according to Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume I.

Is spike lavender safe for children? Do not use with babies and young children.

Cautions: Spike lavender with a high camphor content may have mild neurotoxic effects, though the linalool content may mitigate those effects.

Main components:

• linalool      27.2–43.1%
• 1,8-cineole 28.0–34.9%
• camphor    10.8–23.2%

Source: Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition

Spike Lavender Aromatherapy Benefits

Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art: Spike lavender relieves congestion and helps acne heal.

The Heart of Aromatherapy: Use spike lavender for respiratory support, soothing allergies and sinus congestion, clearing mucous and congestion, easing sore throats and coughs, soothing sore muscles and joints, calming inflammation, encouraging circulation, and feeling motivated and energized.

Advanced Aromatherapy: Spike lavender's camphor and cineole content makes it useful for relieving cold symptoms, especially when combined in a carrier oil with thyme linalol for chest massage.

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Use spike lavender to help relieve wounds and cuts, muscle spasms and cramps, headaches, acne, and insect bites.

375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols: Spike lavender is indicated for coughs, athlete's foot, and rhinitis.

The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness: Spike lavender is useful for relieving muscle aches and pains, rheumatism, cuts and scrapes, and cold/flu symptoms by easing coughs and loosening mucous.

Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume I: Spike lavender is stimulating and warming. The oil's primary uses are for hypotonic (weak) and asthenic (cold) conditions, especially ones involving the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, or gastrointestinal systems.

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Third Edition, Vol. 1, suggests blending the following essential oils with spike lavender:

• For an insect repellent: atlas cedarwood, citronella, lemon-scented tea tree, niaouli, peppermint, or tea tree.
• To relieve muscle, arthritic, or rheumatic pain: black pepper, ginger, kunzea, peppermint, or rosemary.
• To relieve headaches: kunzea, lavender, sweet marjoram,or peppermint.
• To relieve general fatigue: black pepper, coriander seed, ginger, lemon, peppermint, or rosemary.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Spike lavender grounds and purifies, enhancing intuition and awareness for clairvoyance, psychic work, and dreamwork. The oil also aids concentration to bring inspiration and clarity for spirit contact, divination, and communication in general.

Spike Lavender Essential Oil Uses and Blends

Sore Muscle Oil

• 2 tablespoons trauma oil
• 7 drops spike lavender essential oil
  
• 4 drops black spruce essential oil
• 4 drops myrtle essential oil
• 3 drops ginger essential oil

Blend all ingredients in a one-ounce (30-ml) glass bottle.

Source: The Heart of Aromatherapy

Diffuser Blend

Diffuse a few drops of this blend to help relieve symptoms of flu, bronchitis, or sinusitis or to purify the air.

• 25 drops spike lavender
• 50 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil
• 20 drops pine essential oil
• 5 drops thyme essential oil

Blend the essential oils in a 5-ml amber bottle.

Source: E. Joy Bowles, PhD, BSc (Hons). "Alpha and Beta Pinene." International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy, Summer 2012, p. 13.

Breathe Deep Steam Inhalation

This blend soothes sinuses irritated from pollen and also makes a stimulating facial steam.

• 3 drops spike lavender essential oil
  
• 4 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil
• 1 drop rosemary essential oil

1. Blend essential oils in a small dish.
   
2. Add the blend to a bowl of steamy water.
3. Cover your head with a towel or cloth, creating a tent where the fragrant steam can linger.
4. Close your eyes and lean carefully (not too close!) over the steamy bowl.
5. Take cautious inhalations through your mouth and nose until you can comfortably breathe deeply through your nose.
6. Repeat up to 3 times a day.
   

Source: Katie Vie. "Seasonal Self Care." NAHA Aromatherapy Journal, Spring 2013.1, p. 6.

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Photo Credit: Andrea Moro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons