People have reached for lavender for centuries. Scientists have been studying it too. Here is what published research actually found, quoted word for word, with a link to every study so you can read it yourself.
Sleep
Two small studies looked at breathing in lavender at bedtime. In one, healthy young adults spent nights in a sleep lab with and without lavender scent. In the other, adults with mild sleep trouble tried lavender aroma for a week.
“[Lavender] increased the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS) in men and women.”
Goel, Kim & Lao (2005), Chronobiology International 22(5):889–904. Read the study
“Outcomes favor lavender, and a larger trial is required to draw definitive conclusions.”
Lewith, Godfrey & Prescott (2005), Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 11(4):631–637. Read the study
Type of study: small human studies (31 people in the first; a pilot trial in the second).
Stress and anxious feelings
A 2021 review pooled many studies of lavender aromatherapy. A separate Japanese pilot study measured stress markers while people napped with lavender oil in the air.
“Lavender aromatherapy showed substantial effect in reducing anxiety and depression,”
Kim, Nam, Lee & Kang (2021), Asian Nursing Research. Read the study
“these results indicate that LEO aromatherapy during a short-duration sleep cycle suppresses the stress response”
Yogi et al. (2021), Healthcare 9(7):909. Read the study
Type of study: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies, and a small human pilot study. (LEO means lavender essential oil.)
Skin and wound care
Researchers in Japan applied lavender oil to wounds in rats and studied how quickly the skin closed. A separate lab study tested ten essential oils, including lavender, against the bacteria linked to acne.
“Wound healing potential of lavender oil by acceleration of granulation and wound contraction through induction of TGF-β in a rat model”
Study title, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2016). Read the study
Zu et al. (2010), “Activities of Ten Essential Oils towards Propionibacterium acnes,” Molecules 15(5):3200–3210. Read the study
Type of study: an animal study (rats) and a lab (test-tube) study. These have not been confirmed in people.
Lavender and germs
Lavender oil was used as an antibacterial during World War I, and researchers still study its effect on bacteria and fungi.
“in addition to its recognised antimicrobial effects”
“being widely used as an antibacterial in World War I”
Cavanagh & Wilkinson (2005), “Lavender essential oil: a review,” Australian Infection Control 10(1):35–37. Read the study
Type of study: a review article summarizing lab research.
Please note: These studies are shared for education. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with your doctor about any health concern, and always dilute essential oils before putting them on skin.
