Lavender oil

Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. It is commonly used in aromatherapy, perfumery, and as a flavoring or fragrance in consumer products. A standardized oral preparation known as Silexan is also used for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are distinguished, lavender flower oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a density of 0.885 g/mL; and lavender spike oil, a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia, having a density of 0.905 g/mL. Like all essential oils, it is not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of phytochemicals, including linalool and linalyl acetate.

Lavender oil has been used in perfumes, aromatherapy, massage therapy, and topical skin applications, though these uses lack strong clinical evidence of effectiveness. It may cause allergic reactions in massage therapy. Silexan is approved in Germany for anxiety-related restlessness and has shown some clinical effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms, though its overall efficacy remains debated. Although generally recognized as safe, lavender oil may act as an endocrine disruptor, is toxic if ingested, especially for children, and can cause poisoning symptoms, skin irritation, and drug interactions.

Historically, spike lavender oil was used as a solvent in oil painting before turpentine became common. Lavender oil is primarily produced through steam distillation of harvested lavender blooms—typically between late June and August—with leading global producers including Bulgaria, France, and China.