June is here, which means one thing: Botnia Team Lavender Harvest Day!

Every year, our team takes a short road trip to Healdsburg, CA to spend the day harvesting lavender from our sweet friends at Sophie’s Five Acres farm. It’s a day that we love for so many reasons.

Not only is lavender relaxing, but it's also able to ease irritation and protect against foreign invaders. Our estheticians turn to lavender when a client’s skin is irritated, rough, stressed out, and needs some extra toning. It’s also a great way to instantly shift frazzled nerves with one big breath of its calming aroma. We’re sharing why we formulate our skin-balancing everyday cleansers and oils with lavender and its benefits in our skincare.

Why lavender is beneficial for the skin

Lavandula Angustifolia or English Lavender, which is native to the Mediterranean, is a flowering plant that’s part of the Lamiaceae plant family. The Latin name Lavandula derives from the Latin word lavare, which means "to wash."

In some cultures, lavender was traditionally applied as an infused oil to wounds while the flowers were used for nervous debility or “hysteria," which essentially means anxiety, among other conditions.

Lavender’s therapeutic actions are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic (calming to anxiety), astringent (we find lavender amazing for oily skin types!), nervine (calming to the nervous system), and cooling.

In practice, lavender is great for bacterial imbalances, oily-prone folks (because of its astringent quality), and during times of breakouts due to its cooling and anti-inflammatory qualities. Not to mention there is definitely a relationship between stress and breakouts or even rashes so the calming aromatics can help soothe in times of stress.

Botnia products with lavender

Our Replenishing Facial Oil and Balancing Oil Cleanser include whole flowers in the cold-pressed oil infusions. This allows our oils to soak up as much of the plant’s benefits into the serum, maximizing the plant benefits for your skin.

Next month, we’ll also be launching a very special blend of botanicals that includes lavender in the mix, so stay tuned!

The following products feature lavender essential oil for both scent and skin benefits.

Body Cream
Daily Face Cream
Daily Face Cream Light
Daily Face Wash
Essential Enzymes 
Gentle Cleanser
Gentle Hand Lotion
Gentle Hand Soap
Renewing Face Wash
Restorative Face Cream
Luminous Body Scrub
Relaxing Bath Salts

Lavender in the garden

Want to grow some lavender in your garden? Lavender thrives in Mediterranean climates which is why it does so beautifully here in California! When considering growing lavender in your garden, make sure you have a nice, sunny spot for it. It’s best to plant lavender in the springtime after the soil has warmed up a bit and there is no chance of more frost. It is extremely drought tolerant, so it’s a great option for low-maintenance gardens and xeriscaped gardens. Be sure not to overwater! Once the buds just start to open on your lavender plants you can harvest the flowers, making sure you prune all the way down to the base of the stem. If you do these three simple things, your lavender plant(s) will grow several inches a year and will add so much beauty and fragrance to your garden!

Fun fact: if your lavender doesn’t have much of a smell, or smells bad, it’s likely from overwatering or from too many nutrients. Lavender actually prefers quite lean soil without much organic matter in it. Alkaline or chalky soil will actually boost your lavender’s fragrance, while soil with a low pH will result in lavender plants without much scent and a short life span.

If your skin is in need of some R&R, lavender is a great ally for bringing down inflammation and helps to alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety with its relaxing scent. A perfect addition to your skincare cabinet and backyard garden!

Xo,
Botnia

Contributors:
Isabella De Credico, in-house herbalist and lead formulator at Botnia - skin benefit facts
Emily Walker, farm specialist at Botnia - garden guide