About Herbs

Bottom Line: Lavender has not been shown to treat cancer. However, it may improve sleep pattern in some patients.

Laboratory studies showed that lavender oil can kill the bacteria present in the mouth. Studies in humans have shown that massage with lavender oil is beneficial in treating mild to moderate depression. Other studies point that massaging the scalp with lavender oil helps in the treatment of baldness. A formula that contains lavender and other herbs was shown to be effective in reducing ear pain in children with inflammation of the middle ear. However, it is unclear from the study if lavender alone would have a similar effect. Lavender can cause allergic contact dermatitis and may increase the effect of sedatives.

Cancer:
In a recent study, 42 patients with advanced cancer were assigned to three groups. Each group received either weekly massage with lavender oil, weekly massage with an inert oil, or no treatment. Patients in either massage groups did not report any significant long-term benefits. However, the sleep pattern improved in both the groups compared to the patients in the no treatment group. Researchers concluded that although lavender oil does not relieve anxiety or improve quality of life, it does confer short-term benefits in improving sleep pattern cancer patients.

Depression:
In another study, 45 subjects with mild to moderate depression received either lavender tincture 60 drops/day plus placebo orally, imipramine (an antidepressant drug) 100 mg/day plus placebo, or imipramine plus lavender tincture for 4 weeks. Researchers found that treatment with lavender tincture and imipramine was significantly more effective than imipramine alone. This study suggests that lavender can be used to aid in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Lavender may increase drowsiness effect of other drugs.

Aspic, lavandin, spike lavender

Derived from the flowering tops of the plant. Lavender oil is used in aromatherapy, as a topical treatment and as an oral supplement for a wide variety of symptoms. It exhibits mild antibacterial effects⁽⁴⁾. Topical application of an herbal formulation that includes lavender was shown to be effective in reducing otalgia in children with acute otitis media ⁽¹¹⁾. Lavender may relieve agitation in patients with severe dementia ⁽⁵⁾. Essential oils containing lavender have been shown to be beneficial in treating alopecia areata ⁽¹⁰⁾. Oral preparations appear to be beneficial as an adjuvant therapy for mild to moderate depression ⁽⁷⁾. Lavender has also been studied for the treatment of cancer related symptoms. Results indicate that it does not reduce anxiety during radiotherapy ⁽⁶⁾ and topical application of lavender oil does not improve long-term pain, anxiety, or quality of life in patients with advanced cancer ⁽⁸⁾. A few cases of allergic contact dermatitis have been reported with use of lavender ⁽¹²⁾. Also, repeated topical application of lavender and tea tree oils resulted in gynecomastia in prepubertal boys ⁽¹⁴⁾.

It is thought that the antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of lavender are due to a component of the lavender essential oil called 1,8-cineole or eucalyptol ⁽²⁾. Eucalyptol is also found in Eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamon ⁽⁹⁾. Lavender oil has a depressive effect on the central nervous system ⁽³⁾ and increases bile flow to the intestine. Perillyl alcohol, a constituent of the lavender plant, may have anticancer effects ⁽¹²⁾. In vitro studies have shown that lavender oil has weak estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities that may alter the estrogen and andgrogen signaling pathways ⁽¹⁴⁾.

Absorption
Lavender is quickly absorbed through the skin. Components of the essential oil were found in the blood within 5-20 minutes of massage ^{(9) (12)}.

Lavender may potentiate the sleep-inducing activity of other agents ⁽³⁾.

Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol 1998;134:1349-52.
86 subjects participated in a study of aromatherapy and alopecia areata. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The active group massaged essential oils (thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood) into their scalp daily. The control group massaged carrier oils daily. Treatment with the essential oils was significantly more effective than control treatment. It is unclear to what extent lavender oil was responsible for the treatment effect given the presence of other essential oils.

Soden K, Vincent K, Craske S, Lucas C, Ashley S. A randomized controlled trial of aromatherapy massage in a hospice setting. Palliat.Med 2004;18:87-92.
42 subjects with advanced cancer participated in a study of aromatherapy massage and quality of life. Subjects were randomized to receive either weekly massages with lavender oil, weekly massage with inert oil or no treatment. Subjects in either massage group did not show significant long-term benefits for primary trial endpoints of pain, anxiety or quality of life. Sleep scores improved in both the massage and aromatherapy massage groups. Study indicates that lavender oil does not have long-term benefits for pain control, anxiety or quality of life.

Holmes C, Hopkins V, Hensford C, MacLaughlin V, Wilkinson D, Rosenvinge H. Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behaviour in severe dementia: a placebo controlled study. Int J Geriatr.Psychiatry 2002;17:305-8.
Fifteen subjects with severe dementia participated in a study of lavender oil and agitated behavior. Subjects were assigned to  aromatherapy using either an aroma stream of lavender oil or water on alternating days for two weeks. A blinded observer was asked to rate the subjects' agitation using the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS). A significant improvement was seen in group median PAS scores during aromatherapy when compared with scores during placebo treatment. Researchers conclude that lavender oil shows modest efficacy in the treatment of agitation in patients with severe dementia.

Akhondzadeh S, Kashani L, Fotouhi A, Jarvandi S, Mobaseri M, Moin M et al. Comparison of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. tincture and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized trial. Prog.Neuropsychopharmacol.Biol Psychiatry 2003;27:123-7.
45 subjects with mild to moderate depression participated in a study of lavender tincture and imipramine in the treatment of depression. Subjects were randomized to receive either lavender tincture orally 60 drops/day plus placebo tablet, imipramine 100 mg/day plus placebo drop, or imipramine plus lavender tincture for four weeks. While lavender tincture alone was not as effective as imipramine alone, treatment with both imipramine and lavender tincture was significantly more effective than imipramine alone. Researchers conclude that lavender tincture is an effective adjuvant therapy for mild to moderate depression.