Incense in The Wind: Best of Lavender

Limonene, linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor are typical aroma compounds associated with the characteristic aroma of lavender. Essential oils may be made from true lavender or lavandin, which is a plant in the lavender family, and it looks and smells like lavender, but when distilled into oil it has a stronger and more lasting scent. But lavandin does not have the same therapeutic benefits of true lavender.

Lavender is more than a flower - is is also a herb and a medicine, and it has a rich and long history. It has been used by humans for over 2,500 years. I have read (many times - often in a simple repeated phrase which indicates it has merely been copied) that lavender was found in Tutankhamun's tomb, and could still be smelled. I found this interesting. Sadly, my researches have not turned up anything academic confirming this. I have consulted Christian de Vartavan's Hidden Fields of Tutankhamun, which looks at the main plants identified by Howard Carter's botanical expert, Prof. Newberry, on the opening of the tomb, and which are now stored in Cairo Museum. These consist of things like barley, and watermelon seeds. Of more interest is the report by Leonard A. Boodle of Kew Gardens, who examined the plants and traces which could not be easily identified. There's no lavender in any of the reports, but there is mention of Thymbra, a plant in the same family as lavender, of which Boodle writes: "this plant shows some resemblance to Rosemary as regards certain characters and to Lavender in others".

"The ancient Greeks called Lavender nardus, after the Syrian city of Naarda and was commonly called Nard. Lavender was one of the holy herbs used to prepare the Holy Essence and Nard, or ‘spikenard’ is mentioned in the bible in the ‘Song of Solomon’ among other places. Lavender derives its name from the Latin ‘lavare’ meaning ‘to wash”. The Romans used Lavender to scent their baths, beds, clothes and even hair. They also discovered its medicinal properties."

"Lavender is grown commercially for extraction of its oil from its flowers and to some degree from its foliage. The oil is obtained through a distillation process. The oil is used as a disinfectant, an antiseptic, an anti-inflammatory and for aromatherapy. An infusion of Lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites, sunburn and small cuts, burns and inflammatory conditions and even acne. Lavender oils are also used for internal medical conditions, among others indigestion and heartburn. Lavender oil is said to soothe headaches, migraines and motion sickness when applied to the temples. It is frequently used as an aid to sleep and relaxation."

"Dried Lavender flowers are used extensively as fragrant herbal filler inside sachets - to freshen linens, closets and drawers. As an air spray, it is used to freshen in practically any room. Dried lavender flowers have also become popular for use at weddings as decoration, gifts and as confetti for tossing over the newlyweds."

"As a member of the mint family, Lavender has been used for centuries in the preparation of food either by itself or as an ingredient of Herbs de Province – an herb combination which captures the flavours of the sunny south of France. Lavender delivers a floral, slightly sweet and elegant flavour to salads, soups, meat and seafood dishes, desserts, cheeses, baked goods and confectionery. For most cooking applications it is the dried flowers that are used although the leaves may also be used. Only the buds or flowers contain the essential oil of Lavender which is where the scent and flavour are best derived."

According to Steffen Arctander lavender is “of sweet, floral-herbaceous refreshing odour with a pleasant, balsamic-woody undertone. An almost fruity-sweet top note is of a very short life, and the entire oil is not distinguished by its tenacity in odour.” “It is used extensively in colognes (citrus-colognes or the well-known lavender-waters), in fougeres, chypres, ambres and countless floral, semi-floral or particularly in non-floral perfume types. The oil blends well with bergamot and other citrus oils, clove oils (for ‘Rondeletia’ type perfumes), flouve, liatris, oakmoss, patchouli, rosemary, sage clary, pine needle oils, etc. Also with amyl salicylate, coumarins, citronellol and geraniol and their esters, heptanolide, menthyl acetate, musk ambrette, moskene and ethylene brassylate, nopyl acetate, menthanyl acetate, isobornyl propionate, phenyl- acetaldehyde and its acetals in particular. Labdanum products are excellent fixatives and the oil of Mentha Citrata can be useful for modifications.”

Citral is an aroma compound, derived from plants, that is commonly used as a lavender fragrance in perfumes and incense.

I am not a huge fan of floral incenses (not to be confused with flora incenses!); however, I do like lavender.