Lavender essential oil is one of my favorites. If I had to choose an oil to put in my emergency kit, it would be lavender. It can be used topically to soothe skin irritations, promote relaxation, and improve sleep. Lavender oil can also be diffused to freshen up a room or promote a calming atmosphere.

Topical Use

I use lavender essential oil primarily for burns and skin irritations. For burns, I use it full strength. Put a drop or two (depending on how big the burn is) on the burn and rub in lightly. Then run cold water on the burn for a minute. Pat it dry then put a drop or two on the burn again, rub it in, then put it under running cold water again. Repeat the process a few more times. This should take the burn out of the burn.

I also use it on my psoriasis when it flares up. I can handle it at full strength, but for others, may not be able to handle it. So put a few drops with a carrier oil like almond oil, castor oil, olive oil or coconut oil then rub it in. This works great for any skin irritation, even acne.

Before bedtime soak in a tub of hot water, 1-2 cups of Epsom Salts, and several drops of lavender. Epsom salts help to heal and relax sore muscles. Along with the lavender essential oils makes a powerhouse combo to help get a good night’s sleep. Another great way to improve sleep and relaxation, put the lavender essential oil on your pulse points (behind the ears, inside wrists and behind the knees). Also, put about 3-4 drops in a room diffuser and be prepared to sleep like a baby.

Besides calming and soothing skin and helping with relaxing the mind, lavender essential oil is also used to keep our hair thick and healthy. Lavender oil is known to help with hair loss. It increases the circulation to hair follicles for stronger, healthy-looking strands. The anti-bacterial properties of lavender oil is thought to stimulate cells. The benefits of lavender don’t stop there! This oil protects and nurtures strands starting at the scalp, which may help with dandruff. Another use of lavender oil is to deep condition your locks. Because it works to nourish and hydrate, it can help soften brittle strands for extra smoothness.

Where is lavender sourced

Bulgaria is an agricultural haven for growing aromatic plants and the people are rich in expertise. Near the Black Sea, the sunny and dry climate coupled with the well-drained, sandy soil makes the growing conditions in Bulgaria ideal.

France is famous for producing exceptionally high-quality lavender. Some historians estimate that lavender production in France dates back as far as 600 B.C.

How Does It Work?

While Bulgaria has historically boasted some of the world’s premier essential oil research, development, and production, in the Post-Communist era the industry faltered because of the government’s financial support for wheat, sunflower, and corn. Many Bulgarian farmers replaced aromatic plants with these crops.

This led to a lack of innovation in the aromatic agricultural space, which inspired us to establish the Esseterre facility in Dobrich, Bulgaria. Although Esseterre is owned by doTERRA, it really is a Bulgarian firm, built and managed by Bulgarians. Expert managers, distillers, farmers, and engineers combine their impeccable skills and a shared commitment to positively impact their communities . Esseterre works with over 75 lavender farms who bring their lavender to the facility from a small radius around Dobrich, as lavender should be distilled within one day of harvesting. The entire annual production of our lavender takes place in just 3 to 4 weeks every year. During these weeks, Esseterre employees work around the clock to ensure the highest quality of lavender oil possible.

Although its color is most brilliant in the early summer, we harvest our lavender plants in July. Once its bright purple color has started to fade from exposure to the summer heat, the plant produces higher quantity and quality oil.

Generating Jobs

The establishment of Esseterre has provided significant economic revitalization to the Dobrich, Bulgaria region. It has brought a multi-million investment and many jobs to a country where nearly a quarter of its population lives at or below the global poverty line. More and more farmers are coming to Esseterre with their crops. This can be attributed to several things including the sophistication and quality of the equipment and technology, as well as Esseterre’s reputation as a consistently reliable buyer that pays fairly and promptly.

For years, the few remaining distilleries in Bulgaria have been mostly managed by brokers. They determined how much and when the farmers would get paid. Many farmers are paid unfairly, and some are not paid for months, or even years until the brokers have sold the oil. At Esseterre, however, we can test the quality of a farmer’s crop and essential oil nearly immediately. The on-site, state-of-the-art laboratory includes a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) machine to confirm quality and a space where farmers can watch and wait while their crops are being distilled. Having this technology on-site allows us to not only confirm, while the farmer waits, that their plants produced the highest quality oil but also to pay farmers fairly and timely—usually the same day. We also award bonuses to farmers with the highest quality oil.