My Top Three Lavender Treats

Among all essential oils, Lavandula angustifolia—a.k.a. lavender—remains at the top of my list of aromatherapy picks. One whiff of this pure flower extract transports you to breezy fields in the South of France, where these lilac-colored blooms thrive in abundance.

Pictured: Lavender soaps from Ilog Maria Honeybee Farms.

When shopping for products that aim to calm, soothe, or relax, chances are good that you'll find lavender somewhere in the mix. From bedtime lotions and creams, to massage oils and foaming bath gels, the pleasant aroma is hard to miss.

If you are looking for new additions to your bath-and-body beauty lineup, these three lavender-infused products rise up to the challenge of delivering maximum scent appeal and spa-like relaxation. You'll love how each will leave you smelling like a breath of fresh air—almost as if you'd taken a personal field trip to a European farm far away.


1) L'Occitane A.O.C. Lavender Essential Oil

In an ideal world, half the products in my bathroom would come from L'Occitane. Alas, Ivanka Trump (or locally, Divine Lee) isn't my name. The next best thing to having an unlimited, premium aromatic experience is investing in the brand's small—but very potent—bottle of high-quality lavender essential oil (the label A.O.C. is only accorded to the purest lavender extract distilled from flowers growing at more than 800 meters in altitude).

A few drops immediately transforms regular rubbing alcohol, plain lotion, or body wash into something bought off of a department store shelf. If you don't feel like playing beauty chemist or have extra cash on hand, try L'Occitane's other lavender-based products which include a hand cream, eau de toilette, shower gel, and an organic pillow mist, among others.


2) Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Hand Wash

The brand's lavender lineup has more of an English countryside feel than Haute-Provence; after all, it is a British brand. However different in scent character, Crabtree & Evelyn's soaps, lotions, and washes are still a much-welcome treat to every bathroom and toiletry kit (I particularly enjoy shopping for travel-sized versions of the Bath & Shower Gels).


3) Ilog Maria Lavender Soap

To get to Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm in Silang, Cavite can be quite a challenge, but worth it. Your best bet is to print a map from the web to help you navigate, and watch out for the small dirt road that leads to the farm. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a rich selection of all handmade personal care products which boast all-natural ingredients including honey, beeswax, propolis, and Royal Jelly, among others. Going back to the subject of lavender, the farm store sells soaps and lotions made from most of the ingredients mentioned above, as well as natural essential oils. The lavender soap lathers to a fresh, breezy (quite minty) wash, and leaves the skin clean and moisturized, thanks to honey—a natural disinfectant and emollient. If you're buying more than one bar (it's quite tempting to hoard), make sure to store them properly. According to the farm's website, IlogMaria.com, the soaps keep best in the closet among clothes to "let them breathe and cure." Personally, I like them best contained in a bowl inside the bathroom; the lovely smell that permeates simply can't be beat.

Read Mariel's beauty articles at http://BeautyintheBigApple.com or visit her blog at http://NyMinuteNow.com.

(Originally published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer.)