What is English lavender used for?

English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, and its European cousins all share the same fragrant oils in their leaves and flowers. This famous additive to cosmetics has a long and colorful history.

The Romans, famous bathers in a time when few washed, found lavender to be an Excellent addition to their baths due to its oils that proved to disinfect as well as fragrance skin, water and air. In fact, the Latin root for wash is lavo, which was the inspiration for the genus name of all these plants.

Lavender water and lavender soap were quite popular during the late Victorian age in England. Sprigs of fresh plants also helped to discourage moths in closets in drawers. For this reason dried lavender was sown into little bags known as sachets which were added to linen closets, dressers and hung among wool and cotton clothing.