Essential oils distilled from members of the genus Lavandula have been used both cosmetically and therapeutically
for centuries with the most commonly used species being L. angustifolia, L. latifolia, L. stoechas
and L. x intermedia. Although there is considerable anecdotal information about the biological activity of
these oils much of this has not been substantiated by scientific or clinical evidence. Among the claims
made for lavender oil are that is it antibacterial, antifungal, carminative (smooth muscle relaxing), sedative,
antidepressive and effective for burns and insect bites. In this review we detail the current state of
knowledge about the effect of lavender oils on psychological and physiological parameters and its use as
an antimicrobial agent. Although the data are still inconclusive and often controversial, there does seem
to be both scientific and clinical data that support the traditional uses of lavender. However, methodological
and oil identification problems have severely hampered the evaluation of the therapeutic signifi-
cance of much of the research on Lavandula spp. These issues need to be resolved before we have a true
picture of the biological activities of lavender essential oil. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.