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- All about lavender
How to use lavandin, Provence’s iconic plant with many uses
Lavender and your evening ritual: the Valensole guide
Lavender or lavandin? We bet you’ll get it wrong!
Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia): all about the plant
Organic lavender gift ideas: our gift boxes and vouchers
Cold process soap: how it is made and why to choose it
Valensole’s lavender ritual: a home spa for Mother’s Day
The benefits of lavender: what you need to know
Lavender has been used since Antiquity for bathing, laundry, and well-being. Its name actually comes from the Latin lavare, “to wash.” But behind the word “lavender” actually lie four plants, each with its own fragrance and uses. Here is what we, as producers, have to share.
Four plants, four fragrances, four uses
There are two main families of lavender: fine lavender and spike lavender. Lavandin is a natural hybrid between these two families, Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. Its two main varieties, grosso and super, each have their own character.
- Fine lavender (true, officinal): the lavender for moments of calm. Soft and floral fragrance. Grown at altitude, from 500 meters.
- Spike lavender: the wild lavender of dry hills. Fresh, aromatic, and camphorated fragrance. Coming soon to our shop.
- Lavandin grosso: the most widely cultivated and the most fragrant. Its scent is the most powerful and long-lasting of all lavenders: it is the lavandin for the home and cosmetics.
- Lavandin super: softer, close to fine lavender. The lavandin for the body, for massage and foot baths. Coming soon to our shop.
| Plant | Fragrance | Key Uses | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine lavender L. angustifolia | Soft, floral, delicate | Relaxation, sleep, skincare, infusion, cooking | Fine lavender |
| Spike lavender L. latifolia | Fresh, aromatic, camphorated | Traditional use on insect bites (coming soon) | Lavender or lavandin |
| Lavandin grosso L. × intermedia | The most powerful and long-lasting | Home, laundry, cleaning, repelling insects, soaps, and body cosmetics | Lavandin |
| Lavandin super L. × intermedia | Soft, low camphor content | Muscle massage, foot baths (coming soon) | Lavandin massage |
To stop confusing them: lavender or lavandin, we bet you’ll get it wrong.
Lavender for relaxation and sleep
The soft fragrance of fine lavender traditionally accompanies moments of calm: a few drops in a diffuser in the evening, a sachet of flowers under the pillow, or an infusion before going to sleep.
Lavender for the home
With its long-lasting fragrance, lavandin grosso is the ally for natural cleaning, laundry, and a fresh-smelling home.
- How to use lavandin: grosso, super, dosages
- Cleaning with lavandin, room by room
- Natural cleaner recipe with lavandin
- Organic lavender laundry detergent
- The scent of lavandin in your home all year round
Lavender for beauty and the body
- Lavender and hair: 4 ways to care for it
- Lavandin massage: massage oil and bath
- Lavender hydrosol as a summer mist
- Lavender hydrosol for a fresh look
- A lavender spa ritual at home
Best practices
Lavender is a plant, but its essential oil is highly concentrated: never swallow it, always dilute it before applying it to the skin, and avoid it for pregnant or breastfeeding women and young children. The flowers can be consumed as an infusion when they are food-grade. Our advice does not replace medical consultation.
All our lavenders have been grown organically since 2002 and are distilled traditionally on the Valensole plateau. Discover our story.
