Lavender

What lavender oil actually is

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a Mediterranean shrub with narrow leaves and purple flower spikes. The flowering tops are steam distilled: hot steam carries the oil out of the flowers, and the oil is then separated from the water. That oil is the basis of nearly every lavender supplement. Its two main components are linalool and linalyl acetate, and together they make up the largest part of the oil.

Their proportions shift with the plant material, the region and the harvest. Two oils that smell alike can still differ in composition. A standardised oil states how much linalool and linalyl acetate it contains. An oil from our range of essential oils usually does not, because it is made for scent and skin use, not for swallowing.

Capsules, drops and pure oil are not interchangeable

• Softgel capsules with lavender oil: a set amount of concentrated oil per capsule, usually one a day, and no taste to manage. This is the form used in most published research.
• Capsules with dried flower powder: the whole flower, so much less oil per capsule. The milligrams on the label look higher, the oil content is lower.
• Tinctures and drops: you can adjust the amount drop by drop, but the taste is strong.
• Pure essential oil: for a diffuser, a pillow or diluted skin use. Not for swallowing.

That last point causes most of the confusion we see. A 10 ml bottle of essential oil and an 80 mg softgel are different products with different instructions. In the United Kingdom, oral lavender oil at 80 mg per capsule is also sold as a registered traditional herbal medicine rather than a food supplement. Those packs sit behind the pharmacy counter and come with their own leaflet, which is useful to know when you compare labels and prices.

How we choose lavender at BONO

We judge lavender on three things: the form, the amount per capsule and the combinations that make sense. In practice we prefer capsules with steam-distilled oil from Lavandula angustifolia over dried flower powder, because the oil is where linalool and linalyl acetate sit. We want the amount per capsule clearly on the label, so you can compare packs instead of guessing. We buy directly from the brands, with no intermediaries, our compliance team checks every product before it goes live, and independent labs spot-check batches. If you want the full reasoning, read how we select brands and products.

Who lavender suits, and what to expect

Most people who buy it use it in the evening, in a busy stretch of weeks, or as one step in a wind-down routine. It is one of the gentler options in our herbs and plants selection, and it is often alternated with other traditional evening herbs rather than stacked on top of them.

Two honest points. The European food safety authority (EFSA) has not approved a health claim for lavender, so we describe what these products contain and how people use them, and we leave the promises out. And if you start with oil capsules, give them two to three weeks of daily use before you decide; the effect builds slowly. Mild lavender-tasting burps are the nuisance users mention most, and taking the capsule with food and a full glass of water usually settles that. Lavender oil capsules are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for anyone under 18. They can make you drowsy, so be careful with driving until you know how you respond.