One of my favorite drives outside of New York City, when I need to get away from the noise, fumes, and chaos of the city, is a small winding road in North Fork. After many miles along the Northern tip of Long Island, past vineyards and quaint farms, the balmy sea breeze coming off the Long Island Bay gives way to a heavenly scent. Driving further into the rustic-chic peninsula, the air grows increasingly fragrant with an herbaceous, floral scent. With the promise of serenity and rejuvenation, it beckons to a simple, roadside paradise – a field of Lavender. Rows of vibrant purple, budding flowers sway and bask in the sunlight, perfuming the air for miles with an aroma hailed by the ancients for their soothing properties.
Lavender, a flower native to the Mediterranean, used in skincare for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and mood-uplifting properties, even for culinary purposes, is the ultimate botanical multi-tasker. It’s also the cornerstone of most aromatherapy blends with good reason – the fragrant oils that calm and soothe a multitude of daily complications.
Oilogic, a modern aromatherapy brand harnesses the relaxing essence of the light purple botanical in modern formulations especially blended for expectant mothers and their delicate newborns. For the bane of all with infants, the most popular in Oilgic’s offering is a targeted sleep aid duo. The Prego Sleep Essential Oil Roll-On combines concentrated essential oils of lavender and chamomile – another aromatherapy powerhouse – in a base of jojoba and grapeseed carrier oils. After a few passes of the roller on pulse points – wrists, behind the ears, and along the clavicles– a few deep inhalations and long exhalations will center and soothe even the most harried parent.
In the second step in the R&R protocol, spritz the Prego Sleep Essential Oil Linen Mist on bedding to create a welcoming cocoon to slip into and catch some Zs. The affordable blend of lavender and chamomile has an almost alchemical effect at night. A few spritzes on my pillows and sheets promise a night of sweet slumber. It’s my favorite night-time wellness ritual.
The roll-on and mist also come in versions especially formulated and diluted for a baby’s delicate constitution: The Slumber & Sleep Essential Oil Linen Mist and the Slumber & Sleep Essential Oil Roll-On. Both versions for mom and baby are clean formulations, free of mineral oil and other ickies – parabens, synthetic fragrance, propylene glycol, Phthalates, gluten, DEA and menthol – and melatonin. Additional newborn friendly essentials include lavender-rich Slumber & Sleep 3-in-1 Vapor Bath, Shampoo & Body Wash, and a Stuffy Nose & Cough Essential Oil Roll-On.
For the all too common problem of nausea that afflicts many mommies-to-be, the Prego Nausea Essential Roll-On, like a tummy-settling herbal tea, blends lavender with known soothing essential oils of Ginger, Spearmint, Lemon and Mandarin Peel oils.
Hydra Bloom also sources organic lavender oil in a series of roll-ons, bath and body products that straddle the world of aromatherapy and fragrance to deliver the same relaxing, centering ambience with a little extra jeuge. The Lavender Chillax Organic Perfume Roll-On showcases actual lavender flowers in a base of lavender and argan oil for a soothing olfactory experience that lingers and nourishes the skin. Just roll on pulse points – to breathe in the chill bouquet and feel an alleviation of stress, without any drowsiness. Not as strong as a commercial fragrance, the lavender aroma forms a personal halo of herbaceous focus. The accompanying Hydra Bloom Lavender Relax Body and Bath Oil builds on the roller formula with lavender flowers galore, coconut oil, and other skin-loving botanicals to leave skin nourished and zen from head to toe after indulging with Lavender Relax Bath Salts.
Also walking the line between aromatherapy and perfume is the latest Spring launch from Liis, a sustainably sourced, female-founded, Cosmopolitan’s 2024 Holy Grail Beauty Award-winning fragrance company. Sans the preservatives, dyes, phthalates, sulfates found in most commercial scents, the allergy-tested, California-based brand combines a wide array of non-traditional scents in gender-neutral, olfactory expressions meant to feel like a second skin. In This World opens with a clean, light citrus zing from blood orange, settles with a whiff of fresh-cut grass from eucalyptus, and finishes with a lavender-tinged tonka bean that clears any suggestion of stale, stagnant energy. It works equally well as a room fragrance and linen refresher, especially for those allergic to traditional fragrance compounds.
While in a lavender afterglow, why not maintain it on a culinary level? As a star ingredient in Provençal cuisine – the vegetable-forward, farm-to-table, Mediterranean-influenced flavor from the South of France – the bright herb is common in seasoning blends. It adds an unexpected pinch of magic to salads, grilled veggies, lemon curd, roast chicken, and looks stunning atop tomatoes on bruschetta and flatbreads.
Chicago-based, female-founded Keep it Savory Salt Co. usually sells out of its many seasonal artisanal sea salt blends, with the Lavender Sea Salt – with fresh lavender flowers, as well as the Sage Lavender Blend – at the top of the list.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how well lavender salt works in mocktails and cocktails alike. Citrus and gin-based recipes like the Greyhound, fruity Margaritas, and simple cocktails like the Lavender Gin Fizz are increasingly popular with mixologists. It adds the same grounding essence to drinks, as it does to body care, linens, and sleep for an overall feeling of well-being.
