Is lavender tea the same as the lavender capsules in the trials?

No. The trials tested a specific oil preparation (Silexan) in a capsule. The EU monograph covers the dried flower.

Is it safe to swallow lavender essential oil?

I would not, unless it is a product designed and tested for oral use. The essential oil is a different thing from the flower.

Does lavender work for sleep?

Many people find the scent relaxing. For sleep, I have not reviewed the evidence in enough detail to make a claim, so I regard it as one part of a routine.

Is lavender safe in pregnancy?

Safety is not established, so the monograph does not recommend it. The EarthWise guidance advises against Sleep Deep in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Can I take lavender with sedatives?

Please speak to your GP or practitioner first. The EarthWise guidance asks anyone on sedatives, sleeping tablets or antidepressants to check before using Sleep Deep.

Lavender: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It

Sarah Burt

Oct 14

6 min read

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most familiar scents in the world and one of the herbs with the most mixed evidence in this library. The flowers are traditionally used to support relaxation and sleep, and a specific oral lavender oil capsule has been tested in a set of anxiety trials with encouraging results. Those results belong to that capsule, and not to lavender in general, which is a distinction worth understanding before reading further. It is one of the six herbs in the EarthWise Sleep Deep tonic.

Purple lavender blossoms in soft focus against a pale pink background, creating a calm, dreamy scene

What it is

Lavender belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is native to the western Mediterranean. It grows as a compact, silvery, evergreen shrub with narrow grey-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers in summer, and it does well in British gardens, especially in dry, sunny, well-drained spots. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the species used in herbal medicine, and it differs from the showier French and Spanish lavenders (Lavandula stoechas), which have a more camphorous scent.

The part used is the flower, picked as the buds open and dried for tea and tinctures, or distilled for essential oil. The name comes from the Latin lavare, to wash, from its long use in bathing and laundry. I regard that history as context and not as evidence.

A buyer's note worth reading. Check that the label names the flower and gives the Latin name Lavandula angustifolia. Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a cheaper hybrid with a sharper, more camphorous scent, and it is widely sold as lavender. Essential oil is a different product from the flower, and the EU monograph on the flower does not cover oil. Lavender oil should not be swallowed except in a product designed and tested for that purpose.

The active compounds

Lavender flowers contain an essential oil with linalool and linalyl acetate as the main components, together with camphor, cineole and other terpenes, as well as tannins, flavonoids and phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid.

The main proposed mechanism. Linalool and linalyl acetate have been studied in laboratory and animal work for calming effects, with proposed actions on receptors involved in anxiety and on calcium channels in nerve cells. These are mostly animal and cell findings, and how well they apply to a person is not settled.

How it is traditionally used

The EU herbal committee (HMPC) adopted a monograph on lavender flower in 2012. It recognises the flower as a traditional herbal medicine for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and exhaustion and as an aid to sleep. It rests on long-standing use and not on clinical trials.

For adolescents, adults and the elderly, the monograph gives a herbal tea of 1 to 2 g of flower in 150 ml of boiling water, three times a day, or a tincture of 2 to 4 ml, three times a day. It lists hypersensitivity as the only contraindication, reports no known adverse reactions or interactions, and does not recommend use under 12. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established, so it does not recommend use. It advises seeing a doctor or qualified practitioner if symptoms persist or worsen.

In Western herbal practice, lavender is used as a relaxing herb and a flavour for calming blends, which is how it appears in Sleep Deep alongside Passionflower, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Hops and Lime Flower.

What the research shows

Here is how the evidence reads.

Traditional evidence: mild stress and sleep. This is the basis of the EU monograph for the flower. It is a legitimate foundation for a gentle supporting herb and a weaker one than a well-run trial.

Moderate evidence: anxiety, for one specific oral lavender oil. A 2023 meta-analysis (Dold and colleagues) pooled five randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of Silexan, an 80 mg a day lavender oil capsule, with 1,213 adults over 10 weeks. The Silexan group had a larger fall in the Hamilton Anxiety Scale score than placebo, by 2.9 points (an effect size of 0.35), and more people responded, 51.8% against 38.8%. Rates of side effects were similar between the groups. Two cautions apply. All five trials were sponsored by the manufacturer and run in Germany, and the product is a specific oil preparation in a capsule. Neither a lavender tea nor a tincture is the same thing, and nobody should read these results as applying to them.

Safety evidence. The EU monograph reports no known adverse reactions. In the Silexan trials, adverse events did not differ significantly from placebo.

Sarah's clinical perspective

I use lavender in Sleep Deep as a tincture, alongside Passionflower, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Hops and Lime Flower. It is the aromatic, softening note in the formula.

I am careful with anyone taking prescribed sedatives, sleeping tablets or antidepressants, and I advise against combining Sleep Deep with alcohol. I ask people to avoid driving or operating machinery until they know how it affects them.

Practical guidance

Dose. The EU monograph gives traditional adult amounts of 1 to 2 g of flower as a tea three times a day, or 2 to 4 ml of tincture three times a day. These are traditional amounts, and they are not a dosing instruction for any particular product, including Sleep Deep. The 80 mg Silexan dose belongs to that capsule alone.

Format. A tea of the dried flowers is the traditional form, and a tincture is a practical alternative. Use culinary or herbal-grade flowers, since ornamental lavender may be sprayed.

Time to effect. There is no clinical timeline for the flower. The Silexan trials ran for 10 weeks. The monograph advises seeing a doctor or practitioner if symptoms persist.

Timing. In the evening as part of a wind-down routine, which is the traditional use.

What it does not replace. Lavender does not replace medical or psychological support for anxiety or sleep problems. Persistent worry, panic, low mood or insomnia that lasts weeks need a GP.

For how to take the EarthWise tonic specifically, the dose and full safety information are on the product page.

Common questions

Is lavender tea the same as the lavender capsules in the trials? No. The trials tested a specific oil preparation (Silexan) in a capsule. The EU monograph covers the dried flower.
Is it safe to swallow lavender essential oil? I would not, unless it is a product designed and tested for oral use. The essential oil is a different thing from the flower.
Does lavender work for sleep? Many people find the scent relaxing. For sleep, I have not reviewed the evidence in enough detail to make a claim, so I regard it as one part of a routine.
Is lavender safe in pregnancy? Safety is not established, so the monograph does not recommend it. The EarthWise guidance advises against Sleep Deep in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Can I take lavender with sedatives? Please speak to your GP or practitioner first. The EarthWise guidance asks anyone on sedatives, sleeping tablets or antidepressants to check before using Sleep Deep.

Where lavender appears in the EarthWise range

Lavender is one of the six herbs in Sleep Deep, Sarah's formula for restless nights, where it sits with Passionflower, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Hops and Lime Flower.

If you are not sure which formula fits, the EarthWise health quiz is the best place to start. Full safety information is on each product page.

When to seek professional support

Lavender flower is generally well tolerated. Check with a practitioner first in these situations:

Allergy to lavender or other plants in the mint family. The monograph's only contraindication is hypersensitivity.
Sedatives, sleeping tablets or antidepressants. This applies to Sleep Deep as a whole.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Not recommended, as safety has not been established.
Driving or operating machinery. Avoid until you know how Sleep Deep affects you.
Persistent anxiety, panic or low mood. These deserve proper assessment, and a herb is not a replacement for it.
Under 12. The monograph does not recommend use in young children.

Sarah Burt is a registered naturopath, medical herbalist and iridologist with 25+ years of clinical experience. All EarthWise tonics are formulated by Sarah based on her clinical protocols.

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This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any health condition. Always consult a qualified health practitioner before making changes to your health regimen.