Lavender Has Two Very Different Scientific Sides

When we hear the word lavender, most of us probably think immediately of its fragrance. Scientifically, however, lavender has another side that we cannot smell at all.

Its essential oil is dominated by volatile compounds such as linalool and linalyl acetate. These are responsible for much of lavender’s familiar aroma and are central to research into its calming effects, anxiety and sleep.

But an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic lavender extract contains an entirely different chemical mixture. Here, compounds such as rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids become much more important.

This means that researchers can effectively study two different chemical worlds within the same plant: a volatile, aromatic fraction and a non-volatile, polyphenol-rich fraction.

Interestingly, it is the aromatic side – lavender essential oil – that currently has the stronger human clinical evidence.