Soft. Steady. Time-honored.
From the rolling purple fields of Bulgaria comes one of the most beloved essential oils in the world — lavender. Revered for centuries as both medicine and magic, lavender is more than just a fragrance. It’s a bridge between body and spirit, earth and air, tradition and science.
Why Bulgaria?
Bulgaria’s famed “Valley of the Roses” isn’t only known for roses — it’s also home to lavender fields that produce oil of exceptional purity and potency. The region’s mineral-rich soil, high elevation, and long, sun-drenched summers give Bulgarian lavender a unique chemical profile — especially high in linalool and linalyl acetate, the compounds responsible for its deeply calming, anti-inflammatory, and skin-supportive qualities.
For aromatherapists, this terroir makes Bulgarian lavender the gold standard. It’s softer, sweeter, and more nuanced than its cousins from France or Australia — with a floral depth that lingers without ever overpowering.
A History Rooted in Ritual
Lavender’s story stretches back more than 2,500 years.
- Ancient Egypt – Used in embalming and sacred anointing oils.
- Roman Empire – Added to baths (lavare means “to wash” in Latin), it was a staple in cleansing rituals.
- Medieval Europe – Hung in doorways to ward off illness and evil spirits, and tucked into pillows for peaceful sleep.
- Victorian England – Associated with purity and domestic grace, lavender water was used to scent linens and skin.
Across cultures, lavender was seen not only as a healer of the body but a purifier of spaces, moods, and dreams.
Herbal & Spiritual Energetics
In herbalism, lavender is considered a cooling, dry plant — ideal for calming hot tempers, soothing inflammation, and quieting restless energy. Spiritually, it’s linked to the crown chakra, associated with clarity, peace, and connection to higher guidance.
Lavender teaches the art of exhale — of softening the grip, loosening tension, and remembering that stillness is fertile ground.
The Science of Calm
While its folklore is enchanting, modern research confirms lavender’s powerful effects on the nervous system:
- Inhaling lavender can lower heart rate and blood pressure
- It may reduce cortisol, the body’s stress hormone
- It supports deeper, more restful sleep
- It has measurable anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects, helping shift the body into a parasympathetic, rest-and-digest state
This is why simply breathing in lavender can feel like your shoulders drop an inch and your mind clears.
Ways to Work with Lavender
Lavender’s versatility makes it a daily essential:
- Evening wind-down – Diffuse by the bed to signal it’s time to rest
- Skin support – Dilute in a carrier oil to soothe irritation or tension
- Home clearing – Mist onto linens, cushions, or curtains to refresh energy
- On-the-go calm – Keep a spray or roll-on in your bag for stressful moments
Lavender in North
In our North aromatherapy spray, Bulgarian lavender works in harmony with grounding vetiver and clarifying cypress. Together, they create a sensory anchor — helping you settle into your body, release mental noise, and return to the calm strength within.
A field of lavender is a lesson in presence — each bloom standing in quiet beauty, yet part of a greater whole.
One breath, and you belong there too.
