Lavender is a plant in the Lamiaceae family. There are many types of lavender with slightly different chemical properties. Lavender has been used over several thousand years as a medicinal plant in the forms of tea, inhalational therapies, and oils to treat anxiety and stress.^[3]

Lavender is most beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, in particular subthreshold anxiety (i.e., anxiety whose symptoms are clearly present, but are not sufficient to meet the diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder).^[5][1][6][7]

Supplementation with oral lavender may improve sleep, decrease fatigue symptoms, and reduce stress. It could also improve heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and lower cortisol in those with anxiety.^{[8][1][9][7][10][11]}

Lavender may also improve some of the symptoms of depression, particularly in mild cases, and may be worth considering for people who prefer not to use antidepressants.^[9][12]

Another possible use is for pain management, since it seems that lavender might improve lower back pain, although this evidence is not yet conclusive.^[13][14] Lavender might help to alleviate the symptoms of dysmenorrhoea, particularly pain.^[15] Lavender aromatherapy can also be used to treat labor pains, although more evidence is needed to confirm this effect.^[16]

Side effects of lavender are generally mild and uncommon. Prescription medications used for anxiety often have side effects that are unacceptable for many patients. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can cause drowsiness, weight gain and sexual dysfunction, and benzodiazepines, which often cause sedation. There is also the risk of dependency and the potential for abuse with these medicines. Lavender could therefore offer an alternative treatment in mild cases.^[14][5][17]

Lavender appears to be safe at the recommended dose, with studies reporting very few adverse reactions, and almost no severe side effects. Possible negatives include nausea, diarrhea, and bloating, which are more frequent with oral supplementation. However, these effects are mild and transient in most cases, and lavender appears to be a well-tolerated supplement.^[12][18]

Lavender is believed to have an effect on the limbic system of the brain, which controls mood and memory. It additionally increases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which could reduce the stress response in the body. There also seems to be an impact on the 5HT_1A receptor, which has been implicated in anxiety. Reduced binding to this receptor could explain the anxiolytic effects of lavender.^[3][19]

Voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) are thought to be related to the inappropriate stress response found in the central nervous system of those with anxiety and other mood disorders. Lavender inhibits these channels, and thus attenuates this response. Lavender also increases the amount of serotonin in the system by blocking the serotonin transporters (SERT). SERT are presynaptic receptors that move serotonin from the synapse back into the cell. Blocking these transporters leaves more extracellular serotonin available to the brain, which can improve mood and anxiety symptoms. While this mechanism is similar to the way some antidepressant medications, such as SSRIs, work, there are also some differences, and lavender has a less significant effect on overall serotonin levels than antidepressant medications.^[1][20]