Herbalists recommend more than a dozen herbal remedies for acne and scarring, according to a recent article.

Unfortunately, only 1 of these herbals is supported by the results of a study in patients. (more…)

I recently came across a website advocating herbals to treat or prevent acne.

The website isn’t important, but the results of my PubMed searches might be useful. (more…)

It’s used for depression, headache, hypertension, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension, and other stress-related conditions.

Researchers in Germany and Iran conducted the first placebo-controlled study of lavender essential oil to treat migraine headaches. (more…)

Different theories attempt to explain the relaxation response to lavender aromatherapy.

This study suggests there’s another reason. (more…)

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, in Austria, studied the anxiolytic effect of Silexan, an oral lavender oil capsule preparation, compared to placebo. (more…)

Researchers at King’s College London, in the UK have published their findings with lavender. (more…)

Researchers at Goulds Naturopathica, in Hobart TAS, Australia, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Queensland, in St Lucia, Australia, evaluated tea tree oil + lavender oil. (more…)

Lorazepam (Ativan) is a member of a group of drugs called benzodiazepines that are used to treat anxiety.

Researchers from Germany compared lorazepam to a lavender oil preparation called Silexan in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. (more…)

Studies suggest that in one quarter of patients, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be caused or exacerbated by diet.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, at Chapel Hill, reviewed the data from a clinician’s perspective. (more…)

 The results of this study by researchers at Göteborg University in Gothenburg, Sweden have important implications for people who use lavender oil as aromatherapy. (more…)

Researchers from King’s College in London report (page 163) “Lavender could … be used as effective ‘on-the-spot’ anxiety reduction in dentists’ waiting rooms.” (more…)

Researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida report that adding lavender-scented bath oil to the infant bath results in lower stress in the mother and child, less crying, and better sleep. (more…)

The New England Journal of Medicine has published a report of 3 boys aged 4, 7, and 10 who were diagnosed with gynecomastia, which the authors attributed to the use of the oils when it resolved after they stopped using them.

Thanks to a reader who brings us up to date. (more…)

Thumbing through the August 2007 issue of Cat Fancy magazine, I found an article with the following caveats. (more…)

Here’s a hint.

The most comprehensive study of aromatherapy failed to show improvement in immune status, wound healing, or pain control. (more…)

Professor Michel Tournaire and Dr. Anne Theau-Yonneau have reviewed the literature.

Few publications report a statistically significant reduction in labor pain? Here’s what we know about pain relief and other outcomes. I’ll summarize the more familiar options. (more…)

Are you taking the dog to visit grandma this year? Diffused lavender odor may be a practical approach to manage travel-induced excitement in dogs that are prone to that sort of thing.

In the finest tradition of a cross over study design, 32 dogs were exposed to the natural environment or the odor of lavender in random order during 6 rides to familiar walking sites.

Compared to normal odors, dogs surrounded by lavender in the car spent…

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In 2003, Professor Edzard Ernst writing on the Cochrane Collaboration website concluded, “Compared with placebo, kava extract is an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety although, at present, the size of the effect seems small.” (more…)

Patients with the highest risk for sleep disturbance are those with pain, mental illness, limited activity, and overall “poor physical and mental health.” (more…)