Lavender The purple-headed flower has been used for centuries to perfume soap and other toiletries, more recently the aromatic oil has also been used to help people relax or sleep too. Now, though, new research indicates that lavender is potent in a very different way – by fighting fungus that’s responsible for many skin and nail infections.
In France and Portugal huge swathes of land are given over to lavender – and it is in Portugal, at the University of Coimbra, where researchers distilled oil from the plant and tested it on various fungi. What they discovered was that it is lethal to fungi known as dermatophytes – on the skin, hair or nails – as well as some species of Candida, the fungus responsible for thrush.
Ringworm (also known as athlete’s foot when on the feet) is a common example of a dermatophyte, causing flaky, cracked skin or itchy raised scaly patches. Treatment usually involves a cream or powder applied directly to the skin, in some cases, for example when the scalp is affected, oral medication will be taken. These treatments contain chemicals such as clotrimazole or miconazole, for example. But for some individuals these treatments can produce side effects such as rash, blistering, or other skin irritation. Also, fungi are showing increased resistance to these medications, so finding a new treatment is important if doctors are to be able to treat the fungi. It’s extremely important to ensure patients who have compromised immune systems are treated quickly and effectively – left untreated, fungi can result in open wounds, which puts the patient at increased risk of infection.
It appears that the lavender oil works by damaging the cell membrane of the fungi, and the researchers say it would provide a cheap and effective way of combating it, without the risk of side effects. But they will need to investigate further to ascertain exactly how the lavender works so they can work towards producing a formula for clinical use.
First published February 16, 2011