Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and chamomile (Matricaria recutita) are herbal medicines that can be used to treat anxiety. This anxiolytic effect relates to the phytochemicals that are contained within the plant tissues. These herbs can be taken orally in the form of extracts or their essential oils can be used in aromatherapy. In one study, researchers administered aromatherapy massages to a group of burn patients and then assessed their ability to sleep. The aromatherapy oil used consisted of 2 drops of pure lavender oil and 2 drops of pure essential chamomile oil in 30mL of grapeseed base oil. This was administered just before bedtime along with a massage. The results of the study showed that the aromatherapy massage was significantly effective at improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety compared to a control group who received no treatment and another control group that received the message with no essential oils. This supports other evidence that lavender and chamomile are anxiolytic herbs.
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