Lavender Smudge Stick (Lavandula Angustifolia)

Of the thirty-odd species in the Lavandula genus, angustifolia carries the highest concentration of linalool, the compound the chemists named after the plant. The bundle combines the silvery foliage and the dried flower spikes; the spikes carry the densest aromatic load, and char first in the burn.

1. Hold the tip to a flame until it catches (5 to 10 seconds).
2. Blow the flame out so the bundle smoulders.
3. Hold over a fireproof dish or shell.
4. Walk slowly through the room, do not fan vigorously.
5. Press the burning tip into sand or a dish to extinguish. Let cool fully before storing.

Burn in a ventilated room. Keep away from soft furnishings and loose fabric.

• Botanical: Lavandula angustifolia
• Common name: True Lavender · English Lavender
• Origin: Anatolia, Turkey
• Source name: lavanta (Turkish)
• Form: Hand-bundled, foliage and flower spikes
• Dominant compounds: Linalool · linalyl acetate · borneol
• Shelf life: Use within 12 months of production

The Latin name comes from lavare, "to wash", Romans bundled the plant into the water of public bathhouses across the empire, scenting the steam. The use is older than the genus name; it has been continuously cultivated in the Mediterranean since at least the first century of the Common Era. Linalool, named after the plant, is one of the few aromatic compounds whose effect on heart rate has been measured in controlled studies.