Lavender Extract And Oil Worst Fragrance Synthetic and Natural No known benefits Lavender Extract And Oil at a glance Extracts and oils taken from Lavandula angustifolia Contains pro-aging fragrant compounds Volatile components can oxidize and trigger damage Can cause skin redness and dryness Lavender Extract And Oil description Widely used plant that’s a member of the mint family. May be listed by its Latin names _Lavandula angustifolia_ or _Lavandula officinalis_. Primarily a fragrance ingredient, it may have beneficial properties for skin but is also a potential sensitizer due to its fragrance components. The oil form is more likely to aggravate skin than the extract form, especially if you can detect lavender’s distinctive scent. In-vitro research indicates that components of lavender oil, specifically linalool and linalyl acetate, can have damaging effects on skin in as low a concentration as 0.25%. When exposed to air, these components oxidise, meaning their potential for causing a reaction increases. If you’re wondering why lavender oil doesn’t appear to be problematic for some people, it’s because research has demonstrated that you don’t always need to immediately see or feel the sensitising effects for your skin to suffer damage.