Laurus nobilis, is a culinary herb often used to flavor soups, and stews in Mediterranean Cuisine.
An infused oil of bay has a long history of use as a pain reliever for
arthritic aches and pains, lower back pain, earaches, and sore muscles and sprains. Try making your own herbal oils at home, since it is hard to find a good commercial source for this oil.
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Aromatherapy
Essential Oil
Bay laurel essential oil is one of the strongest oils used in aromatherapy. Sharp, spicy dried green aroma of hot summer - A true Bay scent. A greenish-yellow volatile oil is yielded by distillation from the leaves which contains a high percentage of oxygenated compounds. The berries contain both fixed and volatile oils, the former, known as Oil of Bays, includes laurostearine, the ether of lauric acid. Laurin can be extracted by alcohol. (11)
Bay Laurel oils should never be used by women who are pregnant, since it may cause spotting. In fact according to M. Grieve,the berries have been used to promote abortion. The oil should also not be taken internally. In addition, bay laurel oil can irritate the skin and mucus membranes. Be sure to always dilute the oil well and use it in very small amounts.
Plant Description
The shrub has been cultivated in Britain since the sixteenth century. It is the source of the
ancients' crowns and wreaths for heroes and
poets, and the modern term of `bachelor,'
given for degrees, is probably derived from
bacca-Zaureus, or laurel-berry, through the
French bachelier.
Folklore, Myths and Legends
Astrology:
A tree of the Sun, and under the celestial sign Leo, and resisteth witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old Saturn can do to the body of man, and they are not a few Nicholas Culpeper
The Delphic priestesses are said to have
made use of the leaves. That it is a tree of the Sun, and under the celestial sign Leo, and resisteth witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old Saturn can do to the body of man, and they are not a few, for it is the speech of one, and I am mistaken if it were not Mizaldus, that neither witch nor devil, thunder nor lightning, will hurt a man in the place where a bay-tree is. (Culpepper)
** Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Many traditional uses and properties of herbs have not been validated by the FDA. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs. **
Remedies using Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel Medicinal Uses
The shrub has been cultivated in Britain since the sixteenth century. It is the source of the
ancients' crowns and wreaths for heroes and
poets, and the modern term of `bachelor,'
given for degrees, is probably derived from
bacca-Zaureus, or laurel-berry, through the
French bachelier.
A tree of the Sun, and under the celestial sign Leo, and resisteth witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old Saturn can do to the body of man, and they are not a few 
The Delphic priestesses are said to have
made use of the leaves. That it is a tree of the Sun, and under the celestial sign Leo, and resisteth witchcraft very potently, as also all the evils old Saturn can do to the body of man, and they are not a few, for it is the speech of one, and I am mistaken if it were not Mizaldus, that neither witch nor devil, thunder nor lightning, will hurt a man in the place where a bay-tree is. (Culpepper) 
