Contact: Susan Nielson, WSU News Bureau, 509/324-7372, [email protected] Janis Burke, 509/573-6212, [email protected]
'Scentsable' Holiday Health Tips Offered by WSU Nursing Preceptor
SPOKANE, Wash. -- The holidays are here so make some "scentsable" choices to help get you through happy, healthy and stress free! Science has known for some time the power of the senses, said Janis Burke, a preceptor at the Washington State University Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education/Yakima.
Course smells can bring back warm memories. The holidays are filled with wonderful aromas of cookies, breads baking and pine trees with sparkling lights. These smells remind us of family, friends and happy times together. If you have no time to bake or put up a real tree, then candles scented with vanilla or pine might be an option. Many candles are available at prices to fit about any budget. If you are interested in aromatherapy for your health then look for 100 percent pure essential plant oils found only from reputable essential oil dealers.
Burke, a certified clinical aromatherapist and instructor for the American Holistic Nurses Association Aromatherapy offers the following advice.
The label should state 100 percent pure oil and that it was cold pressed or steam distilled. Be cautious when buying oils in health stores or nutrition centers as some oils are cut with alcohol or petroleum products which can cause you to react to the additive and not the oil.
Pure plant essential oils are 100 times more potent than the plant (or dried leaves - ex. basil) so only a drop is needed in a teaspoon of "carrier oil" for a treatment. Just pour a small amount in a dish with a drop of essential oil and you can let the smell drift in the room or you can apply it to your skin for a wonderful massage to help your skin and your health.
The following list describes the common scents and their therapeutic targets:
-- True Lavender (lavendula angustafolia) - calming, for nervous tension,sleep, cooking burns-- Bergamot (citrus bergamia) - depression, very uplifting (light citrus smell)-- Black pepper (piper nigrum) - stimulant, mild pepper smell-- Peppermint (mentha piperita) - headaches, cooling stimulant, antinausea --not for cardiac ptatients-- Lemongrass (cymbopogon citratus) - headaches, pain, nervous exhaustion, stress (strong lemon smell)-- Ginger (zingiber officinale) - relieves nausea, good for fatigue-- Mandarin (citrus reticulata) - calming, nervous tension, heartburn, nausea-- Avensara (ravensara aromatic) - depression, self doubt, immune stimulant, great for colds, viruses and sinus problems (smells like Vicks)-- Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) - mild stimulant, good for memory, depression - beware that Rosemay increases blood pressure
* When using pure essential oils be careful NOT TO GET ANY IN YOUR EYES. If you do, dilute/rinse immediately with castor or olive oil and then with water.
For more information on aromatherapy tips and holiday applications contact, Janis Burke, Nursing Preceptor, Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education/WSU College of Nursing, Yakima location, 509/573-6212 or [email protected]. Burke's home telephone number is 509/972-0064.
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