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Arwen's aromatic guide to summer .                                                                                                 Return

Here comes the sun

Although we are now increasingly aware of the dangers of prolonged exposure to the sun we must also remember that it does have many benefits.  Sunlight on the skin leads to the formation of vitamin D which is vital for the absorption of calcium to maintain healthy bones.   Skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis often improve in the summer months.  Most of us find a sunny day lifts our spirits and for SAD sufferers growing daylight hours bring with them a respite from their winter depression as levels of melatonin are lowered by exposure to natural light.  However the beneficial effects of the sun can be obtained within a fairly short period of time (15-20 minutes in natural daylight) and does not require us to bake our bodies for hours.  As with all things moderation is the key, and it definitely pays to treat the summer sunshine and our skin with respect.

For all our good intentions is very easy to be caught out by a surprising turn in the weather.  Before we know it we are burnt and glowing.  At this stage all we can do is try to limit the damage by cooling the skin to prevent further burning and doing what we can to assist the healing process.  Lavender essential oil is useful for all burns, it reduces the pain and promotes skin repair.  It can be applied neat to small burns, however sunburn tends to affect larger areas so the lavender oil will have to be diluted.  One method you can use is to add up to 8 drops of lavender to a cool bath or you can apply a cold compress by using the following method.  Add 5 drops to a bowl of cold water then soak a flannel with the water and hold on the burn until the flannel is no longer cold.  Re-soak the flannel and reapply.  After this you can apply aloe vera gel to the affected area to make use of its soothing, cooling and anti-inflammatory properties.   Finally drink lots of plain water to re-hydrate yourself. 

A word of caution

The following oils are regarded as being potentially phototoxic – that is they can increase the effects of the suns rays:

For this reason they should not be applied to the body if you are planning to spend time out in the sun or use a sunbed.

Dealing with insects

The following essential oils can be used to repel pestering insects: citronella, peppermint, lemongrass, patchouli, lavender and eucalyptus.  To keep insects out of the home diffuse any of these, either singly or in combination, using an oil burner.  When out of doors our main interest is keeping the little beggers off of ourselves.  Any of the mentioned oils can be put onto a tissue and kept about your person.   A drop or two of lavender can be applied neat to the ankles as this is a favourite area for snacking insects.  In Sri Lanka lemongrass is sewn into the hems of clothing to keep mozzies at bay and in the 19^th century shawls from India would be scented with patchouli to protect them from moths.  You can use a similar technique by placing a drop or two of an insect repelling oil to the hem of a trouser leg or skirt.  Apply citronella, patchouli and lemongrass to dark clothing only; these oils will stain pale fabrics. 

If biting creatures make it through your defences you can apply 1-2 drops of Lavender or Tea Tree oil neat to the bite.  This will help prevent it from becoming infected and may reduce the itching.  If it becomes swollen apply a cold compress using lavender or chamomile.  To treat bee stings firstly make sure the sting is removed from the skin, use tweezers if necessary.  Then apply a solution of bicarbonate of soda with a drop of lavender.  This will neutralise the acidic sting and help reduce the pain.  Wasp stings are alkaline so treat these with a dessert spoon of vinegar which has had a drop of either tea tree or lavender essential oil added. 

Feeling green

        When I was a child most journeys were overshadowed by the fact that I was a very bad traveller.  The only solution to this at the time were the foul tasting travel sickness pills that my Mother patiently tried to get me to swallow (imagine the scene when you try and give your cat a tablet and you will have an idea of what it was like).  Despite being dosed up, the travel sickness still occurred, except that I was now a drowsy, half waking creature who was less able to shout out ‘Muuuumm, I feel sick’ in time for anyone to take evasive action. 

The aromatic alternative to these tablets comes in the form of peppermint and ginger essential oils.  Both act on the digestive system to alleviate nausea; place two drops of either on a tissue to sniff throughout the journey.  Eating crystallised ginger will also help to settle the stomach.  Acupressure bands can be purchased which press an acupressure point on the wrist to prevent nausea.  If you don’t have the bands you can still use this point by pressing it with a thumb.  It can be found two finger widths up from the heel of the hand, in a dip between two tendons.  Not eating before the journey to prevent sickness is, in my opinion, a wholly bad idea.  This is more likely to make a person feel queasy and will probably prolong the amount of time that nausea is experienced.

Come fly with me - Not everyone loves flying and essential oils can be used to help calm the nervous traveller.  Geranium and/or lavender are both good oils that can be used for anxiety.  If you are feeling rich you might like to try neroli, an oil extracted from orange blossom and a classic for feelings of fear.  Add two drops of any of these essential oils to a tissue and inhale.  These oils will also help you to relax if you tend to feel agitated on longer journeys. 

During a flight ankles can become swollen.  Massaging the ankles and legs will help to alleviate this and it may also help with restless legs syndrome, which is caused by a shortage of blood supply to the smaller blood vessels.  You might like to try the following techniques:

• Stroke up the foot towards the ankle.
• Circle around the ankle with your fingers five times
• Stroke up the calves and front of legs up to the knee.
• Circle around the kneecap with your thumbs five times.  

Deep vein thrombosis is a now well publicised concern for those who fly.  Once thought only to affect those on long haul flights it has now been suggested that DVT can occur on flights as short as 3 hours.  Two factors that are known to increase the risk of developing DVT are dehydration and prolonged immobility.  The first of these can be countered by ensuring that you drink plenty of plain water and fruit juice and limit your intake of tea, coffee and alcohol.  Raise your activity levels by walking around once an hour.  Calf muscles can be exercised by rotating the ankles at least once every half hour. 

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