South African Helichrysum species: From Indigenous Heritage to Aromatherapy Applications

Sandi is a multi-qualified health practitioner from Cape Town, South Africa, with a lifelong passion for natural and aromatic medicine. She is dual-registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) as both a Naturopathic Doctor and Therapeutic Aromatherapist and has been in private practice at the Greenhouse Holistic Health Centre for over 4 decades, alongside her beloved husband, Dr David Nye.
Her career has been rich and varied. She began as a nurse and midwife, worked as a theatre sister in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and later joined hospital-based clinical trial research with an international pharmaceutical company. Guided by her dedication to holistic health, Sandi has trained extensively across complementary and integrative disciplines, including Phytotherapy/Herbalism, Clinical Nutrition, Ayurveda, Flower Essence Therapies, Reflexology, Therapeutic Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and various Energetic Medicine modalities.
Sandi played a pivotal role in establishing statutory recognition for clinical aromatherapy in South Africa, authoring foundational documents and presenting to Parliament, culminating in legal recognition of the profession in 2000. She has served on the AHPCSA in multiple educational and regulatory portfolios and continues to mentor, teach, and advocate for integrative healthcare.
Beyond her clinical work, she is an educator, author, natural products formulator, researcher and developer, and industry consultant. She has been an editor on several journals, serving on national and international editorial boards, as well holding office on numerous professional committees.
She has been honoured with multiple Fellowships and Honorary Life Memberships in recognition of her decades of service to aromatherapy, naturopathy, and community care.