Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy [Paperback]

Kurt Schnaubelt Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

A chemist and aromatherapy practitioner provides scientific proof for the effectiveness of using essential oils. 

Aromatherapy is the fastest-growing segment of the body care industry, an effective and deeply pleasurable way to maintain well-being. Now, Kurt Schnaubelt, a chemist and longtime aromatherapy practitioner, provides scientific proof for the efficacy of essential oils, explained clearly and logically. 

Advanced Aromatherapy draws on the most recent research to demonstrate how essential oils work on the cells and microbes of the body.  These chemical changes affect emotional states as well as physical ones. 

Advanced Aromatherapy explains how to treat symptoms ranging from hay fever to stress disorders with predictable results. 

An essential textbook for aromatherapy practitioners.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Schnaubelt brings singular authority to this explanation of the reasons why essential oils act on different systems of the body. This is aromatherapy's next generation, based in scientific analysis and structured to produce predictable results. Essential for the serious student."
(NAPRA ReView Vol. 9, No.5 )

"Schnaubelt presents sound research to demonstrate how essential oils interact with the different systems of the body."
(Making Scents, Winter 1998-99 )

"Schnaubelt clearly and logically illustrates the science of his healing art. . . . Exciting, must have information for anyone going beyond a dab of relaxing lavender on the pillow or peppermint drops in honey water for an upset stomach. . . . An important new reference."
(So Young! )

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: German

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892817437
• ISBN-13: 978-0892817436
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

196 of 196 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading For Those Serious About Aromatherapy, January 28, 2000

By 

Sasha - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy (Paperback)

In a field where so many books are filled with unproven claims, outright falsehoods, and just plain fluff, Kurt Schnaubelt's books stand out as serious, well researched works that accord aromatherapy the respect it deserves.

By focusing on the chemistry of essential oils, we learn *why* an essential oil works the way it does and how different chemotypes of the same EO can have vastly different effects (an important issue that is completely ignored by many aromatherapy books). We also learn why some EOs must be used with great caution. Dozens of oils are profiled with diagrams, lists of primary effects and contraindications, etc. There is also a chapter with proven recipes for a variety of physical, psychological, and cosmetic conditions. All methods of application are covered (including those well established in Europe but rarely used in the U.S., e.g., suppositories), and Dr. Schnaubelt candidly states where essential oil therapy is most effective (e.g., infectious diseases, hormonal imbalances, and problems affecting the psyche and nervous system) as well as where aromatherapy has relatively little to offer (allergic and autoimmune conditions as well as chronic metabolic and degenerative conditions).

What makes Advanced Aromatherapy even more of a gem is that Dr. Schnaubelt integrates the science of aromatherapy into a holistic rather than an allopathic framework and gives pointers on selecting the appropriate EOs by taking into account the totality of the patient's symptoms.

125 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This IS well-referenced...., December 28, 2002

By 

Private - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy (Paperback)

First and most importantly, I *love* this book. It explains the chemical composition of essential oils in easy to understand terms. It gives a science-loving person a lot of interesting information. It cites studies (and *DOES* have footnotes....)

This is NOT a simple recipe book. It does have some great ones listed throughout the book, but it is promarily an explanation of the science of many essential oils. How they work, what molecules they are made of, which ones are toxic and at what levels, etc.

What I am peeved about is that, when I first came on Amazon to look for science-oriented essential oil books and found this one, the negative reviews made me decide *not* to buy it. Luckily, I happened to see it in a bookstore, picked it up, and found out for myself that it is a perfect book to supplement the essential oil library. There is so much great scientific info in easy to understand terms. I *highly* recommend it if you are interested in science.

86 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great science writing on essential oils, October 31, 2001

By 

Dr. Harold Roth (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy (Paperback)

This excellent book takes a difficult subject--how essential oils work--and makes it very understandable. No doubt many scholars would be daunted by trying to explain sesquiterpenes to a lay person, but Schnaubelt, who has a PhD in chemistry, makes it interesting. Understanding the chemical composition of oils is valuable because it can help us see relationships between various oils that aren't obvious, such as between pine and citrus oils. This book is far beyond the usual fare for aromatherapy; most books on the subject ask little of the reader and generally consist of lists of symptoms and oils with no explanation of why one oil is effective in a situation and another is not. Schnaubelt offers much more--a deep understanding of how oils work. This is the kind of science writing everyone can enjoy. A reviewer who remarked that the work has no footnotes apparently didn't actually read the book. It does have footnotes, even though the book is geared to a lay audience rather than to academics.