Customer Reviews

The Essential Oils Handbook: All the Oils You Will Ever Need for Health, Vitality and Well-Being

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a beautiful, well-researched book. (Although it has 288 pages, it is small in size, so don't be alarmed when you get the package.) The book is divided into two parts:

Part One: The Power of Essential Oils -- covers what they are and how they're produced, safe usage of them, basics on how to blend them, and how to use them (including massage, baths, inhalations, vaporizers, compresses). Part One takes up about 1/4 of the book.

Part Two: A Guide to the Oils -- this section covers each oil in a little more detail. The oils are not arranged alphabetically as you'd expect, but are sorted into categories such as Muscle Treats (those best for muscles), Skin Enhancers (best for your skin), Easy Breathers, Warming Stimulants...ending with Uplifting Aromas. Each of these categories contains the profiles of 5 to 13 essential oils. For instance, the Warming Stimulants section contains info on these oils: cinnamon leaf, West Indian bay, cubeb seed, black pepper, and clove bud. Part Two takes up most of the book.

Then on each oil profile page, there are these small sections:
1) a summary of how the oil is extracted, where it is produced, and notes about the scent
2) Safety First -- any safety concerns for that oil
3) Supporting the Spirit -- "this oil encourages creativity" or "this oil renews energy levels"
4) Easing the Mind -- "to calm irritability, use 4 drops of this oil in a warm bath"
5) Healing the Body -- "to clear sinusitis, try an inhalation of 2 drops laurel and 2 drops lemon"

This book easily gets five stars for being an excellent resource for those new to working with essential oils. However, if you have years of experience working with essential oils and already create your own healing blends, I don't think this is the book for you. It's beautifully laid out, has a table of contents and an index so you can find what you're looking for -- it just doesn't offer any new/detailed information. One thing I would have liked to have seen is a list of therapeutic properties for the oils (e.g., lavender has analgesic, antidepressant, antiseptic, and antiviral properties).

I LOVE her Skin Mousse recipe in this book! It's perfect for sensitive skin.

I picked up this little book on a whim and was quickly staggered by how much I didn't know. I think I'd heard somewhere that a few drops of peppermint oil on a cloth held near the nose can help to settle your stomach and prevent nausea. However, I had no idea that valerian, for example, had such a deep sedative effect that recipients of massage therapy with this oil are cautioned against driving or using machinery for eight hours after exposure. The camphorous aroma of spike lavender could lead to seizures and those who suffer from headaches should steer clear of ylang ylang's strong scent or the sweet floral appeal of jasmine. This book is concise and informative, with photographs, scent synopses and instructions on proper use for each essential oil.

I couldn't believe all the information in this book. Not only do they give you each oil and its uses but also tells you how to pair them up and make blends for maximum benefit. I love this book and will keep it with me as a reference forever.

I didn't know anything about essential oils, but felt guided to pick this up. The information is presented in a concise clear fashion. I have found it to be a great beginning for me and couldn't imagine that I would need much more than this to guide me in the exploration of essential oils.

This book is quite thick but small. There is a lot of information included but I feel that it could have more thourghly described the affect of aroma therapy and each situation, it just lists generally uses for the oils.

I love this book. It is very comprehensive. It details the properties of each plant and essential oil. There are great photographs and it is small enough to carry around in your purse or bag. Definitely an essential guide for the novice.

I bought this book based on other's reviews and I love this book. I saw it on a EO company's website for full price but bought it here at Amazon for less. I already have a large oil encyclopedia myself and I ordered 2 of this book for different friends and they love it. It is easy to read and the format is clear so it makes an otherwise potentially complicated subject easy for a lay person to understand and utilize. I have used oils for quite a long time and I love them and have found great sucess with them and this book is a real help to their use and I recommend it.

This book is small and handy. It has great suggestions for mixtures of essential oils. The index is very extensive with very good cross-referencing if you are looking up a specific oil and how it can be mixed with other oils. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because all of the info can be found for free online, with some searching. However, it is very nice to have it all right there in front of you.

If you want to look up helpful oils by symptom, this book may not work for you. Though it does provide information on oils and what systems they affect. It is set up well for information on individual oils, as well as recipes that help with specific ailments with a given oil. Because of how the index is set up, you can also use it to find recipes that contain specific oils. It is informative and well written.

A thorough but compact explanation of the many uses of the common (and many uncommon) essential oils. An excellent reference for the aromatherapist!