I'm a huge fan of cleaning with more natural products, and use baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc to do so. In that way, I totally agree with the author's message. However, I don't agree with the presentation of the book. An example is the section on fabric softeners and dryer sheets. The author warns that these commercial products may contain limonene and linalool...as suggested alternatives, she mentions essential oils, such as lemon, lavender, bergamot, and rosewood. Throughout the book, she states that these chemicals, limonene and linalool, are scary and toxic...and then suggests essential oils which themselves have these chemicals in their makeup. (The recommendation of rosewood is another issue altogether as the author recommends it (several places) despite environmentalists' growing concerns for its endangered status and for the protection of the rain forests. Not a very "green" thing to do, IMO.) Her own commercial line of cleaning products contain essential oils as well, and I'm betting limonene and linalool can be found in them as a result.
There are dangerous products on the market, no doubt about that. And we as a society are guilty of "over kill" when it comes to "germs". And natural alternatives versus "man-made" chemicals are likely safer and better. I don't disagree with any part of that message.
Again, I am a fan of essential oils, however one must also understand that anything can be dangerous if applied incorrectly or without due care. I felt that many of the suggestions were overboard and failed to include proper warnings. For example, there are some essential oils that shouldn't be used around pets. Most, if not all, shouldn't be used around cats due to a cat's special physiology and the cumulative toxic effect the oils can have on a cat's liver. I didn't see this mentioned anywhere.
The author talks about the dangers of artificial fragrances, but doesn't acknowledge that many of the "dangers" can and do apply to essential oils as well. She constantly mentions "dousing" and "saturating" items with essential oils...which I makes me wonder if she has really ever been around them. Essential oils are powerful and I can't imagine ever having to "douse" anything with them. Generally, a few drops will do. I could go on and on, unfortunately. In the end, I was left feeling that the "homework" the book was based on had been incomplete and that it failed to tell the whole story. A shame as I said I do agree with the author's basic message. But regardless of where the profits go, I have to be honest with my review. I hope that it will be appreciated.
