Customer Reviews

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism

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I have ordered this book, and I have yet to put it down!! There are at least 165 essential oils in this book, along with the photos that correspond with the name of the oil/herbs. This book shows a very beautiful illustration of aromatherapy, and it tells you which oils to avoid as well. I would say to any aspiring aromatherapist, or someone who is doing this as a hobby, this is THE book you need to add to your collection.

When I started researching natural treatments for arthritis and other ailments to incorporate into my massages, I looked at many a book on aromatherapy, ranging in price from $10 to $79. This book is complete and concise - I checked Julia's info on many different oils against other books written by doctors, scientists, etc. costing much more. All was very accurate, and this book even has pictures, traditional folk medicine uses, etc. If you're into aromatherapy, you need this book!

Julia Lawless's Encyclopedia of Essential Oils is rightfully regarded as one of the primary reference books for anyone who wants to explore essential oils and their uses in aromatherapy. Beautifully organized and wonderfully easy to use, it is far and away the most frequently-consulted volume in my aromatherapy library. The book includes a concise outline of the history, chemistry and use of essential oils, although this section is more of a summary/review than a primer for beginners to the field. The heart of the book is Lawless's admirably consistent, clear and detailed presentation of 165 common and uncommon essential oils. In a spacious, well- organized and convenient lay-out, she gives each plant's common name, Latin name and synonyms; its description and distribution; related species; traditional and herbal uses; extraction methods; the aroma and appearance of the oil; chemical and (sensibly cautious) safety data as well as its uses in aromatherapy and in the home. All that's missing are "scratch and sniff" strips!

If I had to have only two books in my Aromatherapy Library, this would be one of them, along with The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, by Salvatore Battaglia. I have been an Aromatherapist since 2003, I know - a relatively short time - but a productive time, and I could not have accomplished what I have without this book. It is a very complete list - if not the best list - of essential oils available in book form, with all their properties, chemical breakdown, methods of extraction, history, ancient uses for the plants and oils, modern uses, toxicity and as if this wasn't enough - the photos are marvolous and extremely helpful in identifying plants and the oil colour. Every plant gets a whole page and the format repeats and is so easy to follow. What makes this book stand out among its peers is the ease of use with an excellent index, glossary of terms, botanical index, botanical classification and references (just because a book has these thing doesn't mean they are always good or useful).
The most toxic of essential oils, which are hardly mention in other books , or, we are merely warned to stay away from for aromatherapy use, are also covered in Ms. Lawlwess' book, and I am glad for that because I want to know the "why" of everything. Why is it bad? After all - this is meant as a reference book, not a "how to". It is one of the most important books on essential oils and you are cheating yourself not to have a copy. I don't know if Ms. Julia Lawless is alive, and if she is, when she will come out with an updated version, but I sure hope so.

This was one of the first and still one of the best books I have on essential oils. About 3/4ths of the book gets 99% of
my usage -- the section on the Oils.

Extensive and consistent description of 167 different oils filed under latin names. Full index allows reference by almost any common name.

Each entry takes 1 page and contains pictures of the oil, the plant, various parts of the plant, how the oil is distracted, what plant parts are used, description of scent, major chemical composition, other and related species, area(s) of the world the plant comes from, what mixes well with it, safety data, effect on the body, aromatherapy and home medical uses, other uses, synonyms and other common names, latin plant family and herbal/folklore tradition: i.e. extensively complete!

I'm honestly surprised if I run into someone who claims to be an aromatherapists and doesn't have this book in their library.

I hope she comes out with an expanded/updated edition as more plants are beginning to be used in A.T. and wouldn't mind if she included a section on chemistry (like information from "Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy" by Kurt Schaubelt, excellent book, but doesn't cover nearly enough oils).

This isn't a formula book, but with the 'blends well with'
information and the 'effects', you can come up with your own recipes that often do the trick. Only problem is that I come up with too many options!

THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ESSENTIAL OILS by Julia Lawless When is an oil not an oil? When it is an essential oil. Really the term essence seems more appropriate. Those tiny little vials termed essential oils are really the pure plant parts with nothing added, usually obtained by some kind of distillation process like steam. It takes a lot of plant to make a little bit of essence. Be careful not to leave the lid off because they evaporate (ever see an oil evaporate?) A plant's essence can help to heal us, calm us, or make us happy. Different plants contain different oils that do different things. These oils used separately or blended together have powerful physiological and psychological actions. Julia Lawless brings over 150 essential oils and the plants they come from to life as she explains each plant's chemical components and what they are used for. The individual plant pages contain not only full color photos of the plants and its parts, but also the vials of essential oils, important to those of us seeking quality oils. The therapeutic index helpful in providing a list of preferred oils for specific ailments as well as alternates if that is what you happen to have. I particularly enjoyed reading about the many uses of basil oil. I seem to have at least one need from each of her use categories (Skin care, Circulation, Muscles and Joints, Respiratory System, Digestive System, Genito Urinary System, Immune System and Nervous System). As a nerve tonic she rates it A1. I guess my body must know what it needs; I never seem to get enough pesto.

I currently have this book checked out from the library, and am ordering my own copy. It devotes a full page each to 165 different essential oils, with gorgeous color photographs, as well as the features that other reviewers have described. The page layout, with different colored boxes for the information, makes looking up specific information very easy. I particuarly like the fact that it lists the major chemical components of each oil - very useful if you're dealing with allergies. The oils are listed alphabetically by botanical name, which may be a little confusing, but you can always check the index for the common name. No recipes, but it's a reference work, not a book of formulae. It also has a good glossary - I finally found out what "cicatrizant" means!

My main criticism is that it offers profiles of oils that are so toxic or irritating that they're never recommended for therapeutic work. A few even contain substances, such as coumarin, which are banned for import to some countries. I don't see the point of including oils that are dangerous, hard to obtain, and of no use to non-professional practitioners. A short section on "oils NOT to use" would make more sense to me.

Overall though, an excellent source, with a lot of information elegantly presented.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless, is just that- an encyclopedia! In addition to nearly 70 pages of the backgound and various uses of essential oils, Lawless dedicates a full page to each of 165 essential oils, alphebetized by the latin names of the plants from which they are derived. Each page is presented very professionally, and gives a brief history and description of the oil, including the plant it is derived from and a sketch. It also gives the method of extraction, oil characteristics and actions, and principal constituents. Ms. Lawless also lists a variety of ailments, across several categories, in which each particular oil is beneficial.

If you are looking for recipes and such for making your own body products or specific uses of the oils, this book does not contain them. However, if you are just getting into aromatherapy, already have a "recipe" book or two, and want to learn more about the oils, this book is *essential* to your collection.

This is a great book for both beginners and the expierienced Aromatherapist with detailed information of herbs and Essential Oils, along with a bit of History, detailed discussions of many (?) essential oils, classified by botanical family. Beautifully Illustrated botanicals for the browser and the serious. Gives insight into Massage,recipes and formulas for beauty,cleansing, and healing. Also formulas for disorders of the physical,emotional,spirtual and whole body.Along with precise methods of use. Concise details of each plant and its origin and properties. A good overall book for everyone interseted in Aromatherapy.

I have been searching around for the 'look' of those herbs. This book gives you many colorful photos, not drawings. This is the only way to distinguish between herbs: see their real faces!
Do not expect to get recipes from this books.