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

Jennie Harding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2008

Whether it’s rosemary oil for sore muscles or ylang-ylang to calm the mind, aromatic oils play a major role in today’s holistic approach to health. They’re used in massage, in aromatherapy, and to create a positive ambience at home and at work. This attractive new addition to the Essential Handbook series is both a reference and a guide to these oils and their life-enhancing properties. The main attraction is a directory of 100 oils, complete with a discussion of the benefits of each for body, mind, and spirit, and suggestions on how it can be used. Gorgeous photographs showcase the plants that yield each oil, and an introductory section describes their traditional applications in different cultures around the world.

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Duncan Baird (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184483624X
• ISBN-13: 978-1844836246
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Aromatherapy
  • #14 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Holistic

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

208 of 209 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars great book -- especially for beginners November 11, 2009

By abbyshire

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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. Read more ›

79 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Resource - Aroma and Massage Therapy May 21, 2010

By Ann B. Keller

Format:Paperback

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.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great source of information September 21, 2010

By C of Spring

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Small Font Sizes and Not Easy to Find Oils July 8, 2012

By ljm

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I know I'm old but a twenty year old might have trouble with the fonts used in this book. Basically the book has small fonts and also has a bad lay out - it's very difficult to find something like Lavender. The various Lavenders are in different places in the book. Why not group them together so you can see the properties of each Lavender oil and compare them? This book was also disappointing in the fact that it really didn't have as much information as I would like. I'm just learning about oils and would like to know more about them then this book provides. If this book was printed as an average size book (with an average size font) it would be probably be a very thin book. My book also came with the plastic part of the cover coming off I'm not sure if it was just a problem with my copy or if other people have had the same problem.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative for it's size July 1, 2011

By jasmine

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent information...small print! April 1, 2012

By Pamela K.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very, very informative, excellent book; I truly will use this for reference forever! The information is invaluable and in-depth, even more than I had imagined when I was considering this book for purchase, very concise and written very seriously to alert you to all possibilities when using essential oils. I did see the photo of the book as the woman is holding it in her hand (it looks small), however...I did not consider the fact that the print would be so VERY SMALL and it is in a very fine/thin font (the ONLY reason I rated it 4 stars and not 5). Being the age I am, I do have some vision issues (Walgreen Cheater Readers), nothing more serious than that. So, what I am trying to say is that if you have trouble reading fine, fine, tiny print...this may not be the book for you but it is worth squinting through to educate yourself on essential oils!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Aromotherapy Book March 30, 2011

By Saravah

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice guide March 27, 2011

By Katt978

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.