Essential Oils: All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body and home Paperback – October 11, 2016

Just now trying to read and learn about essential oils.

I'm a huge fan of Dorling Kindersley or DK books from way back to when my son was little.  They produce books with the best pictures and the most fascinating information.  I've never really read an adult DK book before Essential Oils:  All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body, and home.  

This book is published in the UK.  What that means is that it is not compliant with what the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) says that oil producers in the USA can claim that an oil does.  That isn't a bad thing though.  The FDA hasn't made any rules about the medical claims of essential oils ever.  Why?  It could be that big pharma in the US doesn't want their profits to be usurped by the alternative health industry.  It could also be that the FDA would be completely overwhelmed by the number of essential oil companies out there.  Most of which aren't producing a quality product.  There are probably only less than a handful that you could trust and even so I would be very careful.  That's why I use Young Living Essential Oils.  You can read more about them HERE.

This is a 257-page book that is chock-full of fabulous information.  It starts out explaining what essential oils are and how they work.  If you're going to use them therapeutically, you should understand that they can be very powerful and can effect people differently.  You should also understand that not all oils are what they are labeled.  Some are cut with chemicals and contain very little actual essential oil.  This is why it's important to know your source.  The book continues on with information on how the oils are extracted and where they come from.  I understood extraction methods but I loved the illustration showing where most of the oils come from all over the world.  

The next section of the book contains 88 profiles of individual essential oils.  I have heard of many of them but there were others that I wasn't familiar with.  The profile describes where the oil is extracted from and some information about the plant in general.  Then the maladies that it's good for and the best way to use the oil to help those maladies.  I like that there are warnings on the oils that might not be good for a pregnant or breastfeeding woman or someone who has seizures.  There is a little picture key at the top of each description that lets you know what the recipes for that oil are.  For example, yarrow has recipes for a massage oil and steam inhalation on the page so the illustration at the top of the page lets me know that.  

The next section is labeled Base Oils but we call them Carrier Oils in the US.  This section explains the (fatty not essential) oils that can be used to dilute the potency of the essential oils.  These are oils like coconut oil, shea butter, almond oil, and cocoa butter.  There are carrier oils that I'd not heard of before and I'm not even sure that they are available in the US but they would be worth looking into.  Some carrier oils have their own healing properties.  Coconut oil is antibacterial so you might want to use it for certain recipes.  

The final sections include information on how to blend for fragrances and beauty as well as recipes for listed medical conditions.  Again, this book isn't FDA-compliant in the US but that doesn't mean that the information isn't good. I made one of the recipes for a medical condition that I was dealing with and it appears to be doing exactly what it's supposed to do.  Plants and oils have been used for centuries to heal.  There is an extensive Glossary and Index to help you find what you're looking for if the Table of Contents doesn't help you.  

I highly recommend purchasing Essential Oils:  All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body, and home to keep in your oily arsenal.  It's a fabulous reference tool and I will continue to use it with my essential oils.  

4.5 Stars

I have just recently become aware of the benefits of using essential oils, and while I probably will never use them exclusively to treat my own ailments, there are some interesting ideas and tips in Essential Oils. This book really is a great resource for anyone wanting to understand natural medicine and the different ways that essential oils are used. There are tips for your home, health, beauty, and a very descriptive guide about each plant and oil used in these techniques.

If you are like me and have a super sense of smell, the directions for how to make a diffuser or room spray may be of use to you. It does seem like a healthier alternative to use an essential oil to alter the scent of a room. I love a subtle floral aroma in a room and I am going to give the room spray recipe a try. It is a simple mix of vodka, mineral oil, and an essential oil. Seems fairly simple and might just be my new go-to for a quick room deodorizer.

As with most DK books, the book is packed with all sorts of information and really delves deep into the history and science behind using the oils as a benefit to your mind, body, and soul. Each plant and its oil is discussed in depth and if you are at all curious about what a simple lavender oil can do, you will be very surprised.

The section that appeals to me the most in the book is the beauty section. I have just started trying to make my own bath products to save money, and as a hobby. There are a few recipes for making bath bombs and melts that are simple and relatively inexpensive to make. If those amazing store-bought bath bombs are your thing, you may want to check this book out because I was really surprised to discover the simple ingredients in making them. Baking soda, citric acid and essential oils are really all that is required.

This is a perfect guide for anyone interested in learning about essential oils and how they can be used. The book is easy to follow and you will come away with a wealth of information on this hot trend that has been around for centuries. I look forward to trying a few of them out myself.

I have a few essential oil books and was worried this might be a little Neal's Yard focused but it's not- it is phenomenal. A lot of great info is packed into this book. It also includes some DIY recipes that are very simple to buy ingredients for. This would be a great book for anyone just starting out with essential oils but it's also a great reference for anyone who has an interest in essential oils! The visuals for each of the essential oils talked about in the book are far and away better than any other book I own so it makes it very easy to understand and very enjoyable to read!

This is one of the best books on essential oils that I have ever seen. I have a few already, but this is fantastic! I am a distributor for Young Living, and feel that this is an asset to my business. I highly recommend! I especially love the way the author has highlighted which oils are safe for children, which way they can be used (topical, ingestion, inhalation, neat, diluted, etc). It enables anyone at any level to jump into using essential oils for their health and wellbeing.

The Best book for me-a beginner. The only negative is that
they put the essential oils in the a-z order for the latin name.
I do not know latin. So I always have to look at the
back index to find what I want. Uses for EO's and explanation
of benefits short and sweet.

Very good book. I just wish the oils would have been not listed accordingly to it's Latin name -it makes harder to navigate through the book.