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

"This book is clearly illustrated and was an invaluable book for our level 3 Holistic Therapies VTCT course. There are illustrations of all the associated plants/herbs/fruits etc. as well as details regarding therapeutic properties, uses and origins."
~ Written on 2007-02-09

"This beautifully illustrated book is an essential reference book for people interested in aromatherapy. It is suitable for patients, practitioners of complementary and conventional medicine, pharmacists, and all students studying relevant subjects.
After a few introductory pages and the start of many excellent colour illustrations, a history of aromatherapy is covered. Worth looking at for the illustrations alone!
The next section covers safety and contra-indications. This section should be read through by any potential patient or practitioner before using the remedies.
Then various body systems are considered in turn with a list of effects and a list of oils which produce that effect. There is also an indication about treatment for a specific condition. As before, well illustrated and a good starting point for both patient and practitioner.
A chapter on how to use the herbs for health and beauty follows. This covers massage, skin lotions, compresses, hair care, baths, flower waters, vaporisation, inhalation and douches. Some information about blending and extracting follows. A therapeutic index indicates various conditions and which oils are useful with their applications.
Then follows a major section of the book. The oils are listed in alphabetical order according to latin name. One page is one oil.
This is set out as follows: -
* safety data
* family of plant and related plants
* Herbal/folk applications
* Extraction details with actions and constituents
* uses - including non-aromatherapy uses
* Distribution of the plant
* other species of the plant
A general glossary follows, followed by a botanical classification list. An index using the English names is next. This is followed by references and a bibliography. A list of useful addresses ends the book."
~ Written on 2002-10-08