The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness

by Nerys Purchon, Lora Cantele

Aromatherapy is a method of employing essential oils to protect, heal and beautify. Essential oils are described as the "life force" or "essence" of plants. The most wonderful thing about essential oils is that they are available to everyone, and they are very simple to use once the basic concepts are understood and the appropriate methods and procedures are observed. The best known way to use essential oils is through massage. In this comprehensive book there are many, many more ways to use the oils for everything from arthritis and asthma to high blood pressure and constipation. Essential oils are now emerging as scientifically proven and accepted remedies for a variety of common conditions. The why and how certain oils heal still remains somewhat mysterious. Oils can help to treat everyday ailments, whether it be strengthening the immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, and lowering stress levels to toning, relaxing and strengthening muscles. These oils help the body heal itself. This book features 109 oils and 450 remedies. The recipes are easy to follow, do not take a long time to make, and are quite inexpensive -- the biggest cost is the oils. The oils are organized in an A to Z format, and each entry features the botanical name, a full description of how and why the oil is extracted as well as its therapeutic uses. Angelica for example has a sweet, rich smell, is excellent in all skin care preparations both as a tonic and to soften and smooth rough, dry skin. It reduces inflammation and can be useful when applied to irritated skin. As a massage oil it purifies the body and acts as a lymphatic stimulator, draining the body of excess fluid, increasing energy and generally quickening the functioning of glands. It's also an excellent tonic for the entire digestive system as it strengthens the liver, stimulates appetite, aids digestion and generally boosts the whole digestive system. Nerys Purchon was one of Australia's leading experts on herbs, aromatherapy and essential oils. Her books have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help

480 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

Born in Wales, Nerys Purchon first trained as a nurse and later emigrated to Australia with her husband and five children. She established Rivendell, a farm for growing herbs which became Australia s first company producing natural herbal and cruelty-free cosmetics

Reviews

[Tandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some useful info. Pages & illustrations were pretty lackluster. I just skimmed for specific green cleaners I want to make. Cuz going green has made a huge difference with my migraines! We have super hard water and the glass shower door always looks yucky. Vinegar doesn't cut it and the CLR that removes the hard water & soap scum gives me a nasty headache. I just got my order of citric acid from Amazon. Attacking shower door tomorrow!
Keep searching for green solutions my friends :-D

[Dani C. (Polly's Place) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about aromatherapy/ essential oils I have read. I already plan on rereading it every chance I get!

[Terri Palermo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty great go-to handbook that would benefit from an update to current knowledge.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm addicted to scents and usually have incense or scented candles on the go. I enjoy aromatherapy and have been buying and mixing essential oils for years ... so that's why this book caught my eye.

There are four chapters plus an introduction, a glossary, resources and a bibliography:

* Introduction - using essential oils
* Part 1: The Oils - properties of essential oils, 109 key essential oils (there's a handy chart with different oils and their uses), carrier oils (for blending), basic massage oil blends and treatment bases, and infused oils
* Part 2: Remedies - the 450 remedies are quite extensive and include a list of the essential oils to treat the ailment, treatments (how to use them) along with recipes/blends and tips
* Part 3: Aromatherapy for Daily Living - for personal care (skincare, hair care and body care), for the home and for massage
* Part 4: Practicalities - equipment and measuring and storing essential oils

For example, here is a blend for afternoon brain fatigue:

* 36 drops of rosemary essential oil
* 24 dropsof lemongrass essential oil
* 12 drops of basil essential oil

Place 12 drops in a 10ml glass bottle with a roller ball. Top up with fractionated coconut oil and shake to blend. Roll on temples, wrists and collarbones as needed. I would be inclined to also use this blend in a diffuser.

It's an excellent book for beginners and those who are more experienced.

Nerys Purchon was one of Australia’s leading experts on aromatherapy and essential oils. Her books have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. Lora Cantele, RA, CMAIA, AAS, is a registered aromatherapist, clinical aromatologist, certified Swiss reflex therapist, aromatherapy educator and writer.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/10...

[Bode Cauthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference book on the subject. I’m so happy to have stumbled across it as I very much like the formatting that makes it quick and easy to find what you are looking for. Another great aspect of the book is the resources at the end. Excellent suggestions for reputable places where one can gather their supplies.

[Corinnagoodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good clear book, lays a lot out for you, but was a little disappointed it did not have more mixes to put in your defuser.

[THT Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely done resource for beginners. I found the information to be clear, and particular helpful for those who don't know a lot about essential oils. I keep this one on my shop shelf for visitors.

[Melodie Wendel-Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good resource book: detail info on each essential oil and recipes for health/enviro-safe house sanitizing.

[ADruidReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good EO book. Nice reference and usages.

[Anna Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very informative especially at being new to using oils. I realized that I had been utilizing oils completely incorrectly. This book was amazing with information about individual oils, how to mix them, remedies to make, and additional recipes. Very helpful, wish that I had bought it, not checked it out from the library. I will be adding it to my Christmas wishlist, as I only took notes on a very minimal amount of items (my notes were only 16 pages verses the nearly 500 in this book).

[Serena-Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this today after comparing it to several other similar ones. I was looking for a book focusing mainly on descriptions, uses, properties and contraindications of essential oils. There is a helpful section on common ailments and recommended treatments with EOs. In addition - very importantly - dilution quantities and procedures for poisoning or adverse reaction to EOs which is a definite risk in uneducated application.

[Holly Scudero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does it seem like everyone is talking about essential oils these days? What does one even do with essential oils? Do they live up to the hype? Essential oils have been used for centuries to create personal care products and natural remedies, but many who are curious about them have no idea where to begin learning about them. Enter "The Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness," which is packed full of information to help readers get started learning about essential oils. There is a basic alphabetical listing of 109 different essential oils, where some basic uses for each are listed. There are hundreds of different remedies, which can help you treat countless conditions at home; relieve the discomfort of insect stings, heal your baby’s diaper rash, or reduce the appearance of scar tissue using these recipes. There are also recipes for skin care products, hair care products, and even basic information for using aromatherapy to improve the atmosphere of your home. The basics of essential oils are discussed in a plain and straightforward manner, and while getting the initial ingredients may be a bit costly, the actual process of putting together these recipes seems relatively simple; this book makes the use of essential oils accessible for everyone.

Review originally written for San Francisco Book Review.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic... so informative... with sections on the oils, sections on ailments, and sections with recipes! AND the book has a smooth cover, pure white pages, and a great easy to read font!!!!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on E.O. Great basic info, recipes, and great references to cite as needed. A+

[Amy Kreydin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cantele and Purchon have produced an accessible volume for the beginner user. Look for the second printing or later for updated resources with modern safety guidelines for pediatrics.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looks like a good reference book. I'm still researching.

[Leslie Wetzel-Moldenauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for the beginner covering safety, uses, and ailments. An all in one book by a good friend and colleague. I highly recommend it.

[Cordula Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best aromatherapy book I read

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent guide for essential oils. I would have liked pictures, and an easier layout.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of information in a well laid out manner.