Before I started my Aromatherapist Certification classes, I was almost completely self-taught. I read books, I conducted my research, I asked questions, I learned from experience… all good things. As a person whose learning on their own, finding safe and accurate information was a tough one. Especially with all the misinformation and unsafe advice there is floating around. When I started, there weren’t too many places I could trust for safe information. As I dabbled and conducted experiments with essential oils, I learned all about sensitization. I learned all about how essential oils were packed with power and held a punch. I learned it all the hard way. Now that I know better, I’ve made it one of my top priorities to help teach others about essential oil safety. One of the ways I have done that is by creating a list of valuable resources that are safe and easily understood by home essential oil users everywhere. Today, I am going to share my top three recommended books for the at home essential oil user.
The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness, by Nerys Purchon and Lora Cantele
This is a great book for the at home essential oil enthusiast. It has a plethora of profiles on different essential oils that outlines the description of the oil, the many uses of each oil, as well as any safety precautions each oil may have. Beyond essential oil profiles, there are hundreds if not thousands of recipes for a wide variety of different things. There are recipes for children, adults, and the elderly.
Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child by Valerie Ann Wormwood.
This is another great book for the at home essential oil enthusiast… with children! Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child has over three hundred essential oil blends and recipes that are safe to use with most children. The first section details application methods, safe levels of use, and other safety recommendations and considerations.
Essential Oil Safety 2nd Edition, by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young
This book, to me, was the most informative and most valuable. If I’m being honest, it’s probably the hardest one for the home enthusiast to read and comprehend. The book is setup like a textbook and is marketed to professionals, however, the contents can be used and should be used by all. There are over four hundred essential oil profiles, two hundred and six constituent profiles, and information about the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the urinary system, the digestive system, and the nervous system. The most valuable part for me was the list of essential oil/drug interactions.
Warnings & Considerations
As is true with all things, there are things to keep and mind and to consider when reading and using recipes from the listed books above. The first thing to keep in mind is that books aren’t necessarily updated when new safety considerations are brought to light. The biggest thing I would say to keep in mind that water and oils don’t mix. There are bath recipes that don’t contain any type solubilizers, which means the essential oils are likely to just float to the top and stick to the skin undiluted.
Questions, comments, or concerns?
If you have any questions regarding essential oil safety after reading the books mentioned above, I would strongly encourage you to join the Facebook group Safe Essential Oil Recipes. It is a great community of people who all have one thing in mind—using essential oils safely. It is sponsored by the aromatherapists at Plant Therapy who are there to answer questions and guide the group towards safe use.
Great suggestions!