BOOK

REVIEWS
MAUREEN FARRELL
JENNIE HARDING
LYNN KEATING
JULIE WEAVER
JOANNE YEOH

ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY detailed profiles of 95 oils, which are because they are natural” tend to
ROBERT TISSERAND & of particular interest from a safety erode the credibility of the therapy.
TONY BALACS aspect, give information on hazards, Essential oils, as all other substances,
PUBLISHEDBY dosage, constituents and coutra- are “safe” when used in the right
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE indications. At the end of each context and in an appropriate
E26.00 chapter is a handy summary section dilution. This book provides a
$42.00 and notes giving additional relevant balanced and definitive guide to the
280Pn~~s HARDBACK information on the topics discussed. safe use of essential or volatile oils as
In all, this is a well-indexed easy used in aromatherapy.

H
ere at last is a comprehensive to use, informative guide. It covers all The research and collaboration
and easy-to-read volume on of Balacs and Tisserand has generated
essential oil safety. As a a book which gives pleasure in every
replacement to the Essential Oil sense. It is visually attractive, easy to
Safety Data Manual, Robert Tisserand handle, well laid out with clear
and Tony Balacs have done an headings and good print. A short
excellent job in producing this guide, conlents list and an excellent index
which incorporates up-to-date research make reference both easy and rapid
findings. and the inclusion of chapter contents
An introduction which clarifies at the beginning of each chapter assists
issues around essential oil safety is detailed reference even further. The
followed by chapters on thevarious introduction is a lucid exposition of
aspects of toxicity with regard to the objectives and rationale of the
mucous membrane, skin, the central book. The information which follows is
nervous system and major organs, with clearly presented, user friendly,
the processes of absorption, unambiguous, meticulously researched
metabolism and excretion being and supported by more than five
clearly explained. hundred accessible references.
Methods of administration of oils safety issues whichusers of essential oils As a pharmacist, teacher and
are discussed, with cautions and need to be aware of and scores so practitioner of aromatherapy I
contraindications being highlighted. highly because it presents all Ihe appreciate and commend this book. It
Case examples are used to illustrate relevent information together and addresses many of the aspects of the
reactions to various oils, including accessibly in a single volume. supply and use of essential oils which
incidents of poisoning from ingestion. This should prove to be an are open to criticism. Packaging and
Adverse reations between essential oils indispensible reference work for labeling and safe levels of dilution to
and certain drugs which are widely aromatherapists, essential oil suppliers name buL two! It is gratifying that it
prescribed are also covered. and retailers and anyone working with has been produced from within the
Guidelines on the proper usage essential oils. ranks of aromatherapy and will
of oil are given for these conditions LK provide an incentive towards self
which are often treated with great regulation and acceptance as a

T
caution, such as pregnancy, cancer, he safety or otherwise of volatile profession.
epilepsy and heart disease, along with or essential oils has been a cause This excellent volume merits a
plenty of back -ground information to for concern within aromatherapy for place on the book shelf of every
support the guidelines. more than a decade. Descriptions by aromatherapist. Not only does it
A safety index of over 300 oils authors and practitioners of essential provide a guide to the safe use of
and 135 essential oil conponents oils being “the soul of the plant” and essential oils but a brief and elegant
provides a quick, easy reference and claims that “essential oils are safe updating and revision of their
chemistry and metabolism for the result of half of the text being might be a problem for someone
aromatherapists or any practitioner translated from German into who simply followed the recipe
using them. I welcome its appearance English. with no prior knowledge. The
and congratulate the authors on their Recipes for blends using second observation is that virtually
achievement. lavender and other oils are given throughout the text, the blends
MF for a wide variety of ailments and are made at 576, with four or five
situations, but some of the essential oils each time, which is
directions for usage are unclear far too high a concentration for
and there is an absence of any the untrained public, and simply
THE MAGIC AND POWER safety information. unnecessary. Only one mention is
OF LAVENDER In all, a rather disappointing made in the whole book about the
MAGGIETISSERAND & MONIKA end result from a potentially good need to cut this in half if there is
J~~NEMANN idea. skin sensitivity, and there are a
PUBLISHED BY LK good number of unusual essential
LOTUS LIGHT ?? SHANGRI-LA oils like anise and allspice, with no
ES.95 Latin names to identify the plant
$9.95 species in the main text. The brief
~~~PAGESPAPERBACK 500 FORMULAS FOR directory of essential oils in the
AROMATHERAPY back of the book gives very sketchy

W
ith so many aromatherapy CAROL SCHILLERAND delails, and no blending factors.
books on the market giving DAVID SCHILLER Given the fact that this is a
brief profiles of numerous PUBLISHED BY book intended for the general
STERLING PUBLISHING Co., public, I have serious reservations,
INC,NEWYORK particularly on the essential oil
E8.99 dilutions and the lack of clear user
~~~PAGES~APERBACK guidelines.
JH

T
he first thing which strikes the
reader is the tag below the

THE AROMATHERAPY &

KINESIOLOGY HEALTH
MANAGEMENT COURSE
CAROLINE INGRAM
PUBLISHED BY
CAROLINE INGRAM
fzl2.50
essential oils, the idea of a book 86 PAGESPAPERBACK
devoted entirely to Lavender,
possibly the most well-known and
popular oil, has great appeal. his book is a manual which
Unfortunately this book does T aims to provide a guideline to
not quite deliver the goods. The identify essential oils,. their
authors have obviously written from properties and application to
a very personal perspective and have ailments, and to clarify the use of
great love and respect for lavender Applied Kinesiology in
and its gentle powers, which they title “mixing oils for everyday conjunction with aromatherapy.
want to share with the reader. They use”. This book is intended as a The guide to aromatherapy
present information and practical recipe guide and little and its application is practical and
observations on lavender from many more, giving its 500 formulae for easy to read. The layout for the
angles and include everything from everything from room fresheners description of the 47 oils listed is
an hislorical perspective on its to baby powder to massage oils. well presented; concise yet
usage, how and where it is cultivated The first problem is that the informative. However, do note the
and the chemical composition of safety and user information in the expression used ‘....high dilution..’
various varieties of lavender, to front of the book is thin and relating to the external use of
numerous health and beauty uses. patchy, and is not repeated essential oils, which could be
However, the end result is a rather anywhere else in the text. So, for misleading. The author should be
disjointed mish-mash of example, there are plenty of more precise.
information, interspersed with massage blends with no The section covering muscle
typographical errors which may be phototoxicity warnings which testing is rather brief and the