This brisk tour of essential oils (or concentrated plant essences) and explores their many applications and uses. Author Susan Worwood begins with a brief history of oils and aromatherapy, which describes how the practice of aromatherapy shifted from having New Age connotations to being accepted in popular culture. The reader then learns how essential oils work--from their antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties to their mind/body/spiritual connection. The guide provides tips on buying and storing oils and includes useful one-page profiles of the plants that produce the oils, from basil to yuzu. The book's exhaustive "how to use" list describes how to make face masks, foot baths, gargles, diffusers, and more. The list also teaches us that there are inexpensive, natural treatments for many common maladies.This book offers a great crash course in essential oils and aromatherapy is a useful reference handbook.
