Aromatherapy: An A-Z: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy Ever Published

by Patricia Davis

One of the most comprehensive, up-to-date encyclopedias of aromatherapy available today, this reference has more than 400 entries covering more than 200 conditions and 82 essential oils as well as recipes and formulae.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Reference, Herbs

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Missy LeBlanc Ivey]

Originally published in 1988, I purchased the 1995 hardcover edition for $2.00 at 2nd & Charles. This is more of a reference book. There isn’t an index at all. Everything is written up in alphabetical order. The name of oils are mixed in with remedies (hypertension, hives, jasmine essential oil, lymph, etc…). Hmmm! Not sure if I like this setup at all. She does provide a few recipes and formulas at the end of the book in Appendix C.

I will probably not just sit down and read the whole thing at one sitting, When something comes up, and I get a chance to reference it, I’ll come back here to rate and review on its usefulness. Can’t have too many natural remedy books in my collection.

NOTE: Since I’ve used Helichrysum essential oil to help with a blood cot in my leg during COVID, I did read what this book had to say about the oil. It doesn’t mention blood clots at all and is very general in its uses.

[Lionkhan-sama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a comprehensive guide to aromatherapy. I absolutely loved the journey of going through this book. Lots of fantastic and useful information is included. Albeit some of the information can seem rather repetitive, since a lot of the alphabetical entries coincide or overlap with one another, but for the sake of being complete it seems the author preferred to repeat some info rather than leave it out.

I read this book because I want to start mixing my own beard oils, so I was rather let down that there is no "beard" entry in this book. It doesn't make the book any less useful however, as there are entries for hair, skin and other beard-related things.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in self healing, as these natural remedies have been used since antiquity, and for good reason.

[Chantal Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great starter book or to support classes for beginners, nice to keep in the collection.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

super useful book if you are interested in aromatherapy.

[Sandy Swain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was looking for some creative uses for some bottles of essential oils I had received as a gift.

Two things bugged me about this book layout wise...

1. The print was teeny tiny and stretched too far into the center spine of the book (I suppose so there could be wide enough margins on the edges for the sketches of plants) The whole thing just hurt my eyes to read.

2. It is supposed to be an "encyclopedia" but there was NO helpful table of contents or index to help me navigate through or pick topics of interest. Everything is just straight alphabetical with no separation of types of oils, plants, uses, or conditions they can help. (Asthma right next to Astrology, Basil next to Baths). This is a reference book, not something to read cover to cover. Therefore, I'm not going to go through all 300+ pages just to see what the topics are--that is exactly what a table of contents is for!

A better layout and organization would have made this much less annoying to read and I am still looking for a good guide to essential oils and aromatherapy.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really liking this aromatherapy book in encyclopedia format. There is a lot of good information in this book that was missing out of other books I've skimmed or read (i.e. lavender is most effective when combined with other oils.) The author also talks about the properties of oils and will let you know when not to spend your money on the more expensive oils. I like that.

I have used this book a lot in the one and a half months I have had it checked out of the library. It's a perfect encyclopedic reference. I will eventually have to own it.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not quite what I was looking for, but a very extensive list of different herbs/flowers as well as many ailments that can be eased through the use of aromatherapy. Mostly all about massage though, which is definitely not what I wanted. The search for a good aromatherapy book continues...

[Sarah]

The first book i ever illustrated.. this is THE book for aromatherapy practitioners and students. Basic properties of nearly every plant from A to Z. Also gives a index of terms used in aromatherapy. Very good book to have.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to have on hand! Glad I bought this one.

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my aromatherapy bible. I've had it for years and constantly refer to it. Highly recommended!

[Irene O'Neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really what I was looking for. It is basically a list of plants and what they are used for, but not really useful in determining how to use these oils.