Book 28 of 2015

Essential Oils: Complete Essential Oils Guide and 50+ Essential Oils Recipes: by Brenda Blackie
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The first thing that came to my attention is this is not a "Complete Essential Oils Guide" other than by the name which to me was misleading. While it does cover many oils, it certainly don't cover them all so to me it's not a complete guide. In addition to that, I am still looking for the "50+ Essential Oils Recipes" unless the blurbs telling me to add a few drops to my shampoo (typo was on this part and cracked me up, they used another 'a' word) or to put it in a diffuser is what they are referring to as a recipe.

Another thing I notice is it seems to contradict itself at times such as when it states to look for Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils but then goes on to say that there is no official industry standard that grades oil. So what that tells me is that it is telling me to look for and buy a product that any company can claim to have. There is no mention of reputable companies for first time buyers to even consider buying from if even just to have an one-time purchase and use this reputable oil as comparison for future purchases. In addition, this is two 'books' in one and there is a lot of repetition between them.

But the book is not all bad, it does have some good information in it especially for people who are thinking about trying essential oils for the first time and have no idea where to start. It does go through some of the most common oils, their health benefits, and some cautions to take. It also does a good job explaining what they are and the techniques used to extract them. It does go through the grades of oils which we established really means nothing but are marketing terms (except food grade since they would be subject to certain restrictions by law) but it does make the point of stressing that the buyer should be aware. Also touched on were carrier oils, storage, and usage tips.

So, although the book does have some good information in it and the price was great (I got it free on Amazon), I felt it was misleading. I also expected true recipes, not just to add so many drops to my favorite lotion or bath water.

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