Jeanne Rose, The Aromatherapy Book

I love the way this book is written. It gives you 2 quick glance tables in the first chapter. The first listing certain states of health, mind and emotion with the appropriate oils to go with them. The second lists essential oils and what situations they are suitable for. She gives a terrific glossary of terms; reviews frequently used oils, their uses and possible contraindications. Then she proceeds with how to use the oils effectively through certain favorite recipes, covering a variety of different things, including cosmetic/skin care applications. She ends with a very substantial list of resources. Ms. Rose gives great antidotes throughout the book. It is a very interesting read, and a fabulous quick reference.

Jeanne Rose, Herbs & Things

Written in the same fun style as the above book, this herbal is a wealth of knowledge compiled from the authors life time of experience, experiments and research. Not only does it have the necessary components required of such a book, i.e. a list of herbs, their attributes, methods of use, etc., but she also gives a lot of folk lore to go with it, which is quite interesting and makes it a fun read. As always, expect lots of tried and true recipes for a variety of different purposes such as: things you rub on you, things you ingest, things that will heal you, and things that will make you smell good, just to name a few.

Susan Worwood and Valerie Ann Worwood, Essential Aromatherapy

A very handy pocket guide to essential oils covering: methods of extraction; methods of use; A to Z guide of commonly used oils and their origin, descriptions, particular properties, therapeutic uses, other oils they combine well with, and interesting facts; list of ailments and the essential oils that would be beneficial; contraindications, and a very helpful appendix listing suppliers, training courses, and selected bibliography. I use this one very often for quick referencing.

Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs, Essential Oil Safety – A Guide for Health Care Professionals

The quintessential manual on essential oil safety. Recommended for everyone who uses essential oils in their practice or personally. Gives detailed profiles of 95 essential oils including their chemical composition, hazards, dosage, contraindications and toxicity data. Provides safety guidelines for proper use. Notes cases of poisoning through ingestion of essential oils. Basically, in a nutshell, its a lot about safety, and chemistry, and appropriate use, and contraindications to use. There is nothing else written yet that is comparable. An absolute must in your library if you want to use oils as responsibly and knowledgeably as possible.