How to Heal with Essential Oils

Some consumers regard aromatherapy as a pleasant, mood-altering experience involving scented candles. For Erica Straus, it is the serious and lifelong pursuit of complementary medicine. In How to Heal with Essential Oils, she provides a comprehensive guide for using oils to treat a wide range of diseases without resorting to drugs or intrusive procedures.

Straus stresses safety above all else and begins with some cautions about essential oils: how to buy and store them and the best way to dilute them for effective treatment and maximum effect. The majority of the book consists of a remarkably thorough inventory of illnesses and effective treatments. She catalogues the methods of using essential oils, including salves, baths, compresses, massages, and body butters. She then goes through a list of ailments, from hypertension and anemia to gallstones and breastfeeding problems and lists the essential oils most appropriate for them. She concludes with an index that allows the reader to look up a particular health issue and find the page that describes the treatment.

This book is indispensable for anyone who seeks a plant-based alternative to conventional medical care, outlined in a simple, easy-to-use format.