Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Good reference, 14 Feb 2008
While this is not the most comprehensive guide to essential oils it is a good and detailed book for the most common ones and some less common ones. I have had the book for over a year now and I have constantly referenced it.

Highly informative, well laid-out, but has some limitations, 05 Feb 2004
In this book Sellar has profiled 83 essential oils in quite a lot of depth, devoting two pages to each oil. After the usual list of names in English and Latin, extraction method and so forth, the categories listed are: aroma, features of the plant, history and myth, chemical constituents, properties, precautions, effects on mind, body, and skin, and good blending partners. This is pretty much the entire book, although there is a brief glossary at the end which runs along the following lines:

Antidontalgic: Relieving toothache.
Cajuput, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pimento.

There are also a couple of charts showing blending families (citrus, herbs, spices and so on) and suggested oils for skin types.

For someone who already has a basic working knowledge of aromatherapy, this is a very useful book, combining each of reference with impressive depth. I would not recommend it as the first book for a beginner, however. Sellar assumes that her readers already know how to use essential oils so does not provide any information on blending, carrier oils, methods of application, massage and so forth. In addition, the referencing tends to be one-way: it is much easier to look up an oil in this book than it is to look up a symptom. So if you want to find a good oil for, say, PMS, this book will be much harder to use if you do not already know that you should be looking at lavender, geranium, clary sage etc. The glossary at the end is of limited use and certainly does not constitute a materia medica. I find this book most useful when used in conjunction with other aromatherapy books, so that I can cross-reference, usually by looking up symptoms in other books and then turning to this one to find out more about the oils that have been suggested.

The Directory of Essential OIls, 30 Jun 2002
This is a beautifully presented book with a vast amount of information, perfect for either a new aromatherapist or someone who has aromatherapy experience. Very easy to read and by far my favourite aromatherapy book to date. A very valuble resource while I was studying.

Very up-to-date, easy to use and interesting to read, 23 Jul 2001
As a beginner in Aromatherapy I find this book an excellent introduction to aromatherapy. The history on each oil is very interesting to read while I appreciate any reference to modern traumas such aids, cancer where the oils can help in many ways. The only feature I would have liked to have seen is actually how to use the oils, under what form, quantity. But I guess there is not one book on aromatherapy, there are many that complement each other depending on the interest, knowledge of the writer and reader.

This book is a 'must have' for your collection., 03 Jan 2000
The Directory of Essential Oils contains possibly everything the student or practising aromatherapist might ever need to know about essential oils. Listed in an easy to read style and a doddle to just flick through when you only have a few minutes, the information is right there at your fingertips. Wanda Sellars have pitched this book at just the right level, not too in depth so that it puts you off, and not too light so that it doesn't contain everything you need. This book can be used and enjoyed by nearly anybody, the student, the aromatherapist or as a hobby read, this book has it all. Definately one to have at home.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Good reference, 14 Feb 2008
While this is not the most comprehensive guide to essential oils it is a good and detailed book for the most common ones and some less common ones. I have had the book for over a year now and I have constantly referenced it.

Highly informative, well laid-out, but has some limitations, 05 Feb 2004
In this book Sellar has profiled 83 essential oils in quite a lot of depth, devoting two pages to each oil. After the usual list of names in English and Latin, extraction method and so forth, the categories listed are: aroma, features of the plant, history and myth, chemical constituents, properties, precautions, effects on mind, body, and skin, and good blending partners. This is pretty much the entire book, although there is a brief glossary at the end which runs along the following lines:

Antidontalgic: Relieving toothache.
Cajuput, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pimento.

There are also a couple of charts showing blending families (citrus, herbs, spices and so on) and suggested oils for skin types.

For someone who already has a basic working knowledge of aromatherapy, this is a very useful book, combining each of reference with impressive depth. I would not recommend it as the first book for a beginner, however. Sellar assumes that her readers already know how to use essential oils so does not provide any information on blending, carrier oils, methods of application, massage and so forth. In addition, the referencing tends to be one-way: it is much easier to look up an oil in this book than it is to look up a symptom. So if you want to find a good oil for, say, PMS, this book will be much harder to use if you do not already know that you should be looking at lavender, geranium, clary sage etc. The glossary at the end is of limited use and certainly does not constitute a materia medica. I find this book most useful when used in conjunction with other aromatherapy books, so that I can cross-reference, usually by looking up symptoms in other books and then turning to this one to find out more about the oils that have been suggested.

The Directory of Essential OIls, 30 Jun 2002
This is a beautifully presented book with a vast amount of information, perfect for either a new aromatherapist or someone who has aromatherapy experience. Very easy to read and by far my favourite aromatherapy book to date. A very valuble resource while I was studying.

Very up-to-date, easy to use and interesting to read, 23 Jul 2001
As a beginner in Aromatherapy I find this book an excellent introduction to aromatherapy. The history on each oil is very interesting to read while I appreciate any reference to modern traumas such aids, cancer where the oils can help in many ways. The only feature I would have liked to have seen is actually how to use the oils, under what form, quantity. But I guess there is not one book on aromatherapy, there are many that complement each other depending on the interest, knowledge of the writer and reader.

This book is a 'must have' for your collection., 03 Jan 2000
The Directory of Essential Oils contains possibly everything the student or practising aromatherapist might ever need to know about essential oils. Listed in an easy to read style and a doddle to just flick through when you only have a few minutes, the information is right there at your fingertips. Wanda Sellars have pitched this book at just the right level, not too in depth so that it puts you off, and not too light so that it doesn't contain everything you need. This book can be used and enjoyed by nearly anybody, the student, the aromatherapist or as a hobby read, this book has it all. Definately one to have at home.

Big news, 15 Jun 2006
Up until I read that book I was absolutely ignorant about the coconat oil health benefits (fighting infections, improving nutrition, etc) The author lists scientific studies to back up his claims. Coconat oil is shown as a natural, centuries tried and tested aid to health, beauty and longevity. I suggest getting this book together with Can we live 150 Year - a great volume on natural health, weight loss, and longevity issues.

Though-provoking, in-depth coverage, 08 Jun 2004
This book was a revelation. For those who think all saturated fats are equal, think again. The properties of coconut oil truly are amazing. Even if only half of it were put into practice, the burden on the health service would be considerably reduced. Why are large pharmaceutical companies allowed to stand in the way of cheap solutions? Think of the taxes that could be saved, as well as the improvements to health that would be gained.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Good reference, 14 Feb 2008
While this is not the most comprehensive guide to essential oils it is a good and detailed book for the most common ones and some less common ones. I have had the book for over a year now and I have constantly referenced it.

Highly informative, well laid-out, but has some limitations, 05 Feb 2004
In this book Sellar has profiled 83 essential oils in quite a lot of depth, devoting two pages to each oil. After the usual list of names in English and Latin, extraction method and so forth, the categories listed are: aroma, features of the plant, history and myth, chemical constituents, properties, precautions, effects on mind, body, and skin, and good blending partners. This is pretty much the entire book, although there is a brief glossary at the end which runs along the following lines:

Antidontalgic: Relieving toothache.
Cajuput, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pimento.

There are also a couple of charts showing blending families (citrus, herbs, spices and so on) and suggested oils for skin types.

For someone who already has a basic working knowledge of aromatherapy, this is a very useful book, combining each of reference with impressive depth. I would not recommend it as the first book for a beginner, however. Sellar assumes that her readers already know how to use essential oils so does not provide any information on blending, carrier oils, methods of application, massage and so forth. In addition, the referencing tends to be one-way: it is much easier to look up an oil in this book than it is to look up a symptom. So if you want to find a good oil for, say, PMS, this book will be much harder to use if you do not already know that you should be looking at lavender, geranium, clary sage etc. The glossary at the end is of limited use and certainly does not constitute a materia medica. I find this book most useful when used in conjunction with other aromatherapy books, so that I can cross-reference, usually by looking up symptoms in other books and then turning to this one to find out more about the oils that have been suggested.

The Directory of Essential OIls, 30 Jun 2002
This is a beautifully presented book with a vast amount of information, perfect for either a new aromatherapist or someone who has aromatherapy experience. Very easy to read and by far my favourite aromatherapy book to date. A very valuble resource while I was studying.

Very up-to-date, easy to use and interesting to read, 23 Jul 2001
As a beginner in Aromatherapy I find this book an excellent introduction to aromatherapy. The history on each oil is very interesting to read while I appreciate any reference to modern traumas such aids, cancer where the oils can help in many ways. The only feature I would have liked to have seen is actually how to use the oils, under what form, quantity. But I guess there is not one book on aromatherapy, there are many that complement each other depending on the interest, knowledge of the writer and reader.

This book is a 'must have' for your collection., 03 Jan 2000
The Directory of Essential Oils contains possibly everything the student or practising aromatherapist might ever need to know about essential oils. Listed in an easy to read style and a doddle to just flick through when you only have a few minutes, the information is right there at your fingertips. Wanda Sellars have pitched this book at just the right level, not too in depth so that it puts you off, and not too light so that it doesn't contain everything you need. This book can be used and enjoyed by nearly anybody, the student, the aromatherapist or as a hobby read, this book has it all. Definately one to have at home.

Big news, 15 Jun 2006
Up until I read that book I was absolutely ignorant about the coconat oil health benefits (fighting infections, improving nutrition, etc) The author lists scientific studies to back up his claims. Coconat oil is shown as a natural, centuries tried and tested aid to health, beauty and longevity. I suggest getting this book together with Can we live 150 Year - a great volume on natural health, weight loss, and longevity issues.

Though-provoking, in-depth coverage, 08 Jun 2004
This book was a revelation. For those who think all saturated fats are equal, think again. The properties of coconut oil truly are amazing. Even if only half of it were put into practice, the burden on the health service would be considerably reduced. Why are large pharmaceutical companies allowed to stand in the way of cheap solutions? Think of the taxes that could be saved, as well as the improvements to health that would be gained.

Read This Book With An Open Mind, 29 Aug 2008
This really is a fabulous book full of truthful information that will really help you to take control of your health, I have done my own research into the corruption that is absolutely rampant between the medical community & the pharmaceutical industry & find that Kevin Trudeau speaks the truth, don't let the negative comments about Kevin Trudeau & this book put you off, this book covers a lot of positive ground for those open minded & intelligent enough to absorb it. Your health is your responsibility & this book by Kevin Trudeau will help you to regain control.. Some people have made derisory comments about Kevin Trudeau's character & go on to say that the claims he makes in his books are unsubstantiated & that he is not medically qualified.. It's true that he's not medically qualified in the traditional sense, but you have to remember that the people making these negative comments are also not medically qualified & that their opinion that Kevin Trudeau's claims are unsubstantiated is just that, their opinion & not fact... I repeat, it's their personal opinion & not factual... if you take the time to do your own research & don't let the blanket negativity of others towards this book & Kevin Trudeau put you off then you will find that most of what Kevin Trudeau says is actually substantiated by the Holistic Health Movement & also from within the Medical Community & from Medical research. A good place to start your research is with the relationship between acidosis of the human body & degenerative diseases, may I also suggest that you look up an Italian Oncologist by the name of Dr Simoncini.... if you care about your health & are frustrated by the lack of progress at curing diseases by Traditional Pharmacology then you owe it to yourself to read this book......

Rip off Artist, 01 Apr 2008
Dont waste your money he only tells you to pay to look at his web site and the rest of it is just his personal rant against the powers that be.

Avoid, 28 Mar 2008
This is a self-published book by someone with no medical or biological background and the unsubstantiated content reflects it. To anyone who's thinking of spending their money, look the author up on wikipedia first.

Everyone Should Read This Book!, 13 Feb 2008
This is a book that contains vital information everyone should be aware of. It's certainly made me very aware of what I eat and even more anti-drug than I was before. It's all about the money.
How about serialising this book and showing it on prime time TV instead of Eastenders!!

good book but underated, 11 Feb 2008
This book is very good. I think that if you have an open mind you will gain a lot from it. There were a few things I was not sure about so did additional research bvut on the whole most of this makes good sense. He is not doing himself any favours by sugguesting you go to his website where you have to subscribe to but all the information you can find in other sources. His advice is very similar to that goven by Anthony Robbins in his health workshops.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Good reference, 14 Feb 2008
While this is not the most comprehensive guide to essential oils it is a good and detailed book for the most common ones and some less common ones. I have had the book for over a year now and I have constantly referenced it.

Highly informative, well laid-out, but has some limitations, 05 Feb 2004
In this book Sellar has profiled 83 essential oils in quite a lot of depth, devoting two pages to each oil. After the usual list of names in English and Latin, extraction method and so forth, the categories listed are: aroma, features of the plant, history and myth, chemical constituents, properties, precautions, effects on mind, body, and skin, and good blending partners. This is pretty much the entire book, although there is a brief glossary at the end which runs along the following lines:

Antidontalgic: Relieving toothache.
Cajuput, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pimento.

There are also a couple of charts showing blending families (citrus, herbs, spices and so on) and suggested oils for skin types.

For someone who already has a basic working knowledge of aromatherapy, this is a very useful book, combining each of reference with impressive depth. I would not recommend it as the first book for a beginner, however. Sellar assumes that her readers already know how to use essential oils so does not provide any information on blending, carrier oils, methods of application, massage and so forth. In addition, the referencing tends to be one-way: it is much easier to look up an oil in this book than it is to look up a symptom. So if you want to find a good oil for, say, PMS, this book will be much harder to use if you do not already know that you should be looking at lavender, geranium, clary sage etc. The glossary at the end is of limited use and certainly does not constitute a materia medica. I find this book most useful when used in conjunction with other aromatherapy books, so that I can cross-reference, usually by looking up symptoms in other books and then turning to this one to find out more about the oils that have been suggested.

The Directory of Essential OIls, 30 Jun 2002
This is a beautifully presented book with a vast amount of information, perfect for either a new aromatherapist or someone who has aromatherapy experience. Very easy to read and by far my favourite aromatherapy book to date. A very valuble resource while I was studying.

Very up-to-date, easy to use and interesting to read, 23 Jul 2001
As a beginner in Aromatherapy I find this book an excellent introduction to aromatherapy. The history on each oil is very interesting to read while I appreciate any reference to modern traumas such aids, cancer where the oils can help in many ways. The only feature I would have liked to have seen is actually how to use the oils, under what form, quantity. But I guess there is not one book on aromatherapy, there are many that complement each other depending on the interest, knowledge of the writer and reader.

This book is a 'must have' for your collection., 03 Jan 2000
The Directory of Essential Oils contains possibly everything the student or practising aromatherapist might ever need to know about essential oils. Listed in an easy to read style and a doddle to just flick through when you only have a few minutes, the information is right there at your fingertips. Wanda Sellars have pitched this book at just the right level, not too in depth so that it puts you off, and not too light so that it doesn't contain everything you need. This book can be used and enjoyed by nearly anybody, the student, the aromatherapist or as a hobby read, this book has it all. Definately one to have at home.

Big news, 15 Jun 2006
Up until I read that book I was absolutely ignorant about the coconat oil health benefits (fighting infections, improving nutrition, etc) The author lists scientific studies to back up his claims. Coconat oil is shown as a natural, centuries tried and tested aid to health, beauty and longevity. I suggest getting this book together with Can we live 150 Year - a great volume on natural health, weight loss, and longevity issues.

Though-provoking, in-depth coverage, 08 Jun 2004
This book was a revelation. For those who think all saturated fats are equal, think again. The properties of coconut oil truly are amazing. Even if only half of it were put into practice, the burden on the health service would be considerably reduced. Why are large pharmaceutical companies allowed to stand in the way of cheap solutions? Think of the taxes that could be saved, as well as the improvements to health that would be gained.

Read This Book With An Open Mind, 29 Aug 2008
This really is a fabulous book full of truthful information that will really help you to take control of your health, I have done my own research into the corruption that is absolutely rampant between the medical community & the pharmaceutical industry & find that Kevin Trudeau speaks the truth, don't let the negative comments about Kevin Trudeau & this book put you off, this book covers a lot of positive ground for those open minded & intelligent enough to absorb it. Your health is your responsibility & this book by Kevin Trudeau will help you to regain control.. Some people have made derisory comments about Kevin Trudeau's character & go on to say that the claims he makes in his books are unsubstantiated & that he is not medically qualified.. It's true that he's not medically qualified in the traditional sense, but you have to remember that the people making these negative comments are also not medically qualified & that their opinion that Kevin Trudeau's claims are unsubstantiated is just that, their opinion & not fact... I repeat, it's their personal opinion & not factual... if you take the time to do your own research & don't let the blanket negativity of others towards this book & Kevin Trudeau put you off then you will find that most of what Kevin Trudeau says is actually substantiated by the Holistic Health Movement & also from within the Medical Community & from Medical research. A good place to start your research is with the relationship between acidosis of the human body & degenerative diseases, may I also suggest that you look up an Italian Oncologist by the name of Dr Simoncini.... if you care about your health & are frustrated by the lack of progress at curing diseases by Traditional Pharmacology then you owe it to yourself to read this book......

Rip off Artist, 01 Apr 2008
Dont waste your money he only tells you to pay to look at his web site and the rest of it is just his personal rant against the powers that be.

Avoid, 28 Mar 2008
This is a self-published book by someone with no medical or biological background and the unsubstantiated content reflects it. To anyone who's thinking of spending their money, look the author up on wikipedia first.

Everyone Should Read This Book!, 13 Feb 2008
This is a book that contains vital information everyone should be aware of. It's certainly made me very aware of what I eat and even more anti-drug than I was before. It's all about the money.
How about serialising this book and showing it on prime time TV instead of Eastenders!!

good book but underated, 11 Feb 2008
This book is very good. I think that if you have an open mind you will gain a lot from it. There were a few things I was not sure about so did additional research bvut on the whole most of this makes good sense. He is not doing himself any favours by sugguesting you go to his website where you have to subscribe to but all the information you can find in other sources. His advice is very similar to that goven by Anthony Robbins in his health workshops.



Easy beginners book and good reference guide, 25 Apr 2007
This book is written in an easy to understand manner and is in fact one of the mandatory books on the Bach training course at Mount Vernon where Dr Bach lived and the Nelson Bach remedies are still made to his exact standards.

Judy Howard is one of the Trustees at the centre and is a splendid guardian of the system founded by Dr Bach. She shows a great love for the concept and the remedies in this book and is a natural teacher, imparting all of her knowledge with joy.

This is a good book if you want to know more about how the system of 38 remedies work and how to use them in your everyday life. And it may inspire you to study further.

Clear reference book, 14 Nov 2008
I have this book to check the properties of all the oils I use or want to use and it is an essential for quick and clear reference! It really is what it says on the cover without all the extra rubbish that takes you off track from what you really need to know!

An essential book!, 29 Oct 2008
This book is invaluable to the student or qualified practitioner with in depth information on many essential oils, including some rarer ones and those not in use.It is truly the definitive encyclopaedia. It represents exellent value for money. I wouldnt be without it.

A Massage Therapist's Bible, 22 Aug 2008
This is an extremely well put-together and comprehensive book for any therapist using essential oils. I refer to it constantly and really enjoy all the details about the history of the use of plants and oils. I would not be without it.

Well recomended!, 14 Mar 2006
Was recommended this book by a friend. It's the most complete one I've seen! Very good for reference too. It's so easy to understand what can be mixed with what and how to use the oils and even extract the oils!
I'm a beginner at all this but this is a great alround book! The only down side I would say is that I use another book to make sure that the plant I want is correct for there is no colour in the pictures.
Hope this helps. Take care all!

well structured, 05 Feb 2006
a well desingned and structured book also interesting for herbalism. all oils are listed in alphabetical order by their commen name but can also be found by the plants latin name. it includes herbs which should not be used in aroma therapie for information purpose only which can be usefull for general herb use and herbal remedies. very good book.

Not "most comprehensive" but useful, 14 Feb 2008
I have to challenge the title of "Most Comprehensive", there are other books that I consider more comprehensive. Having said that, I have found it a very useful addition to my aromatherapy books and I do reference it quite often. I find that I use it in conjunction with the dictionary of essential oils and The fragrant pharmacy (which I think is a bit more comprehensive).

The title promises too much, 16 Dec 2007
Although helpful and with good info, this book is far from complete and barely scratches the surface of the subjects it catalogues. I would catagorize this as a good starter book. It is sufficient as a cross reference to others, but more often than not, this book has no entries beyond the most basic (health) conditions and essential oils

Excellent, 19 Jul 2006
This book is wonderful for anyone who wants to practice aromatherapy within the comfort of their own home. The book explains the history of aromatherapy & then goes on to the A-Z. The A-Z includes the essential oils & all the conditions it's used to treat & other treatments that can be used in conjunction with aromatherapy e.g. Acne, Acupunture etc. The Appendix has a list of all the hazardous essential oils, oils that are not to be used during pregnancy, oils that must not be used on people suffering from Epilipsy and good combinations for bathing etc. I found the book informative & very useful!

An Amazing Book, 01 Feb 2006
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health 'bible'/encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

** N.B. I highly recommend buying this edition rather than the 2005 edition published by Vermillion ~ it contains exactly the same information word for word, but is of a much higher quality in terms of the materials used (paper printing etc).

Enjoy!

An Amazing Book, 05 Dec 2005
Aromatherapy an A-Z is a first class book. I have used it as a health encyclopedia (along with a wonderful herb book ~ The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann) for the last 13 years and refer to it constantly. Almost (!) all the information you could ever need on all aspects of aromatherapy from treatment and prevention of specific illnesses, history of plant use & methods of oil extaction, to cosmetic use (including recipes for cosmetic products), all in an easy to use A-Z 'dictionary' format. Includes information on related practices such as Yoga and Reflexology etc Everyone interested in their own health should own a copy of this insightful and indespensible book.

I have a comment however, about the latest edition of this book published by Vermilion.. Don't buy this book! It is of VERY poor quality (the paper used for the pages of the book particularly). If you want to get hold of a copy (which I highly recommend!) ~ try to get hold of an older edition (the 2000 edition still has exactly the same content as this latest edition) you can still get this older edition from the Random House on-line bookshop (who have taken over CW Daniel ~ the original publishers' books), and now also from Amazon.

A Very Useful And Informative Book, 07 Jan 2007
This is the third book I bought on soapmaking, by the time I bought it I had already made several batches of soap fom the other two books but was not satisfied with the results.
This book goes into more depth and is very interesting aswell! It contains everything you need to know in my opinion and has some very good supplier references. (All American but many ship internationally and have very good prices). It describes lots of ingredients and really helps you to make informed choices on what you are going to use in your own soaps.
I would recomend this book to anyone. I think the great thing about it is that you pick up so many small but very useful bits of infomation along the way to complement the basics, this filled all the gaps in my knowlege and gave me much more confidence.
By far my favourite book on soap making.

A very thorough and useful book, 30 Jan 1999
This is _the_ book to acquire if you are planning to make vegetable oil based soap. There's a lot of information packed in this book. It presents all the elements of soapmaking very systematically, and explains the simple chemistry and logic behind the recipes and techniques. It specializes on the best ways to make vegetable oil soap -- which can differ from animal fat based soap. I'm a beginner. I made my first batch last night and it is happily solidifying in the molds as I write. I would buy this book in addition to whatever other soapmaking books you feel inspired to buy, because it covers just about everything and is a really good reference. It includes a large appendix of suppliers and a reassuring table of what to do when things go wrong. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a good description of what "tracing" looks like -- tracing being the sign that your soap is ready to pour into the molds. But, none of the other books I read did either. It's subtle, and I think it's the sort of thing you learn to recognize after you've made a couple of batches. Note that each of the eight basic recipes makes 40 bars of soap, so be prepared to share with friends!! If the amount of info in this book seems a bit overwhelming, beginners might also want to consider picking up a copy of Ann Bramson's book.

Top-notch information for new and experienced soapmakers!, 06 Dec 1998
I've been making soap for fun and profit for 3 years and have found this book to be the most informative and comprehensive of any I've read--and I've read a lot! Great recipes, easy-to-follow instructions, and wonderful ideas. This is truly my soapmaker' bible--I use it constantly! This is the perfect start-up book for beginners, as well as a great resource for more experienced soapers.

Great book for making soap and information., 23 Jul 1997
I use this book for information, I don't use all of her ideas. But you are not going to be able to find everything you want in any one book.

Good reference, 14 Feb 2008
While this is not the most comprehensive guide to essential oils it is a good and detailed book for the most common ones and some less common ones. I have had the book for over a year now and I have constantly referenced it.

Highly informative, well laid-out, but has some limitations, 05 Feb 2004
In this book Sellar has profiled 83 essential oils in quite a lot of depth, devoting two pages to each oil. After the usual list of names in English and Latin, extraction method and so forth, the categories listed are: aroma, features of the plant, history and myth, chemical constituents, properties, precautions, effects on mind, body, and skin, and good blending partners. This is pretty much the entire book, although there is a brief glossary at the end which runs along the following lines:

Antidontalgic: Relieving toothache.
Cajuput, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Pimento.

There are also a couple of charts showing blending families (citrus, herbs, spices and so on) and suggested oils for skin types.

For someone who already has a basic working knowledge of aromatherapy, this is a very useful book, combining each of reference with impressive depth. I would not recommend it as the first book for a beginner, however. Sellar assumes that her readers already know how to use essential oils so does not provide any information on blending, carrier oils, methods of application, massage and so forth. In addition, the referencing tends to be one-way: it is much easier to look up an oil in this book than it is to look up a symptom. So if you want to find a good oil for, say, PMS, this book will be much harder to use if you do not already know that you should be looking at lavender, geranium, clary sage etc. The glossary at the end is of limited use and certainly does not constitute a materia medica. I find this book most useful when used in conjunction with other aromatherapy books, so that I can cross-reference, usually by looking up symptoms in other books and then turning to this one to find out more about the oils that have been suggested.

The Directory of Essential OIls, 30 Jun 2002
This is a beautifully presented book with a vast amount of information, perfect for either a new aromatherapist or someone who has aromatherapy experience. Very easy to read and by far my favourite aromatherapy book to date. A very valuble resource while I was studying.

Very up-to-date, easy to use and interesting to read, 23 Jul 2001
As a beginner in Aromatherapy I find this book an excellent introduction to aromatherapy. The history on each oil is very interesting to read while I appreciate any reference to modern traumas such aids, cancer where the oils can help in many ways. The only feature I would have liked to have seen is actually how to use the oils, under what form, quantity. But I guess there is not one book on aromatherapy, there are many that complement each other depending on the interest, knowledge of the writer and reader.

This book is a 'must have' for your collection., 03 Jan 2000
The Directory of Essential Oils contains possibly everything the student or practising aromatherapist might ever need to know about essential oils. Listed in an easy to read style and a doddle to just flick through when you only have a few minutes, the information is right there at your fingertips. Wanda Sellars have pitched this book at just the right level, not too in depth so that it puts you off, and not too light so that it doesn't contain everything you need. This book can be used and enjoyed by nearly anybody, the student, the aromatherapist or as a hobby read, this book has it all. Definately one to have at home.

Big news, 15 Jun 2006
Up until I read that book I was absolutely ignorant about the coconat oil health benefits (fighting infections, improving nutrition, etc) The author lists scientific studies to back up his claims. Coconat oil is shown as a natural, centuries tried and tested aid to health, beauty and longevity. I suggest getting this book together with Can we live 150 Year - a great volume on natural health, weight loss, and longevity issues.

Though-provoking, in-depth coverage, 08 Jun 2004
This book was a revelation. For those who think all saturated fats are equal, think again. The properties of coconut oil truly are amazing. Even if only half of it were put into practice, the burden on the health service would be considerably reduced. Why are large pharmaceutical companies allowed to stand in the way of cheap solutions? Think of the taxes that could be saved, as well as the improvements to health that would be gained.

Read This Book With An Open Mind, 29 Aug 2008
This really is a fabulous book full of truthful information that will really help you to take control of your health, I have done my own research into the corruption that is absolutely rampant between the medical community & the pharmaceutical industry & find that Kevin Trudeau speaks the truth, don't let the negative comments about Kevin Trudeau & this book put you off, this book covers a lot of positive ground for those open minded & intelligent enough to absorb it. Your health is your responsibility & this book by Kevin Trudeau will help you to regain control.. Some people have made derisory comments about Kevin Trudeau's character & go on to say that the claims he makes in his books are unsubstantiated & that he is not medically qualified.. It's true that he's not medically qualified in the traditional sense, but you have to remember that the people making these negative comments are also not medically qualified & that their opinion that Kevin Trudeau's claims are unsubstantiated is just that, their opinion & not fact... I repeat, it's their personal opinion & not factual... if you take the time to do your own research & don't let the blanket negativity of others towards this book & Kevin Trudeau put you off then you will find that most of what Kevin Trudeau says is actually substantiated by the Holistic Health Movement & also from within the Medical Community & from Medical research. A good place to start your research is with the relationship between acidosis of the human body & degenerative diseases, may I also suggest that you look up an Italian Oncologist by the name of Dr Simoncini.... if you care about your health & are frustrated by the lack of progress at curing diseases by Traditional Pharmacology then you owe it to yourself to read this book......

Rip off Artist, 01 Apr 2008
Dont waste your money he only tells you to pay to look at his web site and the