A practical guide to the topical application of essential oils for physical and emotional health and healing
• Provides in-depth profiles of 15 essential oils that form a safe and effective “tool kit” for treating a broad range of ailments and conditions
• Examines the body’s many absorption pathways and how applying essential oils in different ways has specific influences on the body’s systems
• Offers guidelines for safe application, including recommendations for children and the elderly, along with easy-to-use charts to select the appropriate oil for each situation
Well known for their aromatherapy applications, essential oils also have outstanding healing abilities when absorbed through the skin. Applied topically they work well for wound healing, arthritis, inflammation, and skin conditions. Because all of the cells in the body are interconnected, they also affect underlying organs, systems, and soft tissues, influencing hormone release, gently relieving pain and stress, and offering antimicrobial protection against pathogens, viruses, and bacteria.
Focusing on 15 essential oils that form a safe and effective “tool kit” for treating a broad range of ailments and conditions, from acne, anxiety, and asthma to psoriasis, shingles, and painful periods, Heather Dawn Godfrey explores how these essential oils complement and support each other’s healing properties and can be blended together to offer dynamic, customizable treatments for each unique individual. She examines the body’s many absorption pathways, explaining how even the internal organs have odor receptors and how applying essential oils in different ways has specific influences on the body’s systems. Offering guidelines for safe application, including recommendations for children and the elderly, the author provides easy-to-reference charts and tables to select the appropriate oil or oils for each situation, and she explains which essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy and by those with specific conditions such as cancer.
Presenting scientific profiles for the 15 main essential oils discussed, Godfrey also explores complementary therapies that increase the effectiveness of essential oils, including Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, and she details the colors, chakras, gemstones, and crystals that correspond with each oil. She provides recipes for proper dilution and the best carrier mediums, including creams, compresses, lotions, and ointments.
Written for both healthcare professionals and for self-care, this hands-on guide will allow you to effectively treat acute and chronic conditions as well as incorporate essential oils into daily life for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
“An impressive and comprehensive presentation of what essential oils are, how they work, and how to use them, not only for physical illnesses but also on the psycho-emotional level. A great book on essential oils!”
“. . . offers a beautiful bridge between the science of aromatherapy and esoteric application. Godfrey presents a truly holistic approach that explores how to support the whole self, from the physical to the emotional and spiritual.”
“A lovely book packed full of information about the form and function of the human body and the ways essential oils can interact with it. This book builds on the author’s previous work, Essential Oils for Mindfulness and Meditation, to create an invaluable guide for those who wish to understand essential oils and use them creatively and safely.”
“In times when most aromatherapists are going back to using simple recipes based on the biomedical paradigm, this book opens up another way of looking at topical applications and absorption dynamics. These areas are actually more complex than mechanical interpretation allows and require a book with a holistic, and even spiritual, background combined with scientific insight. It will surely build stronger relationships with the ‘whole body.’”
