Best Essential Oil Books For Your Home Library

book with coffee and text overlay "What are the best boks about essential oils?"

It can be intimidating to use essential oils.  There are so many different varieties that it is hard to know which essential oil to choose.  Why you can find some information online, it may be best to invest in a book to learn more.

While it may be easy to find essential oil books, it is not so obvious which ones contain up to date and accurate information.  That’s why we have created this guide to the best essential oil books.

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Why Should I Read Books about Essential Oils?

There are endless possibilities when it comes to essential oils and there are many essential oils to choose from.  The best way to learn more about how to use them is to do some research.  Reading books about essential oils might be the easiest way.

What Can I Learn from Essential Oil books?

Essential Oil books cover a variety of topics including:

  • Which essential oils to use
  • When to use essential oils
  • How to use essential oils
  • How to blend essential oils
  • Safety tips for essential oils
essential oil bottles with citrus slices

How to Choose the Best Essential Oils Books

There are a plethora of essential oil and aromatherapy books on the market.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that it is easy to find a good book about essential oils.

No qualifications or experience are required when you self-publish.  As it has become easier to self-publish, more misinformation has made it into print.  You need to be careful when selecting a book to learn about essential oils.

At best, books written by inexperienced or uneducated individuals can lead to ineffective results and discouragement.  These books could potentially include harmful information.

Don’t just look at the reviews, as many of the people that leave reviews are not experts either.  There is no correlation between the star rating and reliablity of information.

Instead it’s best to focus on the author’s credentials.  Have they had the relevant education and experience to develop an expertise in essential oils?   Do they have any connections to brands that may influence what they write?

It’s also important to check when the essential oil book was published or last updated.  Information in this area is changing fast, so it’s important to read a book that is current.

The Best Essential Oil Books

For our list of best essential oil books we tried to include a range of different types of aromatherapy books.  That way we have you covered whether you are a beginner or want to read about more complex topics.

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

It’s been over 25 years since the original edition of The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy was published.  Even if you already own the original edition, it’s worth buying a copy of the new 25th edition because the content has been significantly updated. It is approximately 250 pages longer than the original.

Valerie Ann Worwood is knowledgeable about essential oils but writes in a friendly and easy-to-understand style.  While this book may not go into as much detail as other books, it covers a wide range of topics including (but not limited to):

  • Essential Oil Profiles
  • Information about Carrier Oils
  • Essential Oil Safety
  • Essential Oil Chemistry

Read more reviews and check the price here.

The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness

While the best known way to use essential oils is for massage, this book introduces readers to more ways to use the oils for everything from arthritis and asthma to high blood pressure and constipation.  It’s a good choice if you are new to using essential oils.

This book features 109 oils and 450 remedies. It’s organized alphabetically by the oil and includes a full description of how and why the oil is extracted and its therapeutic uses.  All the recipes are easy to follow, quick to make, and quite inexpensive.

The book is based on an aromatherapy book written a couple decades ago by leading Australian aromatherapy and herbal expert Nerys Purchon who passed away in 2011. Lora Cantele has beautifully and thoroughly updated it.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

The Healing Power of Essential Oils: Soothe Inflammation, Boost Mood, Prevent Autoimmunity, and Feel Great in Every Way

Get recipes that will help with numerous health conditions and more that are backed by extensive scientific research and the public health researcher/aromatherapist Eric Zielinski, D.C.  In addition to recipes, there is valuable background information including the source of the essential oil, why knowing the chemotype is important for different therapeutic effects, shelf life, how to find quality oils, why plants native to an area are better, dilution rules, inhalation, topical use, and ingestion of oils.

Dr. Zielinski uses a thorough, evidence-based approach so that you can take control of your health, whether you’re new to essential oils or want to try advanced techniques.  After reading this book, you will be ready to create your own essential oils practice that fits your unique needs with amazing results.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

Essential Oils: Ancient Medicine

Learn how to use essential oils to address health concerns and even replace personal care products.  Health experts and best selling authors Dr. Josh Axe, Jordan Rubin, and Ty Bollinger want to help you acheive better results with less risks.

The book discusses the health benefits of 50 essential oils and how to use these oils to help heal more than 125 health issues.  It includes over 70 quick, easy make at home recipes to help you care for your body, family, home, and even pets!

Read more reviews and check the price here.

Essential Oils for the Whole Body: The Dynamics of Topical Application and Absorption

If you don’t like the idea of having a huge essential oil collection, you might appreciate this book.  Heather Dawn Godfrey focuses on 15 essential oils that form a safe and effective “tool kit” for treating a broad range of ailments and conditions.

She provides recipes and tips for the best carrier mediums, including creams, compresses, lotions, and ointments. You will love the easy-to-reference charts and tables that help you select the appropriate oil or oils for each situation. There are specific recommendation for children and the elderly, plus explanation of oils to be avoided when pregnant or dealing with other medical condiations.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy

Those that are curious about the science behind essential oils, need to read this book. It goes over what essential oils are, why to use essential oils, the science behind how they work, and what makes them so unique and beneficial.

Renowned aromatherapist Kurt SchnaubeIt share the scientifically proven advantages of using essential oils and lists specific health protocols and recipes to use for a variety of health ailments.  Lots of valuable information in this book, but some beginners may find it too technical.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

Essential Oils and Aromatics: A Step-by-Step Guide for Use in Massage and Aromatherapy

If you want to use essential oils for massage, bathing, or skincare, this book will give you some more ideas.  It has easy-to-follow instructions for how to use almost 50 different essential oils for relaxation and pain relief.  Some of the recipes in the book include baths for winding down after a hard day at work; skincare blends, massage blends for pain relief, and sprays to keep your environment clean and fresh.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child: More Than 300 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Essential Oil Blends

While children can definitely benefit from essential oils, you need to be careful. This book, by the same author as “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy” covers the important information that you need to know.

There are chapters that covers different stages from newborn to teen and include aromatherapy remedies for typical problems.  It also includes information for pregnant mothers and physically challenged children with reference charts, safety data, and supplier information.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals

This is the bible when it comes to essential oil safety.  You will not find a more comprehensive text on the safety of essential oils.  It includes information about essential oil and drug interactions.

The author, Robert Tisserand, is a pioneer in the aromatherapy field as he has been working with essential oils since the 1960s.  The book has been thoroughly updated since the first edition was published.  Eighty percent of the text is new including chapters on the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the urinary system, the digestive system and the nervous system.

Read more reviews and check the price here.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to also check out our post on the best books about massage for beginners.

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Elena Curtis