Updated Reference Guide for Essential Oils: 2017 Edition

Since first being published in 1996, the Reference Guide for Essential Oils has been updated many times to stay the most up-to-date reference guide in the essential oil industry. This latest edition includes many improvements, not only to the design, but also to include new products, essential oils, and information.

Now 688 pages, this definitive guide is a great resource for essential oil beginners and experts alike. If you use essential oils, you’ll want to have this book in your personal library!

Here are some of the features you’ll find in this edition:

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New design and images throughout the book. The Reference Guide for Essential Oils just got even more beautiful with full-sized images for section headers and additional images for essential oils, oil blends, personal care products, and supplements! You will love how colorful this book is now!

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Easy-to-understand information about the science behind the essential oils and how to use them. In Science & Application section, you can learn about the basics of essential oils and more advanced scientific information such as the chemical constituents that make up essential oils and why the constituents make essential oils beneficial for our health. Among other topics addressed in this section, you can also learn about the 3 different application methods—aromatic, topical, and internal—and various practical ways to apply the oils to yourself or others.

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Detailed information for over 100 single essential oils. Each essential oil in the Single Oils section outlines information about the oil including botanical family, extraction method/origin, chemical constituents, properties, common primary uses, folklore, historical uses, other possible uses, body systems affected, aromatic influence, application, oral use as a dietary supplement, safety data, blend classification, and other oils it blends well with. The newest addition to this section is Juniperus oxycedrus.

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Detailed information for commercially available essential oil blends. In the Oil Blends section, you’ll learn about what single oils make up each blend and their purpose in the blend, the body systems each blend affects, its aromatic influence, application, safety data, companion oils, frequency, and other pertinent information. A new blend was just added to this edition.

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Detailed information for commercially available essential oil personal care products. Under each product, the Personal Care Products section lists the ingredients, essential oils and their purpose in the product, suggested use, and body systems affected. Various new personal care products have just been added to this section.

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Detailed information for commercially available essential oil–inspired supplements. In the Supplements section, you will find information about each supplement such as ingredients, essential oils and their purpose in the supplement, suggested use, safety data, body systems affected, companion products, companion oils, frequency, and additional comments. Various new supplements have been added to this edition.

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A place to keep personal notes. As you use essential oils, you will inevitably have information you want to write down such as personal experiences of oils that have worked for you, diffuser blends, new products, ideas, protocols, suggestions from others, etc. The Notes & New Products section gives you a place to keep all these thoughts together.

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Over 600 conditions/ailments with suggested essential oils, oil blends, personal care products, and supplements to try. The Personal Guide is the most-used section of the book because it is the easiest way to find what essential oils you may need to help your health condition. This section outlines the primary essential oil recommendations in purple and the secondary essential oil recommendations in green. You will also find recommended application methods (A=Aromatic, T=Topical, I=Internal). If there are personal care products or supplements that may help, they will be listed under the condition as well. You may also find essential oil recipes, protocols, and others’ personal recommendations.

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Easy-to-reference charts and graphs. This book includes additional information, charts, and graphs in the appendix of the book for easy reference.

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References to scientific research studies. Hundreds of footnotes throughout this book lead to summaries and references for more than 300 published research studies on essential oils and essential oil constituents.

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This book’s unique color-coded system makes it simple for anyone to quickly find—and confidently use—recommended essential oils, oil blends, and essential oil–inspired supplements for hundreds of different health and wellness conditions.

Join the millions of individuals who are rediscovering the natural healing powers of essential oils with the Reference Guide for Essential Oils!

Essential Oil Spotlight: Melissa

Melissa essential oil, also known as lemon balm, is steam-distilled from the leaves of the Melissa officinalis plant in the mint family.

Melissa is one of the earliest known medicinal herbs. Historically, it was used for nervous disorders and many problems having to do with the heart and emotions. It was also used to aid fertility.

It has antibacterial, antidepressant, sedative, and other qualities that make it useful in a wide variety of applications. It is helpful in relieving anxiety, asthma, colic, depression, indigestion, insomnia, nausea, fevers, throat infections, and vertigo.

Aromatically, melissa is delicate and lemony. It is calming and uplifting and may help balance the emotions.

Melissa blends well with geranium, lavender, and other floral and citrus oils. It is a good oil to diffuse or to use externally on the area of concern.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about melissa essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 98–99.

 

 

New Start Cleanse

It’s the beginning of a new year. Chances are, after holiday eating and a long, stressful year, your body could use a good cleanse. Toxins build up from the chemicals and pollution around us, which can really overwork your liver. You may need a cleanse if you have the following symptoms: skin breakouts, bloating/stomach pain, food cravings, trouble sleeping, constipation, headaches, fatigue/sluggishness, irritability, or congestion. There are several essential oils that help to clean and detoxify the liver and lymphatic system and give digestive support:

• Fennel
• Geranium
• Rosemary
• Roman chamomile
• Blue tansy
• Helichrysum
• Tea tree
• Melrose
• Hyssop
• Juniper

These can be diffused in the air or diluted and applied to the liver area or pulse points to aid your body’s cleansing process.

Another aspect of cleansing includes getting plenty of sleep so your body can rest and repair. Moving your body is also important. Sweating releases toxins, and exercise can inspire a sluggish lymph system to get going. It is very important to drink plenty of water while cleansing. If you are in need of a thorough cleanse, you can try fasting from food and drinking a lemonade concoction in place of food. This cleanse can be done for 3–10 days, but be sure to adjust for your body’s needs and consult an expert if you have concerns.

1. Add 2 Tbsp. (25 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice to 10 oz. (300 ml) distilled water.
2. Mix in 2 Tbsp. (25 ml) pure maple syrup.
3. Stir in a dash of cayenne pepper.
4. Drink 6–12 glasses per day in place of food.

Lemon converts to an alkali in the body and eliminates toxins from the bowels and bladder, and cayenne pepper is a thermal warmer that dilates the blood vessels. An herbal laxative tea may also help with elimination during your cleanse. When you’re done with your cleanse, phase back into food with freshly juiced produce and then thoroughly chewed vegetables and fruit.

It is a good time to press the reset button and take out the trash in your body. If you make the effort to cleanse, you’ll find renewed energy and health moving into the new year.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about how to cleanse your body for optimum health and disease prevention.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 196–97, 396–97.

Essential Oil Spotlight: Grapefruit

Grapefruit essential oil is cold-pressed from the rind of the fruit of a Rutaceae tree. It has a clean, fresh, bitter, citrusy aroma that may aid emotional balance and have an uplifting effect.

The antidepressant, antiseptic, and diuretic properties of grapefruit make it useful in treating a variety of issues. It is primarily used to treat eating disorders, indigestion, and postpartum depression and to aid in weight loss. It may also help with depression, withdrawal, eating disorders, fatigue, stress, and gallstones.

The French have used it to treat cellulite, digestion, and water retention.

Grapefruit essential oil can be used in food, diffused, or applied directly to the area of concern. Grapefruit does not have the photosensitivity that other citrus oils have, so it makes a good substitute for any other citrus if exposure to the sun after application is likely.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about grapefruit essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, p. 81.

From the Reference Guide: Energy

It’s the time of year to bundle up. During the winter months it’s easy to feel sluggish and fall into a health slump. With more sickness going around, colder temperatures, and the loss of sunlight come feelings of exhaustion. Getting more sleep and ample hydration during the winter months is vital to keeping your energy levels high. There are also some great ways to energize your mind and body with essential oils.

The following essential oils can give you that much-needed pick-me-up:

• Peppermint
• Basil
• Black Pepper
• Cypress
• Eucalyptus
• Grapefruit
• Juniper
• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Myrtle
• Nutmeg
• Orange
• Rosemary
• Thyme

These oils may help stimulate the endocrine system, increase energy, improve circulation, and combat fatigue.

Essential oils can be inhaled directly or applied to a cotton ball or handkerchief. You can also diffuse essential oils in your home and in your work space. Diffusing oils produces positive ions that help increase your energy. A nasal inhaler recipe is great to take on the go to use whenever you experience a dip in energy or brain fogginess.

Adding these essential oils to your bathtime or personal care routine can give you a surge of energy to start your day. Try adding a few drops of essential oils to your lotion, or apply directly to your wrists and behind your ears. Mix a blend of oils with a base oil, and massage into the feet, the base of the neck, and on the temples help to gain the energizing benefits.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about how essential oils can be used to increase your energy levels.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 176, 426–27.

 

Essential Oil Spotlight: Cassia

Cassia essential oil is steam-distilled from the bark of the Cinnamomum cassia tree in the Lauraceae family. It has a spicy, warm, sweet aroma.

Historically, cassia has been widely used as a domestic spice. It has also been used medicinally to treat colds, colic, diarrhea, nausea, rheumatism, and digestive complaints.

Cassia oil is best used in small amounts blended with other oils, as it can be very sensitizing to the dermal tissues. Cassia is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for human consumption but should be well diluted when taken orally.

Cassia oil is considered to have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about cassia essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 53–54.

Essential Oil Spotlight: Ginger

Ginger essential oil is steam-distilled from rhizomes of the Zingiber officinale plant.

Historically, ginger has been an esteemed spice known to help the digestive system. Up to 4,ooo years ago, the ancient Greeks used it in gingerbread, Romans put it in their wine, and Egyptians used it in their cooking to ward off epidemics. In India and China, ginger was used in teas and tonics to aid digestion and the heart. Hawaiians made broad use of ginger, scenting their clothes, flavoring their food, and adding it to their shampoos and massage oils.

In addition to aiding digestive issues, ginger can be used to relieve motion sickness, nausea, fever, teething pains, tonsillitis, and vomiting. Ginger may also be helpful in treating arthritis, colds, impotence, muscular aches, and sore throats.

The sweet, spicy-woody, and fresh aroma of ginger may help influence physical energy, sex, love, money, and courage.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about ginger essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 79–80.

10 Ways to NOT Use Essential Oils

We often hear about the benefits of essential oils and how you can use them for practically anything, but it is also a good idea to learn about the ways you shouldn’t use essential oils. Here are 10 ways you should not use essential oils:

1. Do NOT put essential oils directly in the eye.

Essential oils may be beneficial for some eye problems such as conjunctivitis or cataracts, but the oils should not be applied directly in the eye. Instead, you can rub the oils around the bone that surrounds the eye. Make sure to dilute the essential oil and keep a carrier oil (such as olive oil, coconut oil, or fractionated coconut oil) on hand to further dilute the essential oil if you happen to get any in the eye. One of the best ways to dilute essential oil that has gotten into the eye is to pour a little carrier oil onto a tissue and use the tissue to dap at the eye. Remember to not use water to wash out the oils. Water and oil do not mix and using water will actually drive the oils in deeper. Be very careful when applying essential oil around the eye and never apply the oil directly in the eye!

2. Do NOT put essential oils directly in the ear.

Essential oils may help with ear infections and tinnitus, but as with essential oils in the eye, you should NOT put essential oils directly in the ear. You can instead rub essential oils around the ear or place a drop or two on a cotton ball, then place the cotton ball just inside the ear to help with ear problems.

3. Do NOT use a lot of essential oil.

Essential oil is very concentrated and should only be used in small doses. In fact, a drop or two is usually sufficient and may even need be diluted with carrier oil (especially for hot oils or for use on children, elderly, or those with sensitive skin). If, for any reason, you need a stronger dose, it is better to keep the dosage small, but apply more frequently instead of using more drops per application.

4. Do NOT use essential oils on young children without dilution.

As mentioned above, essential oils are very concentrated and should be diluted if using them on children, elderly, or those with sensitive skin. Click here for more information on diluting essential oils and the recommended dilution ratios.

5. Do NOT use essential oils internally for young children.

Caution must be used when using essential oils with young children. Children under the age of six do not need to take essential oils internally. The exception to this rule of thumb is when essential oils are used in cooking because oils used this way are often diluted enough for children. For therapeutic use, topical application (diluted, of course) is usually sufficient for the needs of young children.

6. Do NOT keep essential oils within reach of children.

Children are very curious and like to imitate the things they see. They watch you apply essential oils to yourself or to them and will attempt to do it themselves if they can get a hold of essential oils. I’m sure you can already imagine potential problems with this especially if you have been reading the above cautions with using essential oils on children.

Here are a few things you can do if you find the following situations:

• Child has poured a bunch of oil on their skin: Rub as much off with a paper towel as possible, then rub on carrier oil to help dilute the essential oil.
• Child got essential oils in their eyes: Saturate a tissue with a carrier oil and dab their eyes to help dilute the essential oil.
• Child has taken the essential oil internally: Give the child milk, yogurt or, if older than 12 months, honey to help dilute the ingested oil. You also may want to call poison control to see if they have any further instructions.
• Child got oil on clothes, fabric, wood, or furniture: Soak up as much as possible with a paper towel, then treat as you would a grease stain.

Essential oils are expensive, so aside from the concerns of children using the oils on themselves, you will also want to keep them out of reach of children so the oil isn’t wasted.

7. Do NOT use essential oils with plastic or styrofoam.

Some essential oils, especially citrus oils, when undiluted will eat away at plastic which can destroy the oil and create holes in the plastic, so it is best to avoid using plastic with essential oils. If the oils are heavily diluted, such as in creams or lotions, they can be stored in plastic containers that use stronger types of plastic like PET or HDPE. Click here to learn more about the different types of plastics we use in our containers.

8. Do NOT put oil directly on finished wood surfaces.

Just as with plastics, essential oils can eat away at the finishing on wood surfaces. Be careful when using essential oils around finished wood pieces and remember to clean up immediately after noticing any essential oil has spilled on your wood surface to avoid any disfiguring.

9. Do NOT apply citrus oil while sitting in the sunshine.

Some essential oils (typically citrus oils) are photosensitive and contain natural substances called furanocoumarins. Furanocoumarins can react with ultraviolet light to create substances that may cause hyper pigmentation or burning on the skin. While these essential oils have any beneficial properties, care should be taken after applying these oils on the skin to protect these areas from direct, prolonged ultraviolet light exposure for 1–3 days.

10. Do NOT leave your oils in the cabinet unused.

Even though we have talked about the various ways you should use caution when using essential oils, we hope we haven’t scared you into not using your oils at all. Essential oils, when used appropriately, can be very beneficial to the health and well-being of our bodies. If you have essential oils, don’t let them sit untouched in your cabinet—use them! A great resource to help you learn how to use essential oils is the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley.

Disclaimer: The essential oil bottles in these pictures were filled with water rather than essential oils. No children (or adults) were harmed while taking these pictures. We do not recommend trying any of the photographed situations at home.

Essential Oil Spotlight: Peppermint

 

Peppermint essential oil is steam-distilled from the leaves, stems, and flower buds of the Mentha piperita plant.

For centuries, peppermint has been used for a variety of purposes. It is known to soothe digestion and freshen breath, as well as treat headaches and heartburn.

The French have been known to use peppermint to alleviate asthma, diarrhea, indigestion, migraines, itchy skin, and throat infection.

The antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties of peppermint make it a versatile in uses that aid the digestive and respiratory systems as well as muscles, bones, and skin.

It may also be used to help anger, arthritis, colic, depression, morning sickness, and toothaches.

The aroma is both purifying and stimulating to the mind. It can reduce fevers and increase mental accuracy.

See the Reference Guide for Essential Oils to learn more about peppermint essential oil and many other pure essential oils.

Source: Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2016 Edition, pp. 112–14.

6 Nasal Inhaler Recipes to Take to School

Inhaling essential oils has been proven to help students in their studies. Using essential oils at school can not only help memory recall, but also reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and calm a person down if needed. Read our “Essential Oils for Back to School” post for more ways students can benefit from using essential oils.

Just the scent of an essential oil can help with memory recall. Nothing is worse during a test than seeing a question and knowing that you studied the answer, but you can’t quite remember it. According to the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, “A university in Japan experimented with diffusing different essential oils in the office. When they diffused lemon there were 54% fewer errors, with jasmine there were 33% fewer errors, and with lavender there were 20% fewer errors. When essential oils are diffused while studying and smelled during a test via a hanky or cotton ball, test scores may increase by as much as 50%. Different essential oils should be used for different tests, but the same essential oil should be used during the test as was used while studying for that particular test. The smell of the essential oil may help bring back the memory of what was studied.”¹ Another study indicated that subjects who learned a list of 24 words while exposed to a certain aroma had an easier time re-learning the list when exposed to the same aroma than those who were exposed to a different aroma while trying to re-learn the list.² Further studies have indicated that rosemary³ and peppermint⁴ aromas were found to enhance memory during clinical tests.

The best way to have the scent of essential oils with you while you study and take the test is to place the essential oils in a Nasal Inhaler. We’ve created 6 essential oil blends that can be used in nasal inhalers. Simply drop the oils on the wick; then insert the wick into the inhaler, and push the base in to close it. Place the inhaler close to your nose and inhale the aroma.

Morning Sunshine: 4 drops orange 4 drops peppermint 4 drops lime	Calm Down: 10 drops lavender 6 drops Roman chamomile	Afternoon Energy Boost: 6 drops peppermint 4 drops rosemary 4 drops grapefruit
Mental Clarity: 6 drops lemon 2 drops basil 2 drops rosemary 2 drops frankincense	Anxiety Helper: 8 drops lavender 4 drops lemon 4 drops ylang ylang	Study and Testing Time: 6 drops peppermint 6 drops rosemary 4 drops lemon

Sources:
1. Alan and Connie Higley, Reference Guide for Essential Oils (Spanish Fork, UT: Abundant Health, 2016).

2. David G. Smith, Lionel Standing, and Anton de Man, “Verbal Memory Elicited by Ambient Odor,” Perceptual and Motor Skills 74, no. 2 (April 1992): 339–43.

3. Mark Moss, Jenny Cook, Keith Wesnes, and Paul Duckett, “Aromas of Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils Differentially Affect Cognition and Mood in Healthy Adults,” International Journal of Neuroscience 113, no. 1 (January 2003): 15–38.

4. Mark Moss, Steven Hewitt, Lucy Moss, and Keith Wesnes, “Modulation of Cognitive Performance and Mood by Aromas of Peppermint and Ylang Ylang,” International Journal of Neuroscience 118, no. 1 (January 2008): 59–77.