Excellent book! I have been wanting to learn more about Aromatherapy, especially for my family since I know how important it is to dilute the oils properly. I appreciated the safety guidelines, when I first started using essential oils I didn't know then but know now I was using them wrong. Perfect guide for general care and cleaning with essential oils for your home and family.

As a certified clinical aromatherapist, I love this book. It is a comprehensive guide to practical aromatherapy for non aromatherapists. The book is broken down into chapters based on the user's age and includes other age groups for whom the blends could be used, as well as a great household use section. The blends are nicely set up as recipes with step by step instructions. At the end of the chapter, the author has a safety tips and best practices. What makes this an extraordinary guide is the inclusion of lists of toxic and hazardous essential oils, and oils to avoid at certain times. There are many combinations for blends that I did not think to put together, but definitely will try. I do many presentations for the general public and am always looking for books to recommend to those who are interested in learning more about using essential oils. This book is definitely on the short list.

This book is an awesome go-to reference for anyone interested in Aromatherapy. The title is not misleading. This book has sections broken down for baby, seniors, adults and children, with a helpful reference in the back of the top 20 safest essential oils.

Each section has recipes for remedies for baby colic, sore joints for seniors, insect repellent, and everything in between.

I am relatively new at Aromatherapy and essential oils, but I found this book to be informative and a great resource. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in essential oils and natural remedies.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really nice introduction to essential oils. I have used oils for the past 6+ years for a multitude of symptoms. My acupuncturist introduces me to a well known manufacturer of essential oils but I have tried several other brands since that time. I didn’t use a carrier oil at first which I realize was a risky thing to do. I also ingested essential oils on my acupuncturist’s advice which I wouldn’t do now. The author did an excellent job discussing the risks of using essential oils both correctly and incorrectly.

I liked the sections addressing use of oils with children and seniors. I am going to add some oils I hadn’t thought of to try to help my arthritis symptoms. I plan to purchase a hard copy for my own reference.

In 2013 my sweet neighbor introduced me to essential oils. I had never heard of this prior to her mentioning it and she was kind enough to help guide me through some of the basics. I was about as skeptical as you could get, although my husband was even more skeptical. We have both changed our minds, however, as we have seen the benefits of many essential oils for our family. First, know that I am still a skeptic by nature. Second, I do not assume everything I read online is worthy to be called truthful. Third, we do still use over the counter medicines when needed. I have found a happy balance in "natural" and "created" medicines. I see both as beneficial, when used appropriately, and both given by the Lord.

This is the first handbook type material I have read about essential oils that was not directly from a company which sells them. I appreciated the down-to-earth advice and sensible warnings/guidelines given within these pages. Whether you are novice or experienced essential oil user, I think you will find a wealth of wisdom here. I greatly appreciated the pages with warnings. There is some really bad essential oil advice going around the internet. Much of what is encouraged to be ingested is just anecdotal at best and at worst I'm concerned may be at times a selling strategy. The one and only oil I put directly into my mouth (peppermint) is specifically formulated (diluted) to be ingested by the company which sells it and even that should be regulated doses such as any medication.

I also greatly appreciate the various recipes included. There are sooooo many for every stage of life! Pregnancy, nursing, babies, children, teens, adults, elderly...there is something for everyone! The recipes are very specific for how many drops and how much dilution. I've already found a few to use such as Bug Off Spray (for bug repellent) and Settled and Sleepy Diffusion Blend. Each recipe specifically lists what ages it is safe to use with.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this wonderful guide! You will find it an invaluable resource.

The Family Guide to Aromatherapy is an encyclopedic guide to sourcing and using essential oils in the home setting. Author Erika Galentin is an herbalist and teacher based in Columbus Ohio. Due out 27th Aug 2019 from Rockridge on their Callisto imprint, it's 196 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. The ebook format is available now.

The book is laid out logically with an easily read typeface and graphics. The internal chapter heading illustrations by Carl Wiens are simple and colorful. There is very little internal photography. What there is, is stock photography, but clear and in color.

The introductory sections (~15 % of the page content) give good directions for sourcing and use of essential oils. Best practices and safety tips are listed in their own sidebars in bullet presentation. They're easy to understand and find.

The second section goes directly to the recipes and blends. These are split into life phases such as pregnancy, delivery, babies, kids, adults, seniors, and household/enviorns use. There are (by my count) more than 75 recipes for everything from morning sickness, to health and beauty aids, to cleaning products for the home. Each recipe has a listed target group (adults, kids, etc), the type of preparation (dilution, inhalant), the yield, and notes for preparation and use.

The second main section of the book is in the form of an herbal which includes listings for 30 different essential oils and their uses and effects. These listings include the botanical (Latin) name of the plant, the common name, the characteristics of the essential oil (sweet, herbaceous, light, camphor scent, etc), the relative cost of the essential oil, the uses and applications, what other oils it blends with well, and any precautions for use of the oil.

The book also includes a tutorial for a labor kit for home or hospital delivery, a sidebar reference for ailments (acne, allergies, anxiety) along with suggested essential oils, and methods of application. There's a short subchapter on known interactions between oils and prescription medicines which mostly discusses the potentially serious interactions between methyl salicylates (wintergreen, sweet birch) and anti-coagulants like warfarin and heparin. The book ends with references, acknowledgements, and a short author bio.

The author is clearly engaged and knowledgeable on the subject manner and writes in an easy to follow style. The recipes are simple and seem safe. I think taking a more active control of the items we use on our bodies and the cleaning products we use in our homes is sensible and rewarding. This book could have benefited from more photography, however I understand that photography is one of the highest expenses involved in the making of a book. I appreciate that the cost of the book, at least in electronic format is very reasonable - currently $0.99 on Amazon, so I do understand the decision.

It's unclear from the publishing info available online, but the eARC I received has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references. I hope the ebook release version does also. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. Presumably that feature will carry through to the final release version.

Five stars, recommended for readers who are interested in aromatherapy, natural healing, and DIY.

This book is a terrific comprehensive resource for the novice as well as more experienced users of essential oils. The author provides nice lists of which oils are best in different circumstances, as well as safety precautions. The recipes are numerous and amazing and I will definitely use this book as a resource!

Was approved for review on the day it was archived. Book has not been released but looks good and worth checking out. Wasn't able to read and review. Would've loved to check this book out as it looks like it's filled with a lot of interesting information.

This is a fantastic book for aromatherapy! The author gives so much information about how to use, what to mix, what they treat, precautions, and best practices. Each chapter is for individual age (pregnancy, babies, kids, adults, and elderly) or use (ways to use in your home etc.). There is more information on individual essential oils and what they can do and medicinal properties. There are recipes for so many things and they are very easy to follow. I will definitely use this time and time again. Would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.