Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy (Paperback)
June 8, 2009 by Cheryl
Filed under Aromatherapy Book Reviews
Review
Schnaubelt brings singular authority to this explanation of the reasons why essential oils act on different systems of the body. This is aromatherapy’s next generation, based in scientific analysis and structured to produce predictable results. Essential for the serious student. — NAPRA ReView Vol. 9, No.5Schnaubelt clearly and logically illustrates the science of his healing art. . . . Exciting, must have information for anyone going beyond a dab of relaxing lavender (more…)
In a field where so many books are filled with unproven claims, outright falsehoods, and just plain fluff, Kurt Schnaubelt’s books stand out as serious, well researched works that accord aromatherapy the respect it deserves.
By focusing on the chemistry of essential oils, we learn *why* an essential oil works the way it does and how different chemotypes of the same EO can have vastly different effects (an important issue that is completely ignored by many aromatherapy books). We also learn why some EOs must be used with great caution. Dozens of oils are profiled with diagrams, lists of primary effects and contraindications, etc. There is also a chapter with proven recipes for a variety of physical, psychological, and cosmetic conditions. All methods of application are covered (including those well established in Europe but rarely used in the U.S., e.g., suppositories), and Dr. Schnaubelt candidly states where essential oil therapy is most effective (e.g., infectious diseases, hormonal imbalances, and problems affecting the psyche and nervous system) as well as where aromatherapy has relatively little to offer (allergic and autoimmune conditions as well as chronic metabolic and degenerative conditions).
What makes Advanced Aromatherapy even more of a gem is that Dr. Schnaubelt integrates the science of aromatherapy into a holistic rather than an allopathic framework and gives pointers on selecting the appropriate EOs by taking into account the totality of the patient’s symptoms.
First and most importantly, I *love* this book. It explains the chemical composition of essential oils in easy to understand terms. It gives a science-loving person a lot of interesting information. It cites studies (and *DOES* have footnotes….)
This is NOT a simple recipe book. It does have some great ones listed throughout the book, but it is promarily an explanation of the science of many essential oils. How they work, what molecules they are made of, which ones are toxic and at what levels, etc.
What I am peeved about is that, when I first came on Amazon to look for science-oriented essential oil books and found this one, the negative reviews made me decide *not* to buy it. Luckily, I happened to see it in a bookstore, picked it up, and found out for myself that it is a perfect book to supplement the essential oil library. There is so much great scientific info in easy to understand terms. I *highly* recommend it if you are interested in science.
This excellent book takes a difficult subject–how essential oils work–and makes it very understandable. No doubt many scholars would be daunted by trying to explain sesquiterpenes to a lay person, but Schnaubelt, who has a PhD in chemistry, makes it interesting. Understanding the chemical composition of oils is valuable because it can help us see relationships between various oils that aren’t obvious, such as between pine and citrus oils. This book is far beyond the usual fare for aromatherapy; most books on the subject ask little of the reader and generally consist of lists of symptoms and oils with no explanation of why one oil is effective in a situation and another is not. Schnaubelt offers much more–a deep understanding of how oils work. This is the kind of science writing everyone can enjoy. A reviewer who remarked that the work has no footnotes apparently didn’t actually read the book. It does have footnotes, even though the book is geared to a lay audience rather than to academics.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book by a well known teacher
Even the person who taught the essential oil class I took spoke very highly of Dr. Schnaubelt and, after purchasing this book, I know why.
3.0 out of 5 stars
so so book skims info
If I had pulled this book off the shelf before buying it, I wouldn’t have bought it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Advanced Aromatherapy
I own an Aromatherapy Bodywork business and I really found this book useful. In previous years all I had access to were books with less specified subject matter.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cientific Book
This is a book recomended for those who like to now all the detail about the oils, it gives us the cientific and chimical detail and explanations about essencial oils.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intensely scientific
Very useful aromatherapy guide. It is intensely scientific…particularly the 2nd chapter entitled “Essential Oils - Definition and Distillation”; bored me out of my mind.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting book for those intrigued by the chemistry behind EOs
I really love books on aromatherapy that approach essential oils from a less chemistry oriented viewpoint, but I also have an interest in the more scientific aspects of oils, and…
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must for anyone using Essential Oils
This book along with Kurts other book are my two favorite books on Aromatherapy. Even though there are not a lot of blends written.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Advanced Aromatherapy
A very insightful book.As an aromatherapist, I have found it very valuable to learn about essential oils from a scientist’s point of view.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great diagrams of internal organs affcted by aromatherapy…
In addition to the use of body models to show which parts of the body (lympatic, circulatory or nervous systems) are affected by an essential oil, another novel feature of this…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible reference for serious practice of aromatherapy
This book has three sections, all of them useful! First, an introduction to the SCIENCE of aromatherapy, which (for instance) quotes double-blind placebo studies.