I don't have a book or anything I can recommend, as I've been doing my research online sort of in-the-moment (a medical thing will come up and I'll look up which oils can help and how to use them safely). There's lots of good articles online. If you're looking to start using oils, I find topical use for skin conditions, muscle issues etc to be the most effective (as well as inhaling certain ones in steam with a towel over your head -- less so using a diffuser). The oils I've found the most useful are peppermint, frankincense, lavender (all fairly safe, except frankincense cannot go on broken skin), and myrrh and rosemary (use with more caution as not safe for small children or pregnant women). Here's some examples of how I've used them:
Lavender -- topical application around abdomen for period cramps! Also good for fungal infections.
Frankincense -- anti-aging, anti-inflammation (e.g. sore muscles, sprains), wound healing and scar healing (but NOT on broken skin / open wounds), bug bites
Peppermint -- tension headaches (but keep away from eyes! It'll burn!), congestion (inhale in steam, keep eyes closed), bug bites and rashes, wound healing (can go on broken skin).
Rosemary -- sore muscles, sprains, arthritis etc
Myrrh -- wounds, rashes, skin infections (fungal, viral, and bacterial).
ALWAYS dilute in a carrier oil (e.g. coconut or jojoba). I usually mix several oils when dealing with an issue. E.g. used a mix of peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus (as well as turmeric powder) in coconut oil to treat a second-degree burn recently, and a combo of frankincense and peppermint healed a sprained ankle in a week. Rosemary, frankincense, and peppermint together work great for arthritis. Myrrh oil cleared up an infected skin rash in less than a day.
Rosemary, peppermint, and lavender are all cheap so I'd start with them. Frankincense and myrrh are a little pricier but I find the frankincense in particular is incredibly useful for a wide range of stuff.
I use frankincense on my face daily and swear to god it makes my skin look great. Right now I'm using a beef tallow and frankincense balm from The Tallowed Truth.
For websites, I find Healthline articles on essential oils to be pretty balanced and helpful and include links to studies.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful write up and advice, I really appreciate it
Q for Meghan: do you have any resource pointers on the essential oil work you mentioned?
I don't have a book or anything I can recommend, as I've been doing my research online sort of in-the-moment (a medical thing will come up and I'll look up which oils can help and how to use them safely). There's lots of good articles online. If you're looking to start using oils, I find topical use for skin conditions, muscle issues etc to be the most effective (as well as inhaling certain ones in steam with a towel over your head -- less so using a diffuser). The oils I've found the most useful are peppermint, frankincense, lavender (all fairly safe, except frankincense cannot go on broken skin), and myrrh and rosemary (use with more caution as not safe for small children or pregnant women). Here's some examples of how I've used them:
Lavender -- topical application around abdomen for period cramps! Also good for fungal infections.
Frankincense -- anti-aging, anti-inflammation (e.g. sore muscles, sprains), wound healing and scar healing (but NOT on broken skin / open wounds), bug bites
Peppermint -- tension headaches (but keep away from eyes! It'll burn!), congestion (inhale in steam, keep eyes closed), bug bites and rashes, wound healing (can go on broken skin).
Rosemary -- sore muscles, sprains, arthritis etc
Myrrh -- wounds, rashes, skin infections (fungal, viral, and bacterial).
ALWAYS dilute in a carrier oil (e.g. coconut or jojoba). I usually mix several oils when dealing with an issue. E.g. used a mix of peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus (as well as turmeric powder) in coconut oil to treat a second-degree burn recently, and a combo of frankincense and peppermint healed a sprained ankle in a week. Rosemary, frankincense, and peppermint together work great for arthritis. Myrrh oil cleared up an infected skin rash in less than a day.
Rosemary, peppermint, and lavender are all cheap so I'd start with them. Frankincense and myrrh are a little pricier but I find the frankincense in particular is incredibly useful for a wide range of stuff.
I use frankincense on my face daily and swear to god it makes my skin look great. Right now I'm using a beef tallow and frankincense balm from The Tallowed Truth.
For websites, I find Healthline articles on essential oils to be pretty balanced and helpful and include links to studies.