DragonQueenHHP said:
Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
by Valerie Ann Worwood
THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF ESSENTIAL OILS
by JULIA LAWLESS.
I second these ^^^and would like to add authors like Robert Tisserand and Kurt Schnaubelt. You could also peruse Essential Oil University:
http://www.essentialoils.org
Sometimes health food/natural whole food stores will offer classes on Aromatherapy. They probably won't offer much info where soap is concerned, but you will get some basic info on the oils themselves. Also, at the same kind of stores, there is always little magazines like Natural Awakenings that has a classified section with practitioners in your area offering classes.
One of the important things to remember about Aromatherapy and Essential Oils is the usage rate for each oil. So many people just say "Oh, this oil is good for eczema" and toss 2 oz in their 1lb soap (12.5%), not considering that it is only safe at a 2% dilution. I see this all the time, and it gets really frustrating. :roll: I just watched a "professional soaper" on YouTube say that she added 6 OUNCES OF CLOVE BUD OIL in a BAR of soap because it was good for warts. :shock: Besides that blatant medical claim, that much Clove Bud Oil would be incredibly irritating, possibly dangerous, and ridiculously wasteful. I'm sure (?) she was exaggerating, because I can't imagine someone doing that, but then again...
For reference, I use Clove Bud oil at a 0.8% usage rate in soap - less than 1%.
I'm highly passionate about being educated when using essential oils and herbs...there are too many charlatans, snake oil salesmen, and just plain uneducated people with the idea that they are "just perfume and plants" tossing around incorrect information. The authors that DragonQueen and I mentioned above should lead you in the right direction :wink:
