Listing for Single Oils in the Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th Edition

Essential oils are truly amazing products.  Each drop of oil contains enough aromatic molecules to bathe every cell of your body is 30,000 of them.  And, each molecule exerts specific therapeutic actions upon the body.  Therefore, the more you know about an essential oil, the more reliably you can determine if it's the right oil for your particular need. 

The Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th Edition provides you with that information in a clear, concise format. 

For each oil offered by Young Living, or used in one of its products, the Desk Reference has a listing that includes each single oil's:

• The botanical name,
• The botanical family,
• The origin of the plant,
• The part of the plant used for the oil and its extraction method,
• Key constituents of the oils, with their relative percentages,
• The ORAC score of the oils,
• A summary of the historical uses of the oil,
• The medical properties of the oil,
• The general ways in which the oil can be used,
• Fragrant influences of the oil,
• How to apply the oil,
• The blends and other products that contain this oil, and
• Bibliographic references to research done on this oil or references to it in the Bible.

While the Personal Usage Reference gives much more detail on the ways in which the oils can be used, and the appropriate application techniques for each protocol, I've found the information here to be an important addition to my knowledge of the oils.  And, although there is sufficient information here to make a scientifically-based decision about using an oil, I've found — personally — that this knowledge tends to inform my intuitive choice, more than a scientific choice.

Why is that?

Because, while a scientific knowledge of the oils is an important part of their safe and effective use, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  There is no straight-line correlation between the chemical action of a single constituent and the therapeutic activity of the oil.  For now, I rely mostly on the protocols of the Personal Usage Reference, with augmentation from the individual oil data.

With more training, I'm sure the scientific aspect of this healing art will come more to the forefront in my use of the oils.  However, aromatherapy will always be as much art as science.

Come join in the adventure.

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The following graphic represents a page from the Essential Oils Desk Reference, 4th Edition, providing information on the essential oil singles of myrtle, and partial listings for myrrh (from the previous page).  (Nothing really special about this page; I just liked the picture, which is a new feature of this edition.)