An Aromatherapist’s Favorite Aromatherapy Books

Written By Erin Stewart

Last week, I shared my favorite books about herbs, so I thought it only fitting to share some of my favorite aromatherapy books with you this week. I truly believe that sustainable aromatherapy practices (personal or professional) are rooted in the foundation of herbalism (that is one of the reasons why I teach both in our aromatherapy certification program), so if you are just beginning your aromatherapy journey, please also check out this post about my favorite herbalism books.

This list is not quite as lengthy as my list of recommended herbal favorites and that is because I am pretty picky about which aromatherapy books I recommend to people. I have read a lot of great aromatherapy books and I have also read a lot of sub-par ones. The ones that I find reliable enough to share with other people usually have two things in common: either they were written by a practicing, professional aromatherapist with years of experience, and / or they tend to be more focused on science than on the more esoteric side of aromatherapy.

Scientific research (especially good quality clinical trials) on essential oils and aromatherapy is available but it is much more scarce than research on the herbs themselves. Naturally, that means that there are fewer books diving into that side of aromatherapy practice because there is just less evidence available to discuss. There are books that reference aromatherapy research, but many of the books I come across in local bookstores focus on a more experience-based approach and, unfortunately, I often see a lot of misinformation and dangerous recommendations in books that tend to lean that direction. That is not to say that there is not any merit in experience-based or observational aromatherapy – just that I am less likely to publicly recommend books that focus more on that approach without any focus on evidence-based practice, especially for beginners who are still learning about how to work with essential oils safely, unless I truly think they are worthy of the recommendation.

I do not necessarily agree with everything put forth in these books but they are still my favorites and are the ones I recommend most.

(I have linked to each book through my Bookshop.org and Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.)

The Beginner-Friendly Books

Susan’s book will introduce you to the wonderful world of carrier oils and thus equip you to choose bases for your aromatherapy blends with insight so you can know they are working toward the primary goal of your overall formula. The other three books are written by aromatherapists who are respected in the aromatherapy community. They are great books and are also written in a very readable, beginner-friendly style.

The Well-Researched Books

These are the books I would recommend for the more serious essential oil enthusiast, for people who are contemplating certification and professional aromatherapy practice, and for those who are going to be formulating for people who either have complicated or chronic health conditions or who are taking prescription medications. Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young’s book is the industry standard for formulators who need to check their blend ingredients for specific safety considerations and contraindications. The Price and Buckle books present research relevant to those who work in the medical field and want to learn more about how to incorporate aromatherapy into their practices based on existing scientific literature. Jennifer’s book is a recent discovery and is the best resource I know of for looking up existing scientific research on specific essential oils outside of just searching PubMed or Science Direct type databases. It is somewhat limited in that not all available research is summarized in it and there are obviously new studies being published each week that are not in it, but it is a fantastic resource for people who want to be guided by scientific evidence of efficacy as they formulate and practice.

  • Essential Oils: A Comprehensive Handbook for Aromatic Therapy – Jennifer Peace Rhind (Bookshop.org / Amazon)

  • Aromatherapy for Health Professionals: Fifth Edition – Price (Amazon)

  • Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Healthcare – Buckle (Bookshop.org / Amazon)

  • Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition – Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young (Bookshop.org / Amazon)

The Books by Experienced Practitioners

There are other books I could reference in this section, but these are the ones I find myself recommending the most. Peter Holmes is a clinical aromatherapist and licensed acupuncturist with a knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. His broad scope of education allows him to bring a unique perspective to his practice and his books reflect that. Valerie’s book is both beginner-friendly and offers the insight gained from her years of experience as a practitioner.

The Books for the Gardeners and Artisan Distillers

For people who are growing herbs and are interested in beginning to distill them to gather their hydrosols and essential oils, these are the two books I usually recommend people read first. Ann’s book is out of print but is now available digitally through her website and I often reference Bettina and Helge’s book when I am preparing my own plants for distillation. If you want to learn more about distilling herbs, this is a topic I also cover in our certification program.

  • Harvest to Hydrosol – Ann Harman (available here)

  • The Essential Oil Maker’s Handbook – Bettina Malle and Helge Schmickl (Amazon)

About the Author

Hi there, I’m Erin! I am the main instructor here at Floranella. I am a clinical herbalist, aromatherapist, artisan distiller and organic gardener based in the Pacific Northwest. Here at Floranella, I teach people how to work with plants safely and effectively from the garden to the apothecary. Thanks for being here! I’m glad you stopped by.

Erin Stewart
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