I remember having a reading list of aromatherapy books for my course, and being so excited when the first one arrived. My attitude soon changed when I looked at it and became overwhelmed. There were so many oils with different cautions and Latin words. Honestly, even lavender isn’t as simple as I thought, there were so many different types. I remember thinking how on earth would I ever learn it all.

Fast forward over ten years and things have changed. I now understand why botanical names are important, I understand how the variations can occur and I know many of the cautions. I also know I have so much more to learn and that the world of aromatherapy is so vast.

What frustrates me is seeing people take one of two approaches. One is not using oils at all because they are so concerned about having a problem, and the other is one where oils must be safe because they’re natural and good quality. Neither approach is right, there’s a middle road which requires some commonsense, but navigating that path can be a bit daunting.

It’s because of this that I’ve decided to write a short e-book, which you can find in my shop. It’s a short guide which is designed to give you the basics, to get you going and to help you love essential oils. It’s something you can use to make your own essential oil reference library, it’s designed for you to write in it and record your own experiences of the oils in a safe manner. It gives you ideas on how to use them and suggestions on which oils to try if you really don’t know where to start.

Learning to love essential oils can be fun, sometimes all you need is a hand to lead the way

Louise is an holistic therapist who owns Therapy Centre, Bristol BS14 9HB, a clinic offering a range of holistic and beauty therapies. Louise offers reflexology, aromatherapy, holistic massage, Indian head massage, reiki, baby massage and story massage. She is a mum of two boys and when she is not working she enjoys getting outdoors with her family, www.louise-morgan.co.uk