Every culture throughout history has found ways to distill herbs, spices and flowers into perfumes, lotions and oils for pleasurable and medicinal use. The benefits of inhaling sweet aromas, indulging in expensive perfumes, taking in the scent of a bouquet of fresh flowers, or filling the house with fragrant potpourris seem obvious, yet the healing powers of scent are various and complex in the ancient art of aromatherapy, in which distilled essential oils of certain plants are used for specific benefits in therapy and natural health. This book contains all the information that readers need in order to use aromatherapy safely and effectively. Essential Aromatherapy features chapters on how oils are produced, which oil to use when, and how to benefit from scents by adding a few drops to a bath or using oil burners to scent the room. The therapeutic powers of aromatherapy are delivered using massage techniques, and this book suggests routines that will help relieve insomnia, alleviate indigestion, soothe headaches, and promote relaxation. Each routine is illustrated with step-by-step photographs and includes a choice of recommended blends. Essential Aromatherapy thoroughly explores the wonderful powers and benefits of herbs, essential oils, and scents as well as the practice of one of the world's most ancient natural therapies.