J ust the Essentials, by Adina Grigore, the founder of S.W. Basics, is a fresh, contemporary guide to essential oils (EOs). The book gives easy to understand advice on the best oils for beginners; how to diffuse and safely handle oils; and the most useful do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes from dish soap to toothpaste to facial masks.
I often find many informational books to be bogged down with superfluous, weighty explanations, but not this one. If you value your time, like me, you will appreciate Adina’s exemplary job of clearly and concisely explaining the history, fundamentals and uses of essential oils, without all the usual long-winded commentary. She achieves this not just through words, but also through hand-drawn illustrations throughout the book, that accompany her text. The tone the book was written in was so fun and light, that it felt like she was having a personal conversation with me on EOs. This down-to-earth and informative way of explaining EOs kept me so engaged that I finished the book within one day.
Her recommendations for the top ten EOs for beginners were described with their benefits and her reason behind recommending them. Each recommended EO had a couple pages devoted to it in the book, and explained its uses and gave DIY recipes it can be used in, for instance, eucalyptus oil, and how it can be used as an ingredient in a DIY moth repellent. She also explains how to read labels, and the different types of oil extraction, which are all helpful when deciding which product you would like to purchase. Learning how many products on the market today contain EOs, from household sprays to pharmaceuticals, was extremely eye-opening, and definitely makes your realize how understanding the uses of each EO to make your own non-toxic DIY products is the healthy choice.
Overall, for anyone looking to get into EOs, this book is a MUST-READ with its easily digestible content on the top ten oils for beginners; instructions for diffusing and safe handling of oils; and DIY recipes.
