I have a lot to say in reply, but your thread is so long it is hard to isolate the points...I will do my best. First of all you use a carrier oil to "carry" and the oil into the tissues, not necessarily because an oil is hot, but it can decrease any sensitivity from hot oils. EO's have a very fast evaporation rate and by utilizing a carrier oil, it give more time to absorb into the skin. Thick skin...soles of feet, thin skin...behind your ears. Hot oils can be used on the feet undiluted. Tip...if you ever get a hot oil in the eye...use olive oil to dilute and flush...not water (experienced).

Plant Therapy is a good company...Robert Tisserand consults and makes up their blends. He wrote the essential book on EO Safety and is an authority in his field. His books are very good...try to find used. I have several of his books. Plant Therapy is a good solid company with reasonable prices.

EO's are not necessarily toxic to children or pets. Again, knowledge is the key here. You don't have to be afraid to diffuse or use EO's around animals. Animals and children can benefit greatly from EO's. The key is Knowledge. Respecting the oils and knowledge of safety is key to using oils. I recommend the book "Knowledge Based Essential Oil Therapy by Dr. Scott Johnson. It is a very pricey book, but it is worth its' weight in gold. He has a chapter on which oils can be used safely in pregnancy, labor and childbirth and another chapter on which oils are safe for infants and children...with charts on dilution rates and which oils can be used. Another chapter lists medical conditions. I utilize his recommendations for taking oils internally. I use Young Living and only use excellent companies to take something internally, but I have found that to be very effective. This is my EO #1 book. There are books on treating animals with EO's. Diffusing is perfectly safe around animals. I use homeopathics more with my animals, The second reference book for oils is "The Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils" by Connie and Alan Higley. It is similar to Young Living's reference book, but is jam packed with information. I also use some books like Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home by Kasey Schwartz, Aromatherapy Blends and Remedies by Franzesca Watson and Aromatherapy by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, R.N. I use the spa bath recipe because water and a wet skin help to absorb EO's. Good all round info in these books.

Next...I LOVE St. John's Wort...very useful in depression, from experience. Next I want to address the herpes/sun poisoning you mentioned. ..have dealt with both. First of all check your Vitamin D levels. The D needs to be in the 60 range and if you take Vitamin D and K, it will tremendously help every aspect of your health and especially these two issues. I highly recommend that you take D/K daily. I am allergic to the sun (it is a thing) and I can break out from the sun, but when my Vitamin D levels are in the high range it decreases my sensitivity to the sun. Melissa is the EO that zaps herpes immediately. It is pricey, but worth it to have it on hand. A drop applied to a fever blister and it just doesn't develop. All your recommendations for herbs sound great...my favorite old herb books and reference books were by Michael Murray N.D. He wrote the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and The Healing Power of Herbs. Both of those books can be bought used. There are many other great authors that are more current, but I loved Dr. Murray.

I will recommend some places to buy quality oils. The first is Tropical Traditions. This is where I buy my organic virgin coconut oil that is processed in the traditional way from the Philippines. They carry Florihana Oils that are processed in France. I like Mountain Rose...good supplier. Also, Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt runs the Pacific Institue of Aromatherapy. He has a Ph.D in Chemistry and is a renowned aromatherapist. He successfully recommended Caulophyllum and Ravinstara in the successful treatment of shingles which I utilized on my husband. He has written several great books and his institute carries a line of EO's and they are very good oils. Some that are harder to find elsewhere. He is quite amazing. The Institute has classes and TONS of useful info. To tell you the truth, I use a lot of NOW oils. They have their own in-house testing lab and I feel like they are a very responsible, reputable company. I like to diffuse these, and I also buy oils that I will use topically. I use coconut oil as a base to make most of my salve blends from oils. It works well. I also give my animals coconut oil in a dish, and it helps their fur/skin.

Okay...that's about it...didn't mean to write a book, but i get really excited to talk about things that I am passionate about. You sound very knowledgeable, and I hope you are able to utilize some of the books and/or suggestions. God bless you and yours and I hope you find some things that will help you go forward in your natural healing journey.

I have a lot to say in reply, but your thread is so long it is hard to isolate the points...I will do my best. First of all you use a carrier oil to "carry" and the oil into the tissues, not necessarily because an oil is hot, but it can decrease any sensitivity from hot oils. EO's have a very fast evaporation rate and by utilizing a carrier oil, it give more time to absorb into the skin. Thick skin...soles of feet, thin skin...behind your ears. Hot oils can be used on the feet undiluted. Tip...if you ever get a hot oil in the eye...use olive oil to dilute and flush...not water (experienced).

Plant Therapy is a good company...Robert Tisserand consults and makes up their blends. He wrote the essential book on EO Safety and is an authority in his field. His books are very good...try to find used. I have several of his books. Plant Therapy is a good solid company with reasonable prices.

EO's are not necessarily toxic to children or pets. Again, knowledge is the key here. You don't have to be afraid to diffuse or use EO's around animals. Animals and children can benefit greatly from EO's. The key is Knowledge. Respecting the oils and knowledge of safety is key to using oils. I recommend the book "Knowledge Based Essential Oil Therapy by Dr. Scott Johnson. It is a very pricey book, but it is worth its' weight in gold. He has a chapter on which oils can be used safely in pregnancy, labor and childbirth and another chapter on which oils are safe for infants and children...with charts on dilution rates and which oils can be used. Another chapter lists medical conditions. I utilize his recommendations for taking oils internally. I use Young Living and only use excellent companies to take something internally, but I have found that to be very effective. This is my EO #1 book. There are books on treating animals with EO's. Diffusing is perfectly safe around animals. I use homeopathics more with my animals, The second reference book for oils is "The Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils" by Connie and Alan Higley. It is similar to Young Living's reference book, but is jam packed with information. I also use some books like Essential Oils for a Clean and Healthy Home by Kasey Schwartz, Aromatherapy Blends and Remedies by Franzesca Watson and Aromatherapy by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, R.N. I use the spa bath recipe because water and a wet skin help to absorb EO's. Good all round info in these books.

Next...I LOVE St. John's Wort...very useful in depression, from experience. Next I want to address the herpes/sun poisoning you mentioned. ..have dealt with both. First of all check your Vitamin D levels. They need to be in the 60 range and if you take Vitamin D and K, it will tremendously help every aspect of your health and especially these two issues. I highly recommend that you take D/K daily. I am allergic to the sun (it is a thing) and I can break out from the sun, but when my Vitamin D levels are in the high range it decreases my sensitivity to the sun. Melissa is the EO that zaps herpes immediately. It is pricey, but worth it to have it on hand. A drop applied to a fever blister and it just doesn't develop. All your recommendations for herbs sound great...my favorite old herb books and reference books were by Michael Murray N.D. He wrote the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and The Healing Power of Herbs. Both of those books can be bought used. There are many other great authors that are more current, but I loved Dr. Murray.

I will recommend some places to buy quality oils. The first is Tropical Traditions. This is where I buy my organic virgin coconut oil that is processed in the traditional way from the Philippines. They carry Florihana Oils that are processed in France. I like Mountain Rose...good supplier. Also, Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt runs the Pacific Institue of Aromatherapy. He has a Ph.D in Chemistry and is a renowned aromatherapist. He successfully recommended Caulophyllum and Ravinstara in the successful treatment of shingles which I utilized on my husband. He has written several great books and his institute carries a line of EO's and they are very good oils. Some that are harder to find elsewhere. He is quite amazing. The Institute has classes and TONS of useful info. To tell you the truth, I use a lot of NOW oils. They have their own in-house testing lab and I feel like they are a very responsible, reputable company. I like to diffuse these, and I buy oils that I will use topically. I use coconut oil as a base to make most of my salve blends from oils. It works well. I also give my animals coconut oil in a dish, and it helps their fur/skin.

Okay...that's about it...didn't mean to write a book, but i get really excited to talk about things that I am passionate about. You sound very knowledgeable, and I hope you are able to utilize some of the books and suggestions. God bless you and yours and I hope you find some things that will help you go forward in your natural healing journey.