Classifying essential oils into families is one great way to make learning aromatherapy a little easier. After learning some basic families and how to recognize them, approaching a shelf of unknown oils isn't overwhelming — it's fun!

It's still important to learn the properties of individual oils, but learning the uses of geranium is a lot simpler if you know what most floral oils are like. However, keep in mind that these ‘families’ are an intellectual exercise to aid learning rather than scientific truth. ...