Carrier-oils

What is a carrier-oils

Pure essential oils are too concentrated to use directly on to the skin. It is therefore necessary to use a carrier oil to assist in application. Carrier oils are vegetable, nut or seed oils, many of which have therapeutic properties in and of themselves. Carrier-oils used in aromatherapy should be cold pressed oils, if at all possible. Not all carrier oils should be used at 100% concentration. Some are best used in dilution with another carrier oil. For example Evening Primrose or Borage Seed oils are quite thick, and better diluted in a lighter carrier oil. You may blend different carrier oils to achieve the desired result.

Natural lotions, creams, body oils, bath oils, lip balms and other moisturizing skin care products are also made using vegetable (carrier) oils. From a simple essential oil/carrier oil blend to a more complex natural lotion, your choice of carrier oil can make a difference in the therapeutic properties, color, overall aroma and shelf life of your final product.

Shelf Life: Carrier-oils vary in how long they last before oxidizing and becoming rancid. When purchasing carrier oils, estimate the quantity of oil that you think you'll use within the lifetime of the oil.

Some carrier oils are odorless, but generally speaking, most have a faintly sweet, nutty aroma. If you come across a carrier oil that has a strong, bitter aroma, the carrier oil may have gone rancid.

Storing For fragile carrier oils or for those that you will be keeping for a long duration, store them in dark glass bottles with tight fitting tops, and store them in a cool, dark location. Amber or cobalt Boston round bottles are ideal.

If you know that you will be using up an oil well before its lifespan, it really doesn't need to be transfered to dark glass. When you purchase carrier oils, the supplier may have packaged it in a plastic (PET/HDPE) bottle. This doesn't mean that the oil is inferior. Often suppliers use plastic bottles to save packaging and shipping costs and because many customers use up the oils shortly after purchase. Unlike with essential oils which should always be stored in glass (essential oils can dissolve the plastic), carrier oils can be stored in plastic.

Examples of vegetable oils that are used as a carrier in aromatherapy:

Sweet Almond Oil

Kukui Nut Oil

Apricot Kernel Oil

Macadamia Nut Oil

Avocado Oil

Meadowfoam Oil

Borage Seed Oil

Olive Oil

Camellia Seed Oil (Tea Oil)Peanut Oil

Cranberry Seed Oil

Pecan Oil

Evening Primrose Oil

Pomegranate Seed Oil

Fractionated Coconut Oil

Rose Hip Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Seabuckthorn Berry Oil

Hazelnut Oil

Sesame Oil

Hemp Seed Oil

Sunflower Oil

Jojoba Oil

Watermelon Seed Oil

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