If you’ve ever applied a topical essential oil, you will know there are so many benefits. But you will also know that on their own, they don’t last long, and they can be overpowering for the skin.
A carrier oil acts as a conduit, or a base layer, to ‘carry’ the essential oil on your skin. A carrier oil makes them last longer, it makes them less intense, and it also adds to the whole experience.
We are going to explore the six best carrier oils, and what they’re best used for.
What Are Carrier Oils?
A carrier oil is a base layer applied to the skin. It protects the skin from harsh reactions to essential oils.
Carrier oils tend to be oils that are typically naturally sourced and grown and more commonly used with food preparation and other beauty products. They are extracted from things like nuts, seeds, and kernels.
They are used prior to essential oil application in order to lessen and dilute the essential oil. The characteristics of carrier oils are:
– They don’t evaporate. – They have no strong smell. – They are gentle on the skin. – They can carry and dilute essential oils. – They make the essential oils last longer.
They are used in creams, tinctures, topical, even tablets, and medicine. Their purpose? Healing. In one form or another. Fluent healing, linear healing. All of the above.
Many types of essential oils are used for many ailments. Acne, anxiety, aches and pains, rashes, cysts, sickness.
You name it. There’s an essential oil for that.
Almond Carrier Oil
Key Properties
Origin Almond carrier oil is extracted from almond kernels.
Use It is used for boosting hair and skin health.
Popular uses of almond oil include:
– Bath products – Hair products – Moisturizer for dry skin and eczema – Shaving – Massage oil and cream
Highlights
Strong Scent: A downside of this oil is that it can often mask the essential oil scent, with an overpowering almond nutty aroma.
Light: A very light oil, which sits nicely on the skin without an overpowering presence.
Absorbent: Also very absorbent. It is one of the fastest absorbing carrier oils that currently exists.
Vitamin Content: Like most carrier oils, there is a high vitamin content. You get vitamin E, magnesium, and other anti-oxidants.
Which Essential Oils Does It Suit?
– Tea Tree Oil – Rose Oil – Frankincense Oil – Lavender Oil – Lemongrass Oil
Recipe For Sore Skin And Eczema
For this recipe, we are going to mix almond oil with lavender oil. These are both strong scents that surprisingly suit each other.
Lots of essential oils are drowned out scent wise by the strong nutty aroma that almond oil brings. That is why lavender and almond oil fit like a hand in a glove.
Ingredients And Equipment
– 1 cup almond oil – 1 cup shea butter – 30 drops (1.5 ml) Lavender Oil – Optional: 10 drops (0.5 ml) Tea Tree Oil – Mixing Pan/Stirrer
The Method
– First, you will mix the almond oil in with the shea butter into the pan. Then, put on a low heat. Now, stir gently.
– This mixture needs to melt completely, so you will need to wait until the shea butter is runny in consistency.
– Immediately mix in your chosen essential oils.
– Let the mixture cool down.
– You have two options now: Either use it as an oil treatment, runny and smooth. OR, whisk the mixture up into a cream type application.
– You can then apply the concoction immediately, and store it in the fridge for further use.
Avocado Carrier Oil
Key Properties
Origin Avocado oil is extracted from the seed inside the avocado, and by pressing the avocado fruit and squeezing out the oil.
Use Avocado oil has many uses. The most popular include skincare and haircare. It is soothing and high in moisture.
Unrefined: Avocado carrier oil is one of the unrefined oils. It comes from the avocado fruit, extracted by pressing the avocado and squeezing.
High In Moisture: Avocado oil can best be defined as soothing. It is very gentle and can help ease a number of sore, itchy, and painful ailments.
This is because of its moisturizing qualities. Avocado oil has long been popular in skincare and haircare products because of its moisture content, and how that transfers to us.
High Vitamin Content: It is high in vitamins, all of which are extremely beneficial to your general health and wellbeing.
These include:
– vitamin C: Great for general healing, bone and cartilage health, teeth health, and collagen formation.
– Vitamin B6: Strengthens the immune system. Can combat anxiety and depression. Good for overall healing and nausea symptoms.
– Calcium: Calcium is good for bone, nails, tooth strength, and general health.
– Iron: Stronger muscles, hemoglobin strength, reduces tiredness, and boosts the immune system.
– Vitamin D: Muscle and bone strength. Alongside eye strength and vision strength. Vitamin D is known as the ‘sun’ vitamin, because you can get it from contact with the sunlight.
Which Essential Oils Does It Suit?
– Peppermint Oil – Lavender Oil – Rose Oil – Tea tree Oil
Recipe For A Moisturizing Face Mask
Ingredients and Equipment
– ½ cup avocado oil – ¼ cup shea butter – ¼ cup avocado – 1 tsp honey – 0.5 ML peppermint oil – 0.5 ML rose oil – A mixing bowl and stirrer
The Method
– First, take your avocado carrier oil, your avocado, and your shea butter. Put all three into a mixing bowl together and mash with the back of a spoon until mixed in.
Then stir to make sure everything is mixed thoroughly.
– Next, it is time to add in your essential oil drops. Stir them in gently, ensuring they are fully merged with the first mixture.
– Put in the fridge until chilled. This is usually around half an hour, but it’s worth a check after the 15-minute mark.
– Apply to your face and leave on for ten minutes. Then completely wash the face mask off and say hello to beautifully moisturized skin.
Grapeseed Carrier Oil
Key Properties
Origin Grapeseed oil is cold pressed from grapes.
Use This carrier oil has lots of uses. It is a popular choice for skin care products and as a carrier for essential oils suited for skin ailments.
– This is a really simple and straightforward recipe.
– Empty all of your ingredients into the mixing bowl, and mix gently. You should be able to smell all the different essential oils scents coming together perfectly.
– If you want to, you can heat this oil. Make sure you don’t boil it. However, massage oil is sometimes more effective when moderately heated through.
– It is ready straight away.
Jojoba Carrier Oil
Key Features
Origin The jojoba carrier oil is extracted from jojoba plant seeds.
Use The jojoba carrier oil can be mixed with a range of essential oils to create a list of topical creams and oils.
Vitamin Content: Vitamin A, E, D, zinc, copper, and omegas 6 and 9.
Antimicrobial: Antimicrobial is a desirable property. It ensures that anything nasty, such as bacteria, that may latch on and grow, is stopped in its tracks.
Antifungal: Natural antifungal properties make it a good carrier oil for acne treatments, and enable the healing of flesh wounds.
Moisture Content: Jojoba carrier oil has a high moisture content. This makes it very enriching for the skin and hair.
– Decant the jojoba carrier oil into the mixing bowl.
– Add the essential oils, taking care to add the right amounts and separately.
– Gently stir the mixture until all of the carrier oil and essential oils have mixed together.
– It’s ready to go. We recommend lathering this oil treatment into damp, pre-washed hair (incl. Shampooed and conditioned). Leave it to rest for ten minutes on your head, roots to ends.
– Rinse thoroughly and blow dry, or allow it to dry naturally.
Coconut Carrier Oil
Key Features
Origin Coconut carrier oil is made from the meat of the coconut.
Use For use with essential oils as a carrier oil, it’s important to source unrefined coconut oil.
Unrefined coconut oil is different from refined coconut oil because it does not come from old, dried meat. It is fresh, and uncontaminated by external preservatives and chemicals.
Coconut oil can be used for lots of different skin products, hair products and has some medical benefits too.
– Moisturizers – Stretch Marks – Cellulite – Face Mask – Hair conditioning treatments
Highlights
Moisture: Coconut carrier oil is best known for its high moisturizing qualities. The coconut has a high water ratio, which adds to the moisturizing effects.
Scent: Like almond oil, coconut oil has a distinctive smell. Unlike almond oil, it can be masked a little easier. The lingering scent of coconut may still come through.
Vitamin Content: Vitamin E, and the rest is just fat. When we say fat, we mean the good kind. The kind that is rich in nutrients and goodies that will sooth and moisturize your skin.
Acid Content: The coconut also contains acids.
Lauric acid is known for its healing properties against viruses and, boost absorption.
Capric acid, is antimicrobial and antifungal and also contains the proteins that stimulate hair follicle growth
Linoleic acids are used in medicine for scar and cut treatment, they are high in moisture, and are anti-inflammatory.
Vitamin Content: Vitamin E which is known for its hydrating and moisturizing. Alongside this, there are several acids also present known to promote healthy skin, healing and even anti-aging.
Regenerative: Argan oil is associated with anti-aging beauty products. This is owing to its strong healing properties and smoothening of scars, wounds, and other skin imperfections.
Healing: Also a popular ingredient in treatment of wounds. This is because of the acid content and their antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Recipe For Argan Oil And Essential Oil For Weak Nails
Ingredients and Equipment
– ½ cup Argan carrier oil – 10 drops myrrh essential oil – 10 drops lemongrass essential oil – Pan and Stirrer – Cotton swabs or cotton pads
The Method
– Decant the argan oil into a mixing pan.
– Add in the essential oils one at a time.
– Heat the mixture on a low heat, taking care not to bring to a boil.
– Stir gently while heating.
– Do this for around five minutes, or until you have ensured all oils are mixed together properly.
– Let the mixture cool down just enough so that you can bear to touch it.
– Then, you are ready to use it. Dip in the cotton swab and apply to the beds of the nail, the nail body and the nail tips.
Top tip: You can also use this all over your hands to give them a moisture boost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Carrier Oils Necessary With Essential Oil Application?
There is no law saying that you have to use a carrier oil with an essential oil. However, carrier oils reduce and even eliminate any potential irritation caused by direct essential oil application.
They also strengthen the duration, and effects of the essential oil. So, while you don’t have to use them, they are undeniably advantageous.
Which Is The Most Common Carrier Oil Used With Essential Oils?
There is no firm favorite carrier oil that is used with essential oils. Instead, you will find different carrier oils suit different essential oils and indeed different purposes. Carrier oils dilute and enhance.
Different carrier oils work with different effects. What is good for the hair, may not be good for acne, for example.
Which Is The Most Common Essential Oil For Topical Application?
The topical application tends to favor moisture based carrier oils. The firm favorite when it comes to skincare is definitely almond oil.
Almond oil, or sweet almond oil, has the qualities that match up to a great and nutritious skincare regime, and it brings out the best and coexists happily with a range of essential oils.
Conclusion
Carrier oils carry with them some major benefits.
They can, backed up by evidence, enhance the experience of using essential oils.
There are, of course, many more carrier oils out there for you to explore. However, we have detailed the six most popular with some of the best features, carrier oils have to offer.
Hi, my name is Hannah Shiftle, and I started using essential oils 15 years ago. At first, I was dubious of them, much like a lot of people. However, as I began to use them on a daily basis, I quickly discovered how much of a difference they had on both my physical and mental health.
Through Oil Health Benefits, I will be sharing my knowledge and passion for essential oils with you, providing readers with all the information they need to know. From the best oils to use for illnesses, to understanding what makes essential oils pure, I have covered all these topics.
