Carrier Oils, Base Oils or Vegetable Oils

🫒 What Are Carrier Oils?

Carrier oils, also referred to as base oils or vegetable oils, are used to dilute essential oils, CO2s and absolutes before applying to the skin. They "carry" the essential oil onto the skin. Different carrier oils offer different properties and the choice of carrier oil can depend on the therapeutic benefit being sought.

You could also use organic, virgin, cold-pressed organic oils, some of which you might already have in your pantry.

⭐ Popular Carrier Oils

🥥 Coconut Oil

Excellent skin care oil. It can also be used as a salad or culinary oil. It is a stable oil, making it a great substitute for other oils and butter in cooking, baking, frying, or in smoothies.

🌰 Sweet Almond Oil

Almond Oil nourishes and revives the skin, is easily absorbed, won't clog pores, and promotes clear healthy skin. It is a great all-over body moisturizer.

Skin Care:

Good for all skin types. Soothes and softens. Used to relieve dryness, itching, and inflammation. Popular as a make-up remover.

Method of Use:

Used alone or combined with other carrier oils for massage. Bath oil or after-shower moisturizer.

100% pure almond oil is also excellent as a salad and culinary oil

🌱 Jojoba Oil

Aroma

Light to medium, distinct but pleasant

Texture

Light and silky, absorbs well

Shelf Life

Very long, doesn't oxidize

Jojoba Oil is an all-natural vegetable oil derived from the jojoba bean. Actually a liquid wax, jojoba is the carrier of choice for the perfumery industry because it does not oxidize or become rancid. An excellent moisturizer suitable for daily use.

Jojoba Oil nourishes and revitalizes skin, relieves sunburn and can be used on hands, nails and hair. Jojoba Oil is remarkably similar to the natural sebum secreted by our own skin.

Notes: It is a somewhat pricier oil and is frequently blended in a small dilution (10%) with other oils. It has a very long shelf-life.

🍇 Grapeseed Oil

Aroma

Light, slightly sweet with nutty hint

Texture

Thin but leaves glossy film

Grapeseed Oil is a light, odorless natural oil derived from Italian grape seeds. It has emollient properties that impart a rich, silky luster to skin while soothing skin irritation.

This oil is suitable for all skin types and will not aggravate acne because of its mild astringent properties. Grape Seed Oil is an excellent base for lotions and is also useful for hair conditioning and styling.

🌰 Specialty Oils

🍑 Apricot Kernel

Benefits: Softening, nourishing, protecting and rejuvenating. Natural source of Vitamin B plus skin-nourishing fatty acids.

Usage: Massage 3-5 drops onto face after washing. Semi-oily texture makes it helpful in massage blends.

🥑 Avocado Oil

Properties: Thick texture, sweet, fatty and nutty aroma. Softening, nourishing, protecting and rejuvenating.

⚠️ Warning: Highly toxic to birds! Do not use if birds may ingest from your skin.

🌸 Borage Oil

Properties: Light and sweet aroma. Excellent for treating skin conditions. Rich source of essential fatty acids.

Note: Expensive, usually blended at 10% dilution. Goes rancid quickly.

🌼 Evening Primrose

Properties: Light and sweet aroma. Thin texture, leaves minimal oiliness. Excellent for skin irritation and dryness.

Note: Expensive, usually blended at 10% dilution. Goes rancid quickly.

🌰 Hazelnut Oil

Properties: Light, nutty, sweet aroma. Thin texture with light yellow color.

Best for: Good choice for those with oilier skin types.

🍫 Cocoa Butter

Properties: Rich, chocolaty aroma. Solid at room temperature, hard to work with alone.

Uses: Softer skin, prevent stretch marks, soothe diaper rash. Needs to be blended with other oils.

⚠️ Special Considerations

🌴 Natural Red Palm Oil

Natural Red Palm Oil is rich in natural carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols. It has a rich bright red color due to high carotenoid content (above 500 mg/kg!). These are mainly beta carotene (275mg/kg) and alpha carotene (175 mg/kg).

Made from the fruit of oil palm, it's cholesterol-free and contains about 50% saturated fats and 50% unsaturated fats.

⚠️ NOTE: Not recommended for personal skin care products. It would turn your skin ORANGE!

👤 What Works for Me

I use mainly jojoba oil, almond oil, shea butter, organic cold-pressed virgin coconut oil for my body and under my eyes; and organic cold-pressed grapeseed oil for my face (I have thick combination skin that is prone to acne and gets oily).

💰 Budget Tip from Noel (Georgetown, Texas)

"If you're on a budget, I found a TWO POUND tub of Coconut Oil at WAL-MART for $2.82. The brand is LouAnn and it's in the aisle with baking supplies and oils. No need to buy that expensive stuff at the health food store."

I find it easy to mix the above carrier oils together with Essential oils that address my personal needs. I'm delighted about the creamy texture and absolutely customized and effective cream -- without toxins, chemicals, or additives.

You pay so much more for creams at the department store -- but the most expensive aspect is the packaging! You're paying for packaging and have to live with lower-quality ingredients and chemical additives.

❄️ Storage & Money-Saving Tips

🧊 Storage

  • • Keep oils in the refrigerator
  • • Mix creams as needed
  • • Oils last for a long time
  • • Check for rancidity regularly

💸 Money Saving

  • • Buy in bulk when possible
  • • Use kitchen oils (coconut, etc.)
  • • Mix your own blends
  • • Definitely saves money vs. department store creams

Legal Disclaimer: Information contained on this website is provided as general reference only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought.

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