Carrier Oils
Jul 09
Lightweight, virtually scentless, easy to blend, and reliably liquid at room temperature, fractionated coconut oil has become one of the most popular carrier oils used in modern aromatherapy. If you have ever purchased an essential-oil roll-on, massage blend, perfume oil, or ready-to-use topical aromatherapy product, there is a good chance you have encountered it. Fractionated …
Jul 09
Golden, lightweight, and especially popular in facial oils, rosehip oil is one of the more distinctive carrier oils used in natural skincare and aromatherapy. Unlike neutral carriers such as fractionated coconut oil, rosehip oil brings its own character to a formulation. It may have a golden, orange, or reddish hue, a subtle earthy aroma, and …
Jul 09
Silky, golden, and versatile, argan oil has become one of the best-known botanical ingredients in modern skincare and haircare. It appears in facial serums, conditioners, hair oils, beard products, body treatments, and countless cosmetic formulas. Its popularity is not entirely the result of beauty marketing. Pressed from the kernels of the Argania spinosa tree, this …
Jul 09
Thick, glossy, and unlike almost any other common carrier oil, castor oil has been used in cosmetics and personal care products for generations. Today, it appears in lip products, soaps, cleansing oils, hair treatments, scalp products, body oils, and countless DIY beauty recipes. It is also surrounded by some enormous claims. Search online and you …
Jul 09
Lightweight, deeply nourishing, and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, hemp seed oil is an increasingly popular carrier oil for natural skincare, body oils, hair products, and aromatherapy blends. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Because hemp comes from Cannabis sativa, people sometimes assume that a bottle of hemp seed oil is essentially the …
Jul 08
Rich, smooth, and rooted in centuries of culinary and body-care traditions, sesame oil is a versatile plant oil that deserves more attention as an aromatherapy carrier. Pressed from the seeds of Sesamum indicum, it has a medium-weight texture and a fatty-acid profile dominated largely by oleic and linoleic acids. It also contains distinctive plant compounds …
Jul 08
Light, smooth, widely available, and surprisingly interesting from a formulation standpoint, sunflower oil is one of the most practical carrier oils for skincare, massage, body oils, and aromatherapy blends. Pressed from the seeds of Helianthus annuus, it is often inexpensive compared with specialty carriers such as rosehip or argan, yet it offers a useful combination …
Jul 06
Lightweight, smooth, and easy to spread, grapeseed oil is one of the most practical carrier oils for massage, body oils, facial blends, and everyday aromatherapy. Produced from the small seeds left behind during grape and wine production, it is also an interesting example of turning an agricultural byproduct into a useful cosmetic ingredient. Its light …
Jul 06
Rich, aromatic, and instantly recognizable, coconut oil is one of the most familiar plant oils used in natural skincare, haircare, massage, and DIY body products. Pressed from the flesh of mature coconuts, Cocos nucifera, it behaves very differently from many of the liquid carrier oils used in aromatherapy. It is naturally high in saturated fatty …
Jul 06
Essential oils may provide the fragrance in an aromatherapy blend, but carrier oils are what make many topical recipes practical. They provide the base for massage oils, roll-ons, body oils, facial blends, hair preparations, oil perfumes, beard oils, and countless other DIY projects. More importantly, an appropriate carrier allows highly concentrated essential oils to be …
