What the HECK is a carrier oil????

Carrier oil, also known as base oil, is used to dilute essential oils before they are applied to the skin in massage, treatment and aromatherapy. They are so named because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. They’re naturally derived from vegetarian sources and most of the time have a neutral smell.

Carrier oils give you the ability to use your essential oils for just about anything! They are super important for when you’re using “hot” oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, etc. to buffer their effects on your skin, and also when using them with your youngsters because their skin is so much more sensitive than ours.

It’s important to note, that if you have a NUT ALLERGY, DO NOT USE NUT BASED OILS.

So without further ado, let’s talk about some carrier oils! Scroll past the Carrier oil list for a great “how to” for doing an oil cleanse on your face and suggested EO’s to mix with your cleansing oil.

I have to start with a funny example I found on another site that gives examples of what is not considered carrier oils: “The following are not to be confused with carrier oils, butter, margarine, shortening, mineral oil, or petroleum jelly.” Really? You had to list butter? *shakes head*

(Sweet) Almond – Great for normal, oily, dry, sensitive, and/or mature skin; Medium consistency and absorbs quickly; High in Vitamin E and Oleic acid (Omega 9); Neutral scent; Best all purpose oil; Shelf life 1 year

Apricot Kernel – Great for oily, sensitive, and/or mature skin; Best in face serums; Neutral scent; Shelf life of 1 year room temp, 2 years refridgerated

Argan – Great for dry and/or mature skin; Non-greasy and absorbs quickly; High in Vitamin E and fatty acids; Light hazelnut scent;Shelf life of  2+ years

Avocado – Great for dry and sensitive skin; Thick consistency, lends well to use on children as it acts as an extra buffer for their sensitive skin; neutral scent; High in Vitamin E

Cocoa Butter – Great for dry skin; Thick and hard to work with at room temperature, best when blended with other carrier oils; Sweet, chocolate scent; Shelf life of 2 – 3 years

Regular Coconut – Great for normal skin; Solid at room temperature, with an oily-moisturized feel; High in fatty acids; Distinct coconut scent; Shelf life of 2 years

Fractionated Coconut – Great for normal skin; Liquid at room temperature; Non-greasy and absorbs well; Neutral aroma; Called fractionated because it only contains a “fraction” of the fatty acids regular coconut oil contains, allowing it to stay liquid; Shelf life of 2 years (Great in roll-on EO blends)

Flax Seed – Great for oily skin; High in Oliec acid(Omega 3); Thin in consistency; Smells like butter; Short shelf life of 6 months

Grapeseed – Great for normal and/or oily skin; Thin consistency which is excellent for massages; High in Linoleic Acid (Omega 6); Shelf life of 1 year

Hempseed – Great for normal, oily, dry, and/or mature skin; Thin, light consistency; Smells like fresh cut grass(no it does not smell like marijuana); Shelf life of 1 year, preferably refridgerated

Jojoba – Great for oily, sensitive, and/or mature skin; Medium consistency; Non-greasy and the most like our skin’s own oil consistency enabling it to dissolve impurities in oily skin when doing oil cleanses;Neutral scent; Shelf life of 5 years

Macadamia Nut – Great for dry, sensitive, and/or mature skin: Medium consistency; Very similar to our skin’s oil; High in Linoleic acid (Omega 9); Sweet, nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Olive – Great for dry skin; Thicker, oily feel; Easy to find in stores; High in Oleic acid(Omega-9); Strong olive scent; Shelf life of 2 years

Pumpkin Seed – Great for Normal skin; Thick consistency; High in all fatty acids; Nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Rice Bran – Great for sensitive and/or mature skin; Great for using with EOs on babies; Thin consistency; Can cause some slight skin lightening; Light nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Rosehip – Great for dry and/or mature skin; Absorbs quickly into skin; Thin consistency; Earthy scent; Shelf life of 6 months

Sesame – Great for sensitive and/or mature skin; High in Vitamin E; Thin consistency, that leaves a slightly oily feel; Sweet, nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Shea Butter – Great for dry skin; Solid at room temperature, Leaves a well moisturized, waxy-feeling layer; Great for lotions and creams; Slight nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Sunflower – Great for normal and/or oily skin; Thin consistency and non-oily, great for massage blends; High in fatty acids; Slightly sweet scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Tamanu – Great for dry, sensitive, and/or mature skin; Excellent regenerative properties; Thick consistency; Earthy scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Walnut – Great for dry, and or mature skin; Thin consistency, but extra emollient; Nutty scent; Shelf life of 1 year

Wheat Germ – Great for normal, oily, and/or dry skin; Absorbs quickly; Rich in Vitamins A, B, D, and E; Helps prevent scarring; Strong, heavy fragrance; Shelf life of 1 year

Oil Cleansing

Instead of using harsh, drying soaps and cleansers, filled with chemicals and God knows what, try doing an oil cleanse! I’m a believer. I would’ve never known how great my skin could look and feel if it weren’t for experimenting for this post! I’ll be doing it from now on. I use almond oil and Copaiba, but here’s a few suggestions on different EOs to try according to skin type and a simple “how-to” to do your own oil cleanse:

Suggested EOs for Oil Cleansing:

All skin types: Lavender, Geranium(great for wrinkles); Frankincense, Clary Sage, and Sandlewood

Oily: Bergamot(Remember this is a citrus and only use it at night) & Helichrysum

Dry & Mature: Myrhh & Rose

Oil Cleanse “How To”:

1. Open pores by rinsing your face with warm water.
2. With upward rotations, massage oil mixture all over face for 1–2 minutes.
3. Leave mixture on face for 1 minute.
4. Saturate a clean washcloth with warm water.
5. Place towel on face and leave for 15–30 seconds.
6. Slowly and gently wipe off oil.
7. Repeat steps 5–7 until your face feels clean.

I would suggest removing any eyeliner and/or mascara with a make-up remover pad or baby wipe before doing an oil cleanse with an EO mixed in. Sometimes your eyes can be extra sensitive to EOs when used around them. I usually only need to do one round of this and it’s very effective. My face feels clean and hydrated. Not the least bit oily or greasy. I would wait about 10 mins for the oil to sufficiently hydrate your skin before applying make-up afterwards.

And with that, you are now well equipped to use carrier oils! There a re a ton more oils out there that you could use and I would love to hear what kinds you prefer and how your using them. And remember, we love questions and feedback!