How to Use Carrier Oils?

How to use Carrier Oils

Simply defined, carrier oil is an oil that is derived from the natural fats contained in various parts of a plant. Usually the oil is extracted from nuts, seeds and kernels. For example, everybody is familiar with sesame seeds – Sesame Seed oil is extracted from those tiny little cream colored seeds.

The majority of essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin due to their potency and potential to cause skin irritation or photosensitivity. Therefore a carrier oil is used to dilute them down and this blend can then be used for massage purposes.

Some of the most common carrier oils include Sweet Almond Oil and Apricot Kernel Oil, however there is a range of many different oils that can be used depending on your budget and requirements.

What are the ratios of carrier oil to essential oil?

As a general rule of thumb for body massage it should be 2% essential oil to 98% carrier oil. With facial massage the proportion of essential oil is even lower at 1%.

Do carrier oils have any health giving properties of their own?

Yes of course! If you think about it, when performing a body massage you are using a blend that contains 98% carrier oil, so there’s plenty of goodness and benefits to be harnessed from that carrier oil.

Different carrier oils have different properties, so it’s a good idea to choose the right one for your requirements. To give an example, Sweet Almond oil is a popular choice for body massage as it doesn’t have too much of an odour and absorbs fairly well into the skin without leaving it feeling greasy and sticky. Jojoba oil is a good option for facial massage as the carrier oil itself is packed with fatty acids and is rich and nourishing for the delicate skin on the face.