Top 3 Carrier Oils

by Allison Huish

If you use essential oils, there's no doubt you've used a carrier oil to dilute your essential oils. Carrier oils are mainly oils extracted from the nuts, seeds or kernels of plants.

As they are fairly neutral, carrier oils compliment essential oils and are an excellent choice for diluting essential oils for skin and hair products such as massage oils, scrubs, salves, lotions and balms.

Carrier oil = a vegetable oil used to dilute essential oils before applying. They help “carry” the essential oils deeper into the skin. These include coconut, almond,  jojoba, grapeseed, olive oil, etc. Each oil has different attributes and shelf life.
The most shelf-stable carrier oil is coconut oil. We use Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO) from doTERRA in which they separate (or “fractionate”) the fatty acids from the triglycerides so that it never gets hard. It has many wonderful benefits including an indefinite shelf life, odorless and colorless, does not stain clothing, absorbs quickly and easily, is not greasy, does not clog pores and is wonderful for skin. 

Virgin coconut oil also has its own wonderful benefits for the skin and body. The primary benefit of Fractionated Coconut oil exists when premixing diluted oils in a roller bottle because it wont harden and render the roller useless, and is less messy to apply.

OUR TOP 3 CARRIER OILS 

 

1. FRACTIONATED COCONUT OIL

Fractionated Coconut Oil, is a feather-light emollient that softens and hydrates dry skin while increasing essential oil distribution. Unlike other vegetable carrier oils, Fractionated Coconut Oil leaves skin feeling silky and smooth without a greasy aftereffect. Fractionated Coconut Oil readily absorbs into the skin and is soluble with all essential oils. Because Fractionated Coconut Oil is colorless and odorless, it is perfect for blending with essential oils as it preserves and maintains their original fragrance and benefits. This carrier oil is ideal for dry or troubled skin and provides a soothing topical barrier without clogging pores. Fractionated Coconut Oil should be used when applying strong essential oils topically to help reduce skin sensitivity. 

 

2. ALMOND OIL

Almond Oil is great for dry skin.  It brings with it loads of vitamins including Vitamin E which rocks for moisturizing and nourishing skin for a healthy glow.  Almond oil is amazing for dry or itchy skin since it packs amazing soothing qualities. As an added bonus, almond oil is a deep conditioner for dry hair.

 

3. ROSE HIP OIL

The name "rosehip" can be slightly misleading. Rosehip seed oil doesn't actually come from a rose or a rosebud. Instead, rosehip seed oil is the result of extracting the oils from a small bright-red berry-like seed pod of two types of wild roses—Rosa moschata or Rosa rubiginosa. The inside of a rosehip is a bright orange, which is where the oil gets its notorious bright orangey-red color.

When used on the face, rosehip seed oil is essentially a cure-all. "Rosehip oil is a fantastic moisturizer that does not break people out," said Dr. Fishman. It's good for all skin types, especially dry or rosacea-prone," Dr. Fishman said.

"The main bioactive component of rosehip seed oil is all-trans retinoic acid, which is a natural precursor to vitamin A. The high amount of tretinoin is responsible for making rosehip one of the best oils for restoring depleted and scarred tissue," said Winters. So it can help reduce the appearance and formation of acne scarring, too. Use it as a spot treatment to make the healing process more efficient.

Additionally, vitamin C helps brighten the complexion, while GLA protects against environmental stressors and, subsequently, premature aging. Rosehip seed oils with a deep coloring also have a subtle bronzing effect on the skin (but be careful—you'll want to rotate other oils in because too much can impart a temporary "orange" glow).


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