When blending oils, I like to choose the best organic essential oils, as well as the finest organic carrier oils. Essential oils are diluted into carrier oils, which are the main component of oil blends, used in aromatherapy, massage, and skincare.
What are Carrier Oils?
Carrier oils ‘carry’ other active ingredients to the different layers of the skin. They hold on to the essential oils so that deeper penetration is achieved, and to avoid early escape, as essential oils are quite volatile in nature.
Importance of Choosing a Carrier Oil
The best quality oils are cold pressed, certified organic, and pleasant to smell. It is also very important to look at the composition of the oils, in order to see what benefits they bring to the body. Carrier oils are vegetable in nature, extracted from different parts of a plant, such as seeds or nuts.
Composition of Carrier Oils
Carrier oils are composed of fatty acids and their different compositions determine the colour, thickness and penetration speed
Fatty acids can be essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are the ones the body cannot produce on its own. They are the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, good for a healthy body and skin. The main Omega-3 fatty acid is the alpha linolenic acid, which is present in vegetable oils, while the other Omega-3s are mainly present in fish oil. Good examples of Omega-6 fatty acids that are present in vegetable oils are the gamma linolenic acid and the linoleic acid.
When picking a good combination of carrier oils, look for the presence of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants as well.
Examples of Good Carrier Oils
Camellia Oil
Camellia oil contains 85% oleic fatty acid, which is a pleasure to the skin. Its viscosity allows it to be absorbed easily into the skin and can be used alone on the skin, hair and nails. Camellia oil is one of the most rapidly absorbing oils making it a fantastic choice for use on the face. It is safe to use during pregnancy and on children, too.
Argan Oil
Argan oil is full of fatty acids, such as oleic, palmatic and linoleic, making it a great anti-aging ingredient, both in nutrition, haircare and skincare. Argan oil is rich in antioxidants which helps prevent free radicle damage which helps keeping the skin youthful. Please find more information on argan oil here
Jojoba Oil
Interestingly, Jojoba is structurally and chemically very similar to human skin sebum, which is the naturally occurring oil humans produce. As well as being extremely safe to use it doesn’t clog up the pores.