Carriers for Essential Oils

Why Carriers are Important?

Much attention is payed to essential oils and their benefits. However, carriers are a very important component in a blend. In many cases, we can omit the essential oil and just use a carrier.

What exactly is a Carrier?

A carrier is the medium to which we add essential oils.

Why Do We Need Carriers?

Essential oils are highly concentrated and can burn and/or irritate the skin. In order to avoid this, we need to dilute them in carriers.

Is Water a carrier?

No, water is not a carrier. This is because essential oils cannot bind to water. At some point, we have heard that “water and oil do not mix”. So, this is why we need to dilute essential oils in other oils. In fact, water may cause more harm than good because it can accelerate the absorption of essential oils into the skin potentially causing an increased negative reaction. If an essential oil gets into your eyes, you should not use water to wash it out, but rather a vegetable oil.

So, what is considered a carrier?

Typically, carriers are oil based, and like essential oils, they also come from plants. There are, however, other carriers that are often added to blends, such as beeswax.

A Few Common Carriers

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe Vera has been widely known to sooth sensitive skin, especially after a sunburn. However, it is also a very good astringent. Aloe Vera is often used in facial cleansers and antiacne blends. This is because it is very lightweight and absorbs quickly into the skin.

Avocado Oil

This oil is often used in blends to protect the skins cell wall from weakening. It is also known to help regenerate the skin by hydrating the upper layers when used every day. It is also used in blends for inflamed skin and arthritis.

Baobab Oil

Baobab is highly penetrating and is often used as a cell regenerator for healing scars and burns. It is also used to help mature skin by improving the skin’s elasticity.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is not easily absorbed into the skin therefore, when applied it acts a barrier against water loss. Before the warnings of the sun’s ill effects, this butter had been used in blends to obtain a dark tan.

Coconut Oil

Recently coconut oil has become a popular oil. It is used in cooking and oral care. It is absorbed by the skin relatively quickly and used a variety of skin care products. It is mild so it can be used on sensitive skin. However, some people find it drying.

Jojoba Oil (actually this is a liquified wax)

This oil is very versatile. Massage therapists like it for its texture. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good carrier for muscle, tendon, and ligament blends. It is also very moisturizing and often used instead of a cream.

Kombo Butter

This is a butter that has antifungal, anti-rhuematic, and antimicrobial properties, as well as being high in antioxidants. It is also soothing to the skin. I personally like to use this butter in joint and muscle pain blends, with success.

Mango Butter

I just love the smell of mango butter and use it in my facial butter since it has powerful antioxidant properties. It moisturizes, repairs, and revitalizes my skin.

Palm Kernel Oil

This is another carrier that I use in my joint and muscle blends. This is because it is high in myristic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It is a hard butter that works well when mixed with other carriers such as coconut and jojoba oils.

Shea Butter

Shea is known to alleviate dryness and help other skin conditions such burns and eczema.

Tamanu Oil

This is a very powerful oil as it can be absorbed deep within the skin’s layers. Importantly it has strong healing and anti-inflammatory properties. This oil is often used for burns, psoriasis, eczema, and shingles.

Trauma Oil

Trauma oil is a combination of oils that have been infused with arnica, calendula, and St. John’s Wart. This oil is used in blends for injuries, traumas, and healing.

Blending Carriers

Normally the aromatherapist will blend different carriers together to maximize their healing potential and make them easier to apply. My mixing two hard butters like shea and cocoa with a liquid oil, such as jojoba oil we can customize the consistency to our needs. Often, we do not even need to add essential oils to the mix.

But when we are dealing with issues such arthritis, we can blend a variety of butters and oils, then add essential oils that have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. By using the right combination of carriers and essential oils, we can begin to support the issue.

Dilution Rates

When we do add essential oils to these carriers, we need to keep in mind the dilution rates. For everyday body care the dilution should be kept at about 2%. For facial care the dilution should be about 1% since the skin on our face can be delicate. When we are dealing with an acute issue then the dilution can go up to 10%, provided the blend is not used over a prolonged period of time. Normally, a high dilution rate, about 5% and over should only be used for a couple of weeks.

Sources

Parker, S.M. (2014). The Power of the Seed. Port Townsedn, WA: Process Media.

Black, C., Butje, A. Aromahead Institute (2019). Carrier Oils and Butters. Retrieved (2019, October 7). https://www.aromahead.com/online-course/aromatherapy-certification-program/reference/general-reference/carrier-oils-and-butters

Have a Wonderful Week!

Elizabete Desire’ Freijs – NAHA Certified Professional Aromatherapist