Aromatherapy: What is a Carrier Oil

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Saturday, July 18th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

by Sue Dana Saiah, Sudanna Saiah

Carrier oils are almost as important as the essential oil. The quality of the carrier affects the quality of the blend or product.

A Base Oil Essential oils are mixed into a base of carrier oil. This dilutes the essential oil to the proper strength for usage. It also creates the perfect product for your application.

Natural Only A carrier oil is a pure, natural vegetable oil. There can be no additives, herbs or fruits of any kind. There are many oils to choose from for a carrier, and blends using different carriers are popular and effective.

Press Process Cold pressed vegetable oils are squeezed from the fatty parts of the plants. They provide a heavy base that will not evaporate. Choose those without a strong scent for aromatherapy.

What they Carry Natural vegetable oils are absorbed into the skin. The carry the essential oils into the skin gently preventing irritation. Essential oils also improve absorption. For this reason never use anything but pure plant base oils.

No Impurities Be careful of oils you would buy at the grocery store. They may not be cold pressed and may contain impurities or additives. Use only pure, cold pressed oils for full therapeutic benefit. You can get these at a health food store or from an aromatherapist.

Storing Your Oils All natural vegetable oils used as aromatherapy carrier oil have no preservatives. That means they can go rancid. Carrier oils are sold in small bottle and can be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them cool and tightly capped and they will last for nine months.

Different Carrier Oils Choose your aromatherapy carrier oils for their different therapeutic benefits and based on how you intend to use them.

Sweet Almond This light golden carrier oil with the light, nutty aroma, is a favorite. It Is does not absorb to quickly, setting on the skin just long enough to soothe irritations, relieve inflammation. It softens and nourishes.

Grapeseed This is probably the lightest and silkiest oil. It also has almost no scent, only a light pleasantness. It is used in aromatherapy for facials. The astringent properties tone, firm, and tighten the skin. This effect can be increased by certain essential oils giving you younger looking skin instantly. The one draw-back to this oil is that it is not cold pressed, but solvent extracted.

Avocado The rich, emollient moisturizer is used for dry and mature skin. Avocado is laden with moisture rich fatty acids and vitamins A and E which nourish and heal aging or dry sin. Your skins will look and feel moist and supple as youth after this treatment. Severe dry skins conditions also benefit.

Olive (Olea europaea) This oil is light green or yellow colored. It has excellent therapeutic properties as massage oil. It is very gentle, soothing and healing to the skin. It heals dry, cracked skin. It softens the skins and protects it from further irritation. It relaxes and softens the muscles aiding massage. It is a very stable oil and can remain unrefrigerated for up to a year.

Macadamia Nut (Macadamia intergrifolia ) Nut oils are all very fatty and nourishing to dry and mature skin. This amber colored oil is light and clear. It has a characteristic nutty aroma. The essential oil palmitoleic acid leaves the skin soft and supple.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) Jojoba oil is really a wax. It is polyunsaturated and liquid. In its qualities and consistency it is very similar to sebum - our natural skin oil. Being so compatible with our bodies, it is quickly absorbed, soothes inflammations and nurtures the skin, hair and nail. Being more wax than oil it can help control acne, and treat oily skin and scalp. Because it is an antioxidant, it will not go rancid. This quality also helps to prevent rancidity when blended with other oils.

Evening Primrose Essential fatty acids are great for your health, inside and outside. This oil is loaded with gamma-linoleic acid. It is superb for dry and mature skin. The fatty acid is soothing to inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. Psoriasis and dermatitis.

Wheat Germ Oils Wheat germ is honey-colored and thick with a strong nutty, grainy smells High concentrations of vitamins B, A and E make it a healing balm for painful cracked skin, and it heals stretch marks and scars., The strong vitamin E content makes it a good antioxidant oil. Antioxidants are natural preservatives. Although not as strong as a chemical, it can afford some protection and extend the shelf-life of other oils when blended with them.

About the Author:

Dana is a licensed massage therapist in Atlanta, GA, USA, where she has practiced for over 17 years. For more information on clinical therapies, nutritional counseling or products visit Native Bodyworx at www.nativebodyworx.us. Visit Dana’s blog for health and wellness information or if you have questions for Dana. Get Social, Bookmark Us!!: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.