Carrier Oils: the Essential Oil’s Best Friend
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
The word aromatherapy instantly draws up a long list of delicious and delightful scents: rose, lime, lavender, tea tree, frankincense, mandarin! Volatile oils are the alluring, and certainly the most memorable, aspect of aroma medicine. Following on the coattails of this exotic repertoire of essential oils, however, is a group of oils frequently referred to as “carrier oils.” This category includes any plant-derived oil that primarily functions as a base oil for containing, delivering and enhancing an essential oil. While essential oils are short-chain molecules that quickly dissolve when exposed to air (thus the term “volatile oils,” meaning quick to change), carrier oils are longer-chain molecules that do not break down as rapidly and hold their shape and qualities longer.
Essential oils and carrier oils have a symbiotic relationship in aromatherapy. While carriers are often thought of in terms of their reflexology and massage uses, these oils actually posses their own virtues. Instead of thinking of them as merely the method of applying essential oils, we can explore the unique qualities of carrier oils separately with great results. Most likely, your aromatherapy techniques will be enhanced by using your special essential oils with carriers that actually increase their medicinal qualities.
To begin with, it is important to remember that fats are essential for human life. Fats, called lipids, are critical for maintaining warmth, providing protection and ensuring healthy cellular function. Although the world of nutrition is engaged in discovering which fats are best for internal health, aromatherapy is concerned with how plant-derived oils deliver health from the outside in. Externally-applied oils help the body maintain vital functions in unique ways through both chemical changes and mechanical assistance.
Fat molecules are composed of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon atoms. It’s easy to become immediately confused when chemistry comes into the mix, but because so many of these fat buzz words are found in natural health and nutrition, it’s useful to understand where the aromatherapy carrier oils fall in the spectrum of lipids. A basic explanation of fat composition is that while all fats contain carbon atoms, some fats have carbon atoms that are double bonded to one another, meaning they share electrons. These fats are called unsaturated fats, they are liquid at room temperature, and they are derived from vegetables. Most carrier oils are unsaturated fats. Saturated fats have carbon bonds that do not bind to other carbon atoms. These oils are solid at room temperature and include animal-derived fats and some plant-derived fats as well. Coconut oil is a saturated fat that is often used as a carrier oil. Fractionated coconut, another common carrier oil, occurs when a coconut molecule has been altered to keep it in a liquid, rather than solid, state. The healing qualities of the oil are not compromised, and we can use the oil the same way we’d use a seed or nut oil.
Many carrier oils have the essential fatty acids omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (linolenic). Essential fatty acids must be acquired through outside sources, primarily through diet, and are critical to maintaining health. According to aromatherapist Salvatore Battaglia, omega-6, which is important for skin, hair, liver function, joints, healing wounds and circulation, is especially powerful in evening primrose oil, a popular and versatile carrier oil. Omega-3 is also in many carrier oils. Taken internally, it helps with vision, muscles and growth. It is found in fish and some vegetable oils, like linseed and canola. It is know to help circulation, assist in heart health, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and prevent inflammation. The most important thing to remember about lipid structure in carrier oils is that choosing high-quality, nutritious oils will greatly assist the skin in its vital functions. Since the skin is the largest organ in the body and often needs assistance in maintaining its elasticity, vitality and moisture, carrier oils are truly the skin’s best friend.
Most carrier oils come from nuts or seeds and are extracted through cold-press methods, meaning excessive heat is not applied to the product during extraction. Because oils change their chemical makeup when they are heated to temperatures above 160 degrees Celsius, becoming trans-fats, it’s important to find carrier oils that are either expeller-pressed or cold-pressed. Expeller-pressed oils are placed in a machine that rotates rapidly and has a press that pushes the oil out. High-quality aromatherapy carrier oils are all mechanically expressed oils, meaning chemicals are not used to extract, clean or bleach the oils before they reach consumers.
Many carrier oils can be used in multiple applications, and consumers often choose oils based on the thickness or scent they prefer. Individual carrier oils do have some specific qualities though that can be used to your benefit. The main carrier oils can be divided into three general groups, reflecting their common aromatherapy applications. Sweet almond, sunflower, hempseed and fractionated coconut are excellent choices for massage and reflexology. A mixture of 10-15% essential oil and 85-90% carrier oil will ensure a powerful oil that is smooth and great-smelling. Facial skin care is another aspect of aromatherapy where carrier oils shine, bringing health to sun or acne damaged skin. Apricot kernel, rosehip, and hazelnut oils are deeply nourishing in these applications, and rosehip can even be used to treat scars. Dry skin and other bodily skin disorders, such as eczema, can be helped with tamanu, avocado, evening primrose, jojoba, sesame, grapeseed and shea. When choosing your own carriers, experiment with a few and see how your skin responds. Once you find one you love (and there’s definitely a carrier oil for everyone) you can begin mixing the carrier with your favorite essential oils.
Mixing carrier oils with volatile oils allows the essential oil to be used more efficiently. Volatile oils have a short lifespan once they hit the air. In about an hour, these oils are no longer active. A carrier oil, with its viscous body, keeps the essential oil vibrant, allowing the essential oils to exhibit their healing qualities longer. A way to remember this is to consider what happens when you put a drop of ylang ylang on your skin. Within an hour the scent is decreased. If you mix the ylang ylang with a carrier, however, the scent, and the oil’s medicinal qualities will last much longer. Aromatherapists have found that essential oils are most effective when they are applied on a regular basis, and carrier oils allow us to do so. Because some essential oils may burn the skin, carriers also protect the skin from this potential pitfall.
Carrier oils are certainly the least glamorous oils in the aromatherapy world, but with a little effort, these humble oils can bring a world of comfort from the outside in. The added bonuses of finding your ideal carrier oil is that your essential oils will last longer, your skin will sing with happiness over its new-found moisture, and you won’t need to ask yourself, “Now how do I apply this frankincense?
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