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Carrier oils and essential oils are key to DIY and R&D beauty and skincare. To create anything involving skin and beauty, you’ll need these two.
What is carrier oil?
A carrier oil is a natural vegetable oil, usually derived from seeds, kernels, or nuts. Each offering its own benefits and properties, they’re usually used to provide consistency to products like lotions, creams, moisturizers, serums, etc.
Carrier oils are usually paired with essential oils, but for a reason…
Carrier Oils vs. Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated and aromatic, derived from trees, shrubs, herbs, flowers, and more.
Rapidly absorbed by the skin, they’re best combined with carrier oils to help the body absorb the oils throughout the body. Carrier oils help ‘carry’ essential oils to the skin. They also help dilute essential oils, as they can be potent to the skin if used at full strength. Diluting the essential oils doesn’t change the effectiveness.
You can use carrier oils without essential oils but you will most likely combine the two.
Carrier Oils to Avoid
Stay away from mineral oils. Being petroleum based, these oils are refined and highly processed oils. Examples of mineral oils are canola oil, vegetable oil, and margarine. These heavy oils will cause inflammation to the skin.
Best Carrier Oils Based on Skin Type
Dry Skin: Grapeseed oil and Sweet Almond oil.
Oily Skin: Argan oil, Grapeseed oil, Jojoba oil, and Sweet Almond oil.
Sensitive Skin: Jojoba oil, and Sweet Almond oil.
Mature Skin: Jojoba oil, Rosehip oil, and Sweet Almond oil.
Tips on Carrier Oils
Here’s a quick guide to figure out what carrier oil to use:
Odor - Will the carrier oil overpower the smell of your essential oil?
Absorption - How does the skin absorb the oil?
Skin Type - Is the carrier oil best for a specific skin type or across all skin types? Will it make my skin condition worse?
Shelf Life - If you are DIY-ing skin care products, it’s important to consider the shelf life of the carrier oil.
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