Carrier oils have become so exciting to me!
I used to think of them as just oils used to dilute essential oils. But in reality, there is much more to them than that. Did you know that Argan Carrier Oil can help with scars and with the skin’s elasticity as well as to nourish the hair? Camellia Carrier Oil is great for mature skin, and to help when you’ve experienced sun damage…Rosehip Carrier Oil is rejuvenating to the skin; use it on minor burns and wounds, and it is also helpful for other skin issues.
Some carrier oils like Jojoba (which is really a wax) and Meadowfoam can actually extend the shelf life of other carrier oils. Jojoba is also most like our natural sebum and is well received by our skin and rich in Vitamin E. Tamanu is one of the newest carrier oils that we have and one we are very excited about. This shimmery, thicker carrier oil is amazing at helping with skin issues, irritations, and minor wounds. It is best used in a blend because of it’s viscosity and strong scent.
We must remember that these carriers come from plants as well and have their own constituents.
Although they are not concentrated like essential oils (which makes them very safe), they do have properties and characteristics of their own. They can determine how fast an essential oil will penetrate, depending on the viscosity of the carrier and how many Omega 9’s that they contain. Carrier oils can be blended as well, to create a synergy of their own and be helpful in adding to the benefits of an essential oil, when combined.
Carrier oils are made up of fats, which can go rancid, so correct storage is important.
With the exception of Jojoba, most carrier oils, should be stored in the refrigerator. The shelf life is much shorter than essential oils, so by all means use them up! Don’t save them for a special occasion or you’ll be missing out daily on the benefits of these great oils. If your oil is approaching a year in age, and you still have a full bottle then try using it as a cleanser or moisturizer. Then you can see which carrier oils agree with your skin type. Many have found the the Oil Cleanse Method to be beneficial for them.
It’s a personal decision whether to buy an expeller pressed, which is extracted by steam method, or a cold pressed carrier oil. While cold pressed does retain more of the beneficial oils, there are benefits to steam distilling too. These beneficial properties can be acquired that didn’t exist without steam distillation, as in the case of fractionated coconut oil; fractionated coconut oil will gain more caprylic acid through steam distillation and in other carrier oils it will decrease the fatty acids.
We’ve created a chart that will be an easy reference for the single carrier oils that we currently carry. It can help with the basic questions about carriers and will be helpful for a quick comparison regarding different common issues.
At Plant Therapy, we have an extensive, lovely selection of carrier oils. Here is a list of the single carrier oils that we carry:
- Organic Coconut (Fractionated) Carrier Oil
- Almond Carrier Oil (Virgin, Sweet)
- Apricot Kernel Carrier Oil
- Argan Carrier Oil (Organic)
- Avocado Carrier Oil
- Camellia Seed Carrier Oil
- Coconut (Fractionated) Carrier Oil
- Evening Primrose Carrier Oil
- Grapeseed Carrier Oil
- Hazelnut Carrier Oil
- Hemp Seed Carrier Oil
- Hemp Seed Carrier Oil (Organic)
- Jojoba (Golden) Carrier Oil
- Meadowfoam Carrier Oil
- Sunflower Carrier Oil (organic)
- Tamanu Carrier Oil
Download Carrier Oil Chart HERE:
Carrier oil preferences are an individual choice and everyone has different skin types. We hope that you will explore carrier oils and their benefits.
Which carrier oil is your favorite?
References:
Price, Len and Shirley. Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy and Massage.
Worword, Valerie Ann. The Complete Book of Essential oils and Aromatherapy.
What is a good carrier oil for Sandalwood?
Any carrier oil would be great with Sandalwood! It would really just depend on the purpose of the blend.
Aroma therapy has unique way of providing benefits to us.
Great
Hi there! Im new to “oiling” Im liking its benefits and started hoarding. However I have noticed that when I started blending my eo to carrier oils and applying them topically they do not absorbed well. Does it mean I have picked an unmatching carrier oil on my skin type? I got Almond oil by the way
Hi Janice, it’s possible Almond Oil isn’t the best option for you when you’re wanting something to absorb quickly as it’s a little thicker. You might try something a little lighter like Grapeseed or Fractionated Coconut Oil. You can find more helpful info about the different carrier oils in this chart.
Great! article was good…keep it up
i really fond of your blogs
Thanks
I hear a lot of people refer to infused oils such as trauma oil as a carrier oil. Are they to be considered as carrier oils?
Yes, infused oils are absolutely carrier oils!
Amazing blog that is…great chart of different carrier oils
Thanks for sharing
What is the shelf life of the carrier oil blends like Clear complex, Dermisoothe, Marvelous massage, Near perfection Oil cleanser and Younger glow
The shelf life for these blends varies depending on the ingredients with the shortest shelf life. Clear Complex and Younger Glo are 6-12 months. Dermisoothe, Near Perfection and Marvelous Massage are all 12 months. Keep in mind, proper storage of your carrier oils can maximize their shelf life.
This is great information… especially the chart. How does PT always have the information I’m looking for?!? 🙂
This is well timed blog post as I was ordering more carrier oils! I am trying some new ones, and didn’t know some need to be refrigerated. All good info! Thanks! Looking forward to experimenting with some new carriers!
Love this chart! Tried a new skin care product and had a bad reaction (blotchy red and peeling!), came back to tried and true oils to soothe my poor face! Would love to see the chart updated to include Tamanu since you now sell it, and perhaps a minimum effectiveness line (like the percent of the total blend each should be at to maintain effectiveness?)
Super helpful article! I’m just starting to dip my toes into my own DIY product, so this chart will come in handy!
I wonder what the comedogenic rating means (?)
Comedogenic rating is a scale from 0 to 5 that lets people know the likelihood of the ingredient clogging pores. The lower the rating, the less likely the product is to clog pores 🙂
Is there a reason pomegranate oil is not listed? Just started learning about the carrier oils. I made a serum based on a recipe from another website that I used prior to finding plant therapy. They used pomegranate and rose hip oil frequently for skin care. Thoughts?
Debby, Plant Therapy does not currently carry Pomegranate Oil and we have only highlighted the carrier oils that we have 🙂
I’ve recently just started blending. This was a good read. Helpful in helping me to pick what I need. Thanks for the chart!
I have been using the oil cleanser from PT site but I think I will try making my own with this information. Thank you so much!
Thank you for this. The information and chart really help understand what I want in a combination of carrier oils.
Wow…I didn’t know there were so many carrier oils. I have only heard of sweet almond, fractionated coconut, and jojoba. I just bought some of the coconut to use to refill my shield me roll on. This is an interesting resource.
OOOOOO … this is a great article. I’m excited to further my oil journey and I need to learn more about carrier oils for sure.
Thanks for the great info !!
I am just learning about the carrier oil and just purchased the Camilla Seed, which I am loving by the way. Thank you for the reference chart. It will come in handy as I continue my journey.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey PT, your carrier oil chart needs updating. I have a screenshot of a conversation from back in January with you amazing folk that there is a typo on the evening primrose and sunflower oils comedogenic ratings. Evening primrose should be a 2 and sunflower is 0-2 depending on the oleic acid content. Can you please update your chart so we have more accurate info when downloading it? Thanks so much!
I am a 53yr farm girl in Wisconsin. I think it is time for me to start taking care of my face. I would like to make up a “serum” and after reading through all the carrier oils I find I like things about a few of them. I really like the descriptions and benefits of Argon, Apricot, Camellia and Rose Hip oils. Each one has something I feel would be good for me. Can I combine them all together or will I not get the effects of each doing that? I am thinking that I would also like to add Frankincense Carteri and Neroli to the oil blend. Does this sound crazy? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Susan, I think you are definitely on the right track! When combining carrier oils you will receive the unique therapeutic properties of each. Some of the carrier oils, like Rosehip, only need to be in the blend at 5-10% to be effective. As for adding essential oils, I like your choices! I might also recommend Sandalwood, Helichrysum italicum, Frankincense frereana, and Lavender Fine as a few additional alternatives. When applying essential oils to the face we recommend a 1% dilution which is 3 drops of essential oil to 10 mls or two teaspoons of carrier oil. Be sure to let us know how things go!
Do argan oil and avacado oil need to be in the fridge after opening?
Susie, thank you for your question. We recommend storing these in the fridge as well. If you’d like to put some in a small bottle, to keep on your counter that you will use up within a couple of weeks then that is fine 🙂
Excellent reference chart and write up! Love Plant Therapy. One of the reasons I shop with you us because you offer the GC/MS reports for your essential oils. Very important tool in blending for therapeutic and safety. I appreciate your selection as well. Will you be selling Trauma oil in the near future? Thanks so much!
Deb, I’m so glad to hear that you found this article to be helpful and that you utilize our GC/MS reports. I don’t know that we plan to carry Trauma oil at this point but will certainly pass your feedback along! Have a great day.
Grateful to have a chart for reference! Thanks. Love PT.
Thank YOU, Janine! 🙂
Thank you for the excellent information and for the easy reference chart! I use Plant Therapy’s camellia and jojoba carrier oils. Castor and rosehip are a must. Hope they get added to the already fabulous product line
Plant Therapy is amazing ❣️
Thanks Jennifer! We recently added Rosehip back into our line.
Great to hear. I just added it to my wish list and will be purchasing with my next order. Prices are reasonable and I am sure the quality (and results) will be excellent! I can’t wait!
Thank you very much for chart!
Rhonda, you are very welcome! Thank YOU 🙂
Thanks for the carrier oil chart very handy. Colorful too!
Thank you Bruce:) We are so glad that you can use this!
Do the different colors, for each oils on the chart mean anything?
Thanks for the question, Adrienne! The colors on the chart do not really have significance. We just wanted to make it a little easier to differentiate the oils. Some ask if the labels on the essential oils and carriers mean anything. Plant Therapy does try to match the color associated with the plant or flower. Thanks!
Is there such a thing as Essential Grape Seed oil and where to purchase please?
There is no grape seed essential oil, however we do offer Grapeseed Carrier Oil which great for all skin types, but especially oily skin.