A carrier oil is required to “carry” the essential oils by way of dilution before you can use them safely on the body. As you now know, applying essential oils neat to the body is not recommended. They must be diluted in a base oil before you can use them safely on the body. How do you choose a carrier oil?
When should I use carrier oils with essential oils?
Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and “carry” them to your skin. That’s because essential oils are potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to your skin. Most carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and don’t interfere with an essential oil’s therapeutic properties.
What happens if you use essential oils undiluted?
The use of undiluted essential oils on sensitive skin or in the nostrils can irritate or burn. Susceptible people may also develop an allergic reaction and a skin rash.
Do essential oils have carrier oils?
Carrier oils allow you to use essential oils safely and effectively, but they also come with a ton of their own health benefits. Most carrier oils are loaded with essential fatty acids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and skin-healing vitamins.
Can essential oils be used directly?
Essential oils have a variety of health benefits, from skin care to stress relief. The most common way to use essential oils is to inhale them, either directly out of the bottle or by using a diffuser or humidifier. You can also dilute essential oils with a carrier oil and apply it directly your skin.
What is the best oil to mix with essential oils?
TOP 10 BEST CARRIER OILS FOR ESSENTIAL OILS
- FRACTIONATED COCONUT OIL. First up: Fractionated coconut oil (FCO) is my favorite carrier oil because it is a very light oil and has many health benefits.
- JOJOBA OIL.
- SWEET ALMOND OIL.
- OLIVE OIL.
- COCONUT OIL.
- AVOCADO OIL.
- GRAPESEED OIL.
- ROSEHIP OIL.
Does lavender oil need a carrier oil?
Massage the oil into your scalp
You can dilute lavender essential oil with a carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut oil. You should mix the essential oil and carrier oil in equal parts. This is best to do following a bath or shower.
What essential oils can be used without diluting?
Popular essential oils that can be used with or without dilution (neat application):
- chamomile.
- cypress.
- eucalyptus.
- lavender.
- tea tree (unoxidized)
- rose.
- sandalwood.
What do you dilute essential oils with?
There are many types of products that you can use to dilute your essential oils, depending on your needs. The most common option would be carrier oils, but you can also use body butter, lotions, creams, and soaps. If you want to add essential oil to your hair, you can add them to your shampoos and conditioners as well.
What is the dilution ratio for essential oils?
Most essential oil dilution rates should be 3% or less for topical use (as an example, 3 drops of essential oil to 97 drops of carrier oil). This dilution rate would be considered safe and effective for most aromatherapy applications.
What is the difference between an essential oil and a carrier oil?
Although they are both called “oils” they are quite different. Essential oils are the aromatic extracts from aromatic and medicinal plants and carrier oils are the lipid, or fatty, extracts squeezed out of the seeds of plants.
Do I need a carrier oil in my diffuser?
There’s no need to add a carrier oil to your diffuser. Sometimes, people do so because they like the scent of the carrier oil. Almond oil is a popular choice. It will not evaporate, so you’ll likely have to clean the tank between each use.
What is the best carrier oil to mix with essential oils for diffuser?
Fractionated coconut oil is the most popular carrier oil for essential oils, and for good reason. Coconut oil, extracted from the fruit of the coconut tree, is a super-oil full of natural antioxidants and is in itself an excellent antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory oil.
What happens if you put essential oils directly on skin?
Essential Oils should not be used directly on skin
Because essential oils are such highly concentrated products, they should not be used directly on skin. The key reason is because it can irritate your skin and really, cause your skin to react.
Which essential oils can go directly on skin?
Specific essential oils that tend to be safe to apply undiluted include tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) **Be sure it has not oxidized!, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), rose (Rosa damascena), and sandalwood (Santalum album or Santalum
How do you mix essential oils?
You can combine your ingredients in a bowl or in a bottle. If you are mixing your oils in a bowl, you should mix the oil by stirring the oil with a spoon. Wooden stir sticks may also help. If you are mixing your oils in a bottle, you can gently swirl the bottle in your hand to mix the oils.
How do I choose a carrier oil for essential oils?
When selecting a carrier oil, make sure you are using the highest quality you can afford. You don’t want to compromise the essential oils you use with a cheap additive. Look for organic, cold-pressed, pure, unrefined oil with no additives.
What oils are considered carrier oils?
Carrier oils dilute the essential oils and help “carry” them into the skin. People also sometimes use aloe vera gels and unscented body lotions as carriers. Carrier oils are usually vegetable oils, such as coconut oil or avocado oil, derived from the seeds, kernels, or nuts of a plant.
Can you use Vaseline as a carrier oil?
Carrier oils are cold pressed from the fatty parts of the plant. They do not evaporate quickly and do not tend to have a strong aroma. Petroleum based oils should not be used as carrier oils (ex: petroleum jelly, butter, vegetable shortening, etc).
Can I use lavender oil undiluted?
Never apply undiluted essential oils directly to the skin — always make a mixture with a carrier oil. Using some topical products containing lavender may cause allergic skin reactions in some people.
Is it safe to put lavender essential oil directly on skin?
The short answer is that yes, lavender essential oil can be applied directly to the skin. However, as with all aromatherapy oils, we do not advise using lavender oil without consulting a qualified aromatherapist or getting a solid grounding in knowledge from one of the great Aromatherapy manuals available.