What is a carrier oil Part 1

I realized I was talking about mixing essential oils with carrier oils and I also realized some people may not know what a carrier oil is so I’m going to tell you. A carrier oil is also known as a base oil; it is used to dilute essential oils. Most carrier oils are made naturally from vegetarian sources, from fatty portions of a plant usually the seeds, kernels or the nut. There is over 70 carrier oils that can be used on the skin and/or hair but I’m not going to talk them all just some of the ones I use in my products. Before I do that let me tell you more about the difference between carrier and essential oil

Carrier oils for the most part have a neutral smell, they are not volatile like essential oils and they don’t evaporate quickly like essential oils. Carrier oils reduce the concentration of essential oils without changing their therapeutic properties. Most essential oils have a shelf like of about 6 months whereas carrier oils can last a year or more. Carrier oils come in various consistencies, absorption, aroma and shelf life. Carrier oils can be blended to change or combine their properties. The same as with essential oils if you are allergic to certain plants or nuts you should avoid using those oils.

Out of the long list of carrier oils I have a few favorites and quite a few that I love using in Heavenly Blessings products because of their benefits on the skin and hair. A lot of the oils I will be mentioning are blended by me for even more benefits.

Sweet almond oil is my absolute favorite. It is a very light oil, has a very slight nutty smell, is easily absorbed into the skin and it has lots of vitamins including vitamins a, b, and e. Sweet almond oil works great on all skin types. It is great for facial massages and helps balance the moisture levels in the skin. Sweet almond oil helps improve the complexion and gives the special “glow of youth”. Sweet almond oil is one of the oils I use in our green tea facial moisturizer. This moisturizer is infused with green tea that has lots of antioxidants that have some serious benefits for the skin including anti-aging, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles as well as neutralize harmful free radicals.

Evening primose oil is another favorite oil that is used quite frequently in our products.  Evening primrose oil is a good source of omega 6 essential fatty acids particularly gamma linolenic acid. This is another light oil that can be used on the face. This oil is very beneficial for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Evening primrose oil is used in Heavenly blessings body butter and it has been working well on my customers with eczema. Evening primrose oil is great as a massage oil that can help with pms and nerve pain.

Coconut oil is another carrier oil that is used in a lot of our products. This is another light oil that is a unique combination of fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties. Very useful foe aromatherapy, it feels very smooth on the skin but won’t clog pores some people seem to be sensitive to coconut oil when used in the hair. One sensitivity to coconut oil is dryness of the skin and hair. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer as well as deodorant. Coconut oil is one of the oils that is used in our shaving cream and natural deodorant. Coconut oil is an all-natural way to get rid of toxic ingredients found in drugstores.

Shea butter is a carrier oil that is very thick with a long list of benefits. Shea butter is a triglyceride made mainly from stearic acid and oleic acid. Shea butter is naturally rich in vitamins a, e, and f and offers UV protection. Shea butter is great for collagen production, moisturizing, and reducing inflammation. Shea butter is one ingredient that in used in a lot of Heavenly blessings products. Shea butter is my preferred moisturizer during the fall and winter months.

Castor oil is another thicker oil that is great on the skin and hair. Castor oil is one of that old school oils that has been around and been used for many years. Castor oil is one of my favorite oils to use in my hair. When I first went natural I used castor oil mixed with rosemary oil to thicken up my hair because after 30+ years of being chemically processed my hair was quite thin. Castor oil is a powerful natural skin care remedy that can be used alone of mixed with other carrier oils and essential oils for even more benefits. I would not use castor oil on my face because of its thickness which may clog your pores. I find that mixing castor oil with some of the thinner oils of course thins it out a little bit. Castor oils is another oil that works great as a massage oil. The ricinoleic acid found in castor oil makes this oil great for many things including helping kill ringworms, reduce skin inflammation, fungal infections, itching, increase circulation, and prevents the growth of viruses, bacteria, yeasts, and molds.

This is going to be a series of post much like the essential oils post. Stay tuned for more carrier oil information. Thank you all so much for reading and sharing my blog.