The Difference between Essential Oils and Carrier Oils

When first exploring aromatherapy, it may be confusing to read about essential oils and carrier oils.  Essential oils are aromatic, volatile, concentrated extracts of plants.  They are extracted using steam distillation, cold pressing, solvent extraction, or carbon dioxide extraction depending on the plant.  The plant parts used in distillation can be flowers, leaves, roots, or tree bark.  In citrus oils, the peel is cold pressed to extract the essential oil. Essential oils have many therapeutic properties which can be used by the various systems of the body.  They have very small molecular weights which allow them to pass through the skin and even to pass through the blood/brain barrier.  They can support the nervous, immune, endocrine, digestion and integumentary (skin) systems.  They have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties among many others.  

Carrier oils are considered “fixed oils.”  They are not volatile and can be used as a base for essential oils especially the essential oils that need to be diluted due to skin sensitivity.  Generally, they are cold pressed from the fruit, nuts or seeds.  They are less aromatic than essential oils but often have a scent. When blending, these carrier oils protect the essential oils from too rapid evaporation and serve as transportation into the body via the skin since they are lipid soluble.  Some do this more rapidly than others. They too, have therapeutic properties such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and several can support organs in the body.  Some examples of carrier oils are sesame, olive, jojoba, castor and argan oils. There are many others. It is recommended to purchase organic, cold pressed, unrefined carrier oils to preserve their therapeutic properties. We do not use animal fats/oils in aromatherapy.

Blending essential oils and carrier oils requires some knowledge of their properties and safety.  This is easily learned by reputable suppliers who offer blogs or recipes on their site and by certified aromatherapists.  A normal dilution rate in general is 2-2.5% essential oils into a carrier oil. This is roughly 30 drops of essential oils into 2 oz (60 ml) of a carrier oil. This rate can go up with acute conditions and can go down for children, elderly or sensitive individuals. With a minimum of knowledge, a person can make DIY blends for skin, hair, digestion, relaxation, infections, and many health and well-being issues. 

You can read more in my blogs about recipes you can make at home.  These recipes have appropriate dilution rates of essential oils to carrier oils. Contact me if you have any questions.