Feeling baffled by carrier oils? It's not surprising, there are dozens on the market. You'll have repeatedly come across the term ‘carrier oil' when looking to make your own skincare and beauty recipes as they are as important as essential oils. They are a core part of beauty products from face serums and night creams to hair treatments and hand lotions.
But what do they do and what are the differences between them? We're here to help you find out what carrier oils are, why you need them and how each one works in our ultimate list of carrier oils.
What are Carrier Oils
Carrier oils are made from plants such as avocados, almonds and coconuts. These plant based oils are used as a base in most blends, creams and lotions as they have high vitamin and nutrient content and are great for your skin.
Each carrier oil has its own benefits and suits different skin types, so read on and we'll explain all.
Why You Need to Use Carrier Oils With Essential Oils
The carrier oils are usually unscented so they can ‘carry’ the fragrance from essential oils and deliver the benefits of the essential oils to the skin.
Essential oils are 100% pure and can cause irritation if they are used directly on the skin. To use essential oils safely on the skin, you must dilute concentrated essential oils in a suitable carrier oil. If you are combining essential oils, ensure you are not adding too much to the carrier oils. You can check this with our IFRA documents.
We recommend doing a patch test with the dilute essential oils on a small area of skin. This is to ensure there are no reactions to the oil on skin.
Essential oils are for external use only and must not be used internally. Ensure the oils are kept out of reach of children.
Benefits of Carrier Oils
Carrier oils are packed full of essential nutrients, vitamins and fatty acids that are amazing for the health of your skin and hair. They moisturise and soften skin, hydrate hair and can even help ease inflammation of skin conditions like eczema. By combining carrier oils and essential oils it's easy to create your own hair and skin care products without the need for any nasty chemicals.
Our Ultimate List of Carrier Oils
There are a lot of similarities between carrier oils but they also have their subtle differences which make some better than others for specific products or skin types. Here is our round-up of some of the most popular carrier oils...
Apricot Kernel Oil
Apricot kernel oil is very light and gentle on skin whilst being ultra moisturising. It’s very similar to sweet almond oil so can be used as an alternative in your recipes. It is also a great carrier oil for massage oils and homemade body oils as it glides smoothly across the skin and is fast absorbing so it doesn’t leave it feeling greasy.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almond oil is a great all-rounder and can be used in everything from face oils to hair care. It is a great source of vitamin E and has amazing moisturising properties. Sweet almond oil is also very nourishing, easily absorbed and doesn't block pores.
Sweet almond oil has a comedogenic rating of 2 so it may clog pores for acne prone skin. Sweet almond oil is suitable for all skin types including dry skin, oily skin, irritated skin and damaged skin. If you have sensitive skin then sweet almond oil is a great oil for you!
We stock organic sweet almond oil, and conventional sweet almond oil.
Argan Oil
Argan oil has been used in Morocco for centuries for food and beauty. It’s full of vitamins E and A and essential fatty acids which keep skin healthy and strengthen hair and nails. Argan oil is a very lightweight oil and absorbs into the skin quickly.
Argan oil is particularly suitable for mature skin as the essential fatty acids reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as reduce discoloration. It is also said to help treat acne due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which enhance skin health and reduce blemishes.
You’ll see argan oil as an ingredient in a lot of hair care recipes as it leaves it nourished, softened, shiny and frizz free.
Argan oil is also fantastic in face treatments and massage oils as it has the lowest comedogenic rating possible, so it is very unlikely to clog pores.
We stock organic argan oil, and conventional argan oil. Both types of argan oil are extracted by cold pressing only, and are made from untoasted argan kernels produced in Morocco.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is technically a liquid wax, so it has a very different fatty acid composition to other carrier oils. As a result it brings a little something extra to every recipe. That’s why it is in so many recipes!
Jojoba oil is easily absorbed and leaves the skin with a healthy glow. It helps regulate the skin's oil production, making it beneficial for all skin types.
We stock organic jojoba oil and conventional jojoba oil. Both types of jojoba oil are golden in colour and extracted by cold pressing.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a good carrier oil for improving body, hands and hair health. Avocado oil is ultra rich and nourishing and is perfect for mature skin as it contains lots of beta carotene, vitamins and essential fatty acids which help prevent the signs of premature ageing.
It is highly recommended for eczema, sensitive skin and other dry skin conditions as it’s extremely moisturising and penetrates deeper into the skin than most carrier oils. Avocado oil helps restore and maintain the skin barrier, promoting optimal hydration and skin health. It’s slightly slower than other oils to be absorbed into the skin which makes it perfect for night creams and serums.
Used in hair treatment recipes it tames frizz, smooths, conditions and adds shine.
Avocado oil is medium-high on the comedogenic scale so can block pores for some people when used in face treatments.
We stock three types of avocado oil: Refined avocado oil which is clear, golden in colour and with a neutral scent, Cold pressed avocado oil which is dark green/brown in colour and has a strong scent, and Organic cold pressed avocado oil which is similar to the cold pressed avocado oil in appearance but is pressed from organic avocados.
Refined avocado oil is easier to work with in a recipe because it won’t affect the colour or scent of the finished product. However many people prefer the moisturising effect of cold pressed avocado oils.
Want to know more about how our avocado oil is made? Click here to find out!
Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil is a super lightweight, dry and nutrient rich oil that is widely used in face treatments for its revitalising and regenerating effects on the skin.
You can combine rosehip oil with other essential oils, which is especially beneficial for soothing irritated skin.
Rosehip oil is unlikely to clog pores and forms the basis of many natural acne, anti-aging and scar reduction treatments. Rosehip oil is great for use on mature and sensitive skin or stretch marks as it hydrates, evens skin tone and boosts radiance.
We stock refined rosehip oil which is clear and golden in colour, and organic cold pressed rosehip oil which is red in colour.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is one of the most versatile and popular natural oils for massage, skin and hair treatments and soap making. A fantastic ingredient that suits any recipe, particularly ones where you want to add essential oils as grapeseed oil has no natural scent.
Grapeseed oil is delicately lightweight, incredibly gentle, easily absorbed and packed with vitamins E, D and E. Grapeseed oil is also rich in essential fatty acids, this oil will balance and nourish the skin. It contains linoleic acid, which is known for its ability to regulate oil production, and enhance moisturizing properties, making it particularly suitable for oily and acne-prone skin types.
We stock conventional grapeseed oil, and organic cold pressed grapeseed oil. Both types are a clear, green/yellow colour with a neutral scent.
Fractionated Coconut Oil
Fractionated coconut oil, also known as MCT oil, is a clear, odourless, liquid coconut oil. Perfect for when you want to use coconut oil, but solid coconut oil is inconvenient. Fractionated coconut oil is an intense moisturiser which will smooth and soften this skin.
Coconut oil can be used in both hair and skin products like creams, moisturisers, hair masks, conditioners and lotions. Fractionated coconut oil may clog pores for acne prone skin types and oily skin. However, fractionated coconut oil is great for sensitive skin, dry skin, damaged skin and combination skin.
Macadamia Oil
Like argan oil, this is another oil that you see in a lot of hair care products as it hydrates, tames and strengthens the hair. It is thick, luxurious, deeply moisturising and nourishing. It has a neutral scent and is very quickly absorbed by the skin and hair.
Macadamia oil nourishes and strengthens hair follicles, promoting hair health and thickness.
Macadamia nut oil is full of vitamin E, A, B1, B2 and K, all of which are wonderful for your skin, hair and scalp. It also contains palmitoleic acid which serves as a super healer of the skin.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is quite a viscous oil with a consistency similar to honey, so it is often balanced with other thinner oils in a recipe for soap, skin or hair products. We love castor oil for stimulating hair growth and encouraging thicker hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. It gives hair a great shine and conditions nails and cuticles.
Castor oil has a very different composition to other carrier oils, as it is mostly made up of Ricinoleic fatty acid which is rarely found in other carrier oils.
We stock conventional castor oil and organic cold pressed castor oil. Both are similar in appearance but the organic castor oil is a little lighter in colour and not quite as viscous.
We hope you've discovered more about the world of carrier oils. They are important in so many ways, from diluting essential oils so they are safe to be used on our skin, to moisturising skin and forming a basis of many skin and hair care recipes. When deciding which carrier oil is best for you, remember to think about your skin type, how quickly you want it to be absorbed and what you will be using it for.
Continue Reading
Now you know our list of carrier oils and their benefits, why not read more?
- Want to make your own rosehip oil face oil? Try this simple face oil recipe!
- Use carrier oils like jojoba oil and vitamin e oil to make your own tinted lip balm!
- Interested in soap making? Try our dandelion soap recipe!
Which essential oils do you love using for uplifting mood? Let us know in the comments!
