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Carrier Oils |
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Carrier Oils
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Essential oils are over 100,000 times stronger than the plant from which they are distilled. The use of neat essential oils must be limited to only those few applications where it is necessary to have extreme power such as clove oil for toothache or lavender oil on a burn. They should never be used neat on the skin and as application to bath water results in the oil floating on the surface it should be remembered that this will then contact the skin.
Vegetable oils are the most well used carriers for essential oils as they readily mix together and the resulting dilution is ideal for massage and bath applications.
There are many vegetable oils available and each has its own benefits to the skin and in therapy. The vegetable carrier oil aids massage because it acts as a lubricant whilst simultaneously aiding absorption into the skin, taking with it the essential oil.
The best approach is to mix the essential oil and carrier oil immediately prior to use as this ensures freshness. One body massage requires 10 to 20 ml of the mixed oils, depending upon size and skin characteristics. This approach is not always convenient because of the time involved in mixing and a stock mix can be produced providing it is stored in well sealed, amber bottles. 100 ml of carrier oil requires 30 to 40 drops of essential oil but the individual dilution rates should be looked up on the monograph given for each essential oil. The bottles should be thoroughly shaken to mix the oils.
Cold pressed vegetable carrier oils contain vitamins, minerals and fatty acids in varying proportions and have properties that relate to the skin.
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