When I began my oily journey over a year ago, I was almost as carried away by the many choices of carrier oils with which to pair my essential oils as I was with the many choices of essential oils. Similar to choosing which essential oils to try, choosing the right carrier oil depends on how you’re going to use the final product.

Today’s blog is a collaboration between myself and my friend and fellow oily enthusiast, Brandy Jones Arnold. Brandy recently came out with a prequel to Essential Oil Recipes: One Drop At A Time, which is a compilation of 275 recipes from our oily community. Her newest offering, Essential Oil Recipes: Love at First Drop, contains recipes that feature the oils found exclusively in the Young Living Essential Oils Premium Starter Kit and is geared toward helping those new to essential oils maximize use of their starter kit with less chance of being overwhelmed by too much information.

Disclosures and Disclaimers

Excerpt from Essential Oil Recipes: Love at First Drop:

What is a Carrier Oil (CO)?
A carrier oil is a vegetable oil, such as Coconut Oil or Sweet Almond Oil, that can be used to
dilute Essential Oils, and in effect, act as a vehicle to “carry” the Essential Oil into your body in an efficient and comfortable manner. This does not reduce the impact of the Essential Oil, and actually helps to prevent waste. Common carrier oils include Coconut, Grape Seed, Jojoba, Sweet Almond and Castor Oil. Please exercise caution when choosing a CO if you have any type of nut allergy.
What should I look for when choosing a Carrier Oil?
Much of this is personal preference, but you do want the most nourishing, freshest carrier oils possible. Many factors play a role in determining which oil you choose for which application, including processing method, shelf life, etc.
Are certain Carrier Oils more likely to clog pores than others?
Yes. Located inside the back cover of this book, you will find a Comedogenic (pore-clogging) chart for various Carrier Oils.

oilsandspoils on Carrier Oils:

Whether using essential oils topically or internally, adding a carrier oil dilutes the essential oils. While some oils can be used “neat”, or without a carrier oil, other oils may need to be diluted. Always check the label on the essential oil bottle for information on how to use the oil, including dilution ratios. As an example, Young Living Essential Oils blend Di-Gize label contains the following information: “Directions: Dilute 1 drop with 4 drops carrier oil. Put in a capsule and take 1 daily or as directed by a health professional.”

I began choosing carrier oils by recipe. If a recipe called for fractionated or solid coconut oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil, etc., then I would get that carrier oil and make the recipe. To some extent, I still do this. Along the way, I’ve developed a personal preference (pure grape seed oil for roller bottles, pure olive oil for capsules, etc.), and I remain attuned to the needs of my friends and family when making oily goodies for them (one friend doesn’t like coconut oil, so I use grape seed oil for her blends). Primarily, I use the pure and/or organic liquid carrier oils with essential oil blends in 10 ml glass roller bottles. Plastic rollers for non-citrus essential oils and stainless rollers for citrus essential oils, as citrus essential oils can draw toxins out of plastic.

I consider solid coconut oil to be a carrier oil and use it with essential oils and other ingredients to make creams for pain and skin care. I prefer pure coconut oil, as opposed to unrefined coconut oil, because it has no odor or taste. I also use pure coconut oil for oil pulling, and some of my friends add a drop or two of essential oils to this process.

I’ve bought carrier oils from a variety of places: grocery stores, specialty shops, Vitamin Shoppe and big box retailers. My preference is to shop local and support small businesses, like Epicurean Olive Oil Co.

Based on personal experience, perhaps the best use of a carrier oil is to ease the pain when you accidentally get an essential oil in your eye, like when you thought you washed all the peppermint essential oil off your hands after adding a few drops in your diffuser. The old adage of oil and water don’t mix is true. Trying to flush essential oil out of your eye with water does nothing, but putting a little carrier oil on the area provides instant relief.

I conducted my own research with respect to shelf life and storage of carrier oils by walking into my kitchen and peering into the cabinet where I house my carrier oils. I go through grape seed oil and pure coconut oil quick enough that I don’t have to worry about them expiring. My sunflower oil, on the other hand, is another story. It expired last month. I use sunflower oil to top off my moisturizing beauty serum of 10 drops each of lemon, lavender and frankincense essential oils in a small dropper or roller bottle. So, personal lesson learned. Check your carrier oils in advance of needing to whip something up to make sure they’re still good.

Brandy and I would love to hear what carrier oils you use and how you use them. Feel free to post comments. Until next time, try not to get too carried away.

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• MultiGreens Capsules: MultiGreens™ is a unique powdered daily supplement that combines spirulina, alfalfa sprouts, barley grass, bee pollen, eleuthero, Pacific kelp, and therapeutic-grade essential oils.
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