Guest guest Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Carrier Oils Carrier oils also referred to as base oils or vegetable oils are used to dilute essential oils, CO2s and absolutes before applying to the skin. Please see the What are Carrier Oils? article for more information on what carrier oils are and how they are used. Below is a list of many of the commonly used carrier oils. Almond, Sweet Botanical Name: Prunus amygdalus var. dulcus Aroma: Light, slightly sweet and nutty. Texture: Slightly oily, leaves a slight oily feeling on the skin. Absorbs semi-quickly. Color: Virtually clear with a tinge of yellow. Notes: Sweet Almond oil is considered to be a good all-purpose carrier oil to keep on hand and is moderately priced. Apricot Kernel Botanical Name: Prunus armeniaca Aroma: Faint Texture: Somewhat oily, absorbs semi-quickly. Color: Virtually clear with a tinge of yellow. Notes: The semi-oily texture makes this oil helpful in massage blends. Avocado Botanical Name: Persea americana Aroma: Medium. Somewhat sweet, fatty and nutty in aroma. Texture: Thick, leaves a fatty, almost waxy feel to the skin. Color: Deep olive green. Notes: If not carefully used or used in a small dilution with another carrier, it may overpower a blend. Borage Botanical Name: Borago officinalis Aroma: Light and sweet. Texture: Thin to medium, leaves a somewhat oily feel to the skin. Color: Light yellow. Notes: Is said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. Borage oil is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. It goes rancid rather quickly. Cocoa Butter Botanical Name: Theobroma cacao Aroma: Unrefined cocoa butter is rich and very sweet . It has a chocolaty, " cocoa " aroma. The cocoa aroma is less noticeable in refined cocoa butter. Texture: Solid and hard to work with at room temperate. Breaks into pieces. Color: Yellowish tan. Notes: Cocoa butter needs to be blended with other materials/oils to be workable. Suitable for use in lotions and creams. Evening Primrose Botanical Name: Oenothera biennis Aroma: Light and sweet Texture: Thin, leaves only a trace of oiliness on the skin. Color: Medium yellow. Notes: Evening Primrose is also said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. It is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. It goes rancid quickly. Grapeseed Botanical Name: Vitus vinifera Aroma: Light, slightly sweet with a hint of a nutty aroma. Texture: Thin but leaves a glossy film on the skin. Color: Virtually clear, has an almost unnoticeable tinge of yellow/green. Notes: Unlike most other carrier oils, grapeseed oil is solvent extracted and may have trace amounts of chemical solvent remaining. I have heard mixed reports on the shelf-life of grapeseed (some have said it goes rancid rather fast). I usually go through a bottle of grapeseed once each six months and have not discovered any problems with rancidity when stored in an amber bottle in a cool dark area. Hazelnut Botanical Name: Corylus avellana Aroma: Light, nutty, somewhat sweet. Texture: Thin and only leaves a slightly oily film on the skin. Color: Light yellow. Notes: It is said to be a good choice for those with oilier skin. Jojoba Botanical Name: Simmondsia chinensis Aroma: Light to medium in aroma, not as sweet as the nut oils. The aroma is distinct but pleasant. Texture: Light and silky. Absorbs well. Color: Yellow. Notes: Jojoba " oil " is actually a wax. It is a somewhat pricier oil and is frequently blended in a small dilution (10%) with other oils. It has a very long shelf-life. Kukui Botanical Name: Aleurites moluccana Aroma: Light, sweet, pleasant, nutty. Texture: Thin. Absorbs well, leaving only a trace oily feeling on the skin. Color: Clear with a hint of yellow. Notes: It is said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. It is a somewhat more pricier oil. It goes rancid rather quickly. Macadamia Nut Botanical Name: Macadamia integrifolia Aroma: More fragrant than sweet almond and some of the other nut oils, it is very sweet, fatty and nutty in aroma. Texture: Thick and leaves an oily film on the skin. Color: Clear with a tinge of yellow. Notes: If not carefully used or used in a small dilution with another carrier, it may overpower a blend. Olive Botanical Name: Olea europaea Aroma: Typical aroma of olive oil used in cooking (smells somewhat like olives). Texture: Heavy and rather oily. Color: Light to medium green. Notes: If not carefully used or used in a small dilution with another carrier, it may overpower a blend. Peanut Botanical Name: Arachis hypogeae Aroma: Like Pecan, it is extremely light in aroma with a slight fatty, nutty quality. Texture: Thick and leaves a very oily film on the skin. Color: Virtually clear. Notes: Peanut oil should not be used by anyone that has an allergy to peanuts. Because of it's oiliness, it is said to be a good choice for inclusion in massage blends. It has been said that it is a good oil to use for those with arthritis. Pecan Botanical Name: Carya pecan Aroma: Extremely light with a hint of a fatty, nutty aroma. Texture: Medium thickness, leaves a slight oily film on the skin. Color: Virtually clear. Notes: It is said that it goes rancid somewhat quickly. I have used only one bottle of Pecan oil and did not discover any problems with rancidity when stored in an amber bottle in a cool dark area during my use of the oil over about 4-6 months. Rose Hip Botanical Name: Rosa mosqueta Aroma: Mild and perhaps earthy aroma. Texture: Light and leaves only a hint of oil on the skin. Color: Virtually clear. Notes: It is said to be excellent in treating many skin conditions. It is expensive and is usually blended in a small (often 10%) dilution with other carrier oils. It goes rancid rather quickly. Sesame Botanical Name: Sesamum indicum Aroma: Medium with a distinctive sweet, nutty sesame scent. May overpower a blend if not diluted with another carrier oil. Texture: Mildly thick, leaves an oily film on the skin. Color: Light yellow. Notes: Sesame oil may overpower a blend if not diluted with another carrier oil. Shea Butter Botanical Name: Butyrospermun parkii Aroma: Nutty, fatty. Texture: Solid but permeable at room temperature. Leaves an oily/waxy feeling on the skin. Color: Off-white/cream. Notes: Suitable for use in lotions and creams. Sunflower Botanical Name: Helianthus annuus Aroma: Faint and sweet. Texture: Thin and does not leave an oily residue. Color: Virtually clear with a tinge of yellow. Notes: When choosing sunflower oil, strive to get unrefined oil. Important Note: The information provided in the Oil Profiles area is for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. General Safety Information: Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand. 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