Sweet Almond Carrier Oil

[Guest guest]

....The organic sweet almond I have actually smells of almonds - the cheap

version had no smell at all except perhaps a faint oily smell....

 

Sweet almond oil pressed for cosmetic use, whether organic or conventional,

should not smell like almonds. The almond smell comes from toasting the nuts

prior to pressing. This is done for oils intended for food service use because

the smell and taste of a toasted nut oil are considered more desirable for

culinary purposes. There is nothing wrong with using toasted nut oils for

aromatherapy or massage, but I prefer the untoasted variety because I feel a

neutral carrier is preferable for bodywork and does not detract from the

essential oil aromas.

 

Please do not think you are necessarily getting better quality oil because you

are buying organic. Nut oils are pressed from the dregs that cannot otherwise be

sold for food service. Broken, discoloured, diseased and misshapen nuts and nut

fragments are pressed to make nut oil.... whether organic or conventional. Any

respectable grower will sell all the good nuts for whole, sliced, or pieced

product. Anything left over is usually ground and sold as meal. It is in a

farmer's best interest to sell their crop this way (they do not make a lot of

money), especially with the demand for organic produce. As one organic almond

grower told me " My farm is small and I can't afford to produce nut oil for the

price I would have to sell it for. " Hence the difficulty in finding organic

almond oil at a reasonable price. I am usually a purist when it comes to using

organic products, but this is one area where I make an exception.

 

Katharine Koeppen

Aromaceuticals

Essential Oils from Artisan Distillers

www.aromaceuticals.com