What is a carrier oil? Best oils and uses - Medical News Today

Carrier oils are a key part of aromatherapy, which is a complementary therapy that involves using essential oils to aid physical and emotional health. MedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeThebestcarrieroilsforessentialoilsMedicallyreviewedbyKerryBoyleD.Ac.,M.S.,L.Ac.,Dipl.Ac.,CYT—WrittenbyAmandaBarrellonJuly15,2021Whatarecarrieroils?BestoptionsHowtousethemWhatisaromatherapy?SummaryWeincludeproductswethinkareusefulforourreaders.Ifyoubuythroughlinksonthispage,wemayearnasmallcommission.Here’sourprocess.Carrieroilsareakeypartofaromatherapy,whichisacomplementarytherapythatinvolvesusingessentialoilstoaidphysicalandemotionalhealth.Carrieroilsdiluteconcentratedessentialoilssothatpeoplecanapplythemtotheskinwithoutexperiencingsideeffects.Peoplepracticearomatherapytohelpwithawiderangeofhealthissues,fromacnetoasthma.Thisarticleexamineswhatcarrieroilsareandhowpeoplecanusethemalongsideessentialoils.Whatisacarrieroil?ShareonPinterestannickvanderscheldenphotography/GettyImagesPeoplemakeessentialoilsthroughthedistillationofthearomaticleaves,flowers,barks,androotsofplants.Iftheyapplytheseoilsdirectlytotheskin,however,theycancausereactions,suchassevereirritation,flushing,orburning.Carrieroilsdilutetheessentialoilsandhelp“carry”themintotheskin.Peoplealsosometimesusealoeveragelsandunscentedbodylotionsascarriers.Carrieroilsareusuallyvegetableoils,suchascoconutoiloravocadooil,derivedfromtheseeds,kernels,ornutsofaplant.Manypeopleobtaintheseoilsthroughcoldpressing.Inthisprocess,apersonpressesorcrushesaplantwithoutsubjectingittoheat.Thisminimalprocessingcanhelppreservebioactivesubstancesinoils.Althoughsomeareodorless,mostcarrieroilshaveafaintsmellthatissweetandnutty.Unlikeessentialoils,theydonotevaporate.BestcarrieroilsDifferentcarrieroilshavedifferentpropertiesanduses.Thecarrieroilapersonchoosesforaromatherapytreatmentwilldependontheirdesiredoutcome.Thefollowingsectionslookatsomedifferentcarrieroilsinmoredetail.Coconutoil(Cocosnucifera)Peoplehavebeenusingcoconutoilasamoisturizerforcenturies.Somereportsstatethattheoilhasantimicrobialproperties.Thisislargelyduetoitshighlauricacidcontent,whichisthemainfattyacidincoconutoil.Apersonmayusecoconutoileitherasacarrieroiloronitsown.Theycanapplyittotheskin,hair,andlips,andithelpsprotecttheskinbyleavingathinlayerofoilbehind.Severalcoconutoilsareavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.Blackcuminseedoil(Nigellasativa)Blackcuminseedoilisanti-inflammatory,antibacterial,andantifungal.Initsessentialoilform,itmayalsohelppromotethehealingofwoundsandburns.Thisoilisgoldenbrownandhasamildearthy,woodysmellthatcanbeslightlyspicyorpeppery.Blackcuminseedoilalsoabsorbsintotheskinquickly.Severalblackcuminseedoilsareavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.Jojobaoil(Simmondsiachinensis)Peopleoftenusejojobaoil,whichisactuallyawax,inmassages.Duetoitsnaturalanti-inflammatoryproperties,itmayalsohelptreatacne.Inaromatherapy,itabsorbswellandcouldbeagoodchoiceforthosewithoilyoracne-proneskin.Jojobaoilisyellowandhasadistinctbutpleasantsmell.Jojobaoilisavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.Eveningprimroseoil(Oenotherabiennis)Eveningprimroseoilhasalonghistoryasanaturalremedy.Somestudiesreportthatitmayimprovequalityoflifeforpeoplewithmultiplesclerosisandmayhelpreduceeczemasymptoms.Aromatherapiststendtoblendeveningprimroseoilwithothercarrieroils.Ithasahighessentialfattyacidcontent,meaningthatitdeterioratesandgoesrancidquitequickly.Eveningprimroseoilisavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.Rosehipoil(Rosamosqueta)Rosehipoilisrichinessentialfattyacids,includingalpha-linolenicacid.Itmayaidinphysiologicalandphysicalrelaxation,helpreduceanxiety,andhaveothertherapeuticeffects.Rosehipoilisavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.Grapeseedoil(Vitusvinifera)Grapeseedoilhasdocumentedantioxidantandantimicrobialproperties.Ithasalightaromathatisslightlysweetandnutty,anditisvirtuallyclearincolor.Itleavesaglossyfilmontheskin.Thisoilistheresultofpressingtheseedsofparticulargrapevarieties.Grapeseedoilproductsareavailableforpurchaseonlinehere.HowtousecarrieroilsMassageandbodyoilsaremadebycombiningessentialoilswithoneormorecarrieroils.Itisimportanttofollowguidanceontheappropriateratioofessentialoilstocarrieroils.TheNationalAssociationforHolisticAromatherapyrecommendsusing2.5%to10%essentialoilswhencreatingmassageandbodyoils.Apersonshoulduseacarrieroilfortherestofthemixture.Theratioofessentialoildilutionislowerinfacialtreatments.Peoplewithsensitiveskinshoulduse0.5%to1%ofessentialoilsinfacialtreatments,whereasthosewithlesssensitiveskincanuse1%to2.5%.Whatisaromatherapy?Aromatherapyinvolvesusingconcentratedessentialoilsthatapersonhasextractedfromherbs,flowers,andotherplantstosoothevarioushealthissues.Thetermdatesbackto1937,whenFrenchperfumerandchemistRene-MauriceGattefossefirstcoinedtheword“aromatherapie.”Today,thetermaromatherapyiswidelyacceptedtorefertotheuseofessentialoilstobringaboutholistic,therapeutic,ormedicinalbenefits.Peopleoftenusearomatherapyalongsidemedicaltreatmentstohelprelievesymptomsofvariousconditions.Peopleusearomatherapyoilsformanydifferentailments,including:stressandanxietyheadachesandmigraineinsomniaarthritisinflammationmusclespasmsSummaryCarrieroilsmakeitpossibleforpeopletoenjoythebenefitsofapplyingessentialoilstotheirskinwithoutexperiencingirritationandotherskinsymptoms.Manycarrieroilshavetheirowntherapeuticproperties.Thismeansthatdifferentcombinationsofcarrierandessentialoilscanhaveuniquehealthbenefits.Peopleusingessentialoilsintopicaltreatmentsshouldalwaysfollowdilutionguidance.Variousessentialandcarrieroilsarereadilyavailableforpurchase.LastmedicallyreviewedonJuly15,2021ComplementaryMedicine/AlternativeMedicine12sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Chung,B.Y.,etal.(2018).EffectofeveningprimroseoilonKoreanpatientswithmildatopicdermatitis:Arandomized,double-blinded,placebo-controlledclinicalstudy.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6029968/Dayrit,F.M.(2015).Thepropertiesoflauricacidandtheirsignificanceincoconutoil[Abstract].https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11746-014-2562-7Gad,H.A.,etal.(2021).Jojobaoil:Anupdatedcomprehensivereviewonchemistry,pharmaceuticaluses,andtoxicity.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8197201/Garavaglia,J.,etal.(2016).Grapeseedoilcompounds:Biologicalandchemicalactionsforhealth.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4988453/Grajzer,M.,etal.(2020).Characteristicsandantioxidantpotentialofcold-pressedoils—Possiblestrategiestoimproveoilstability.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7695170/Ismail,F.F.,etal.(2020).Allergiccontactdermatitistoessentialoils.https://dermnetnz.org/topics/allergic-contact-dermatitis-to-essential-oils/Mahmoudvand,H.,etal.(2014).Scolicidaleffectsofblackcuminseed(Nigellasativa)essentialoilonhydatidcysts.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277028/Majdinasab,N.,etal.(2018).Theeffectofeveningprimroseoilonfatigueandqualityoflifeinpatientswithmultiplesclerosis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6003444/Methodsofapplication.(n.d.).https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/methods-of-application/Mohebitabar,S.,etal.(2017).Therapeuticefficacyofroseoil:Acomprehensivereviewofclinicalevidence.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5511972/Varma,S.R.,etal.(2018).Invitroanti-inflammatoryandskinprotectivepropertiesofvirgincoconutoil[Abstract].https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30671361/Whatisaromatherapy?(n.d.).https://ifaroma.org/en_GB/home/explore_aromatherapy/about-aromatherapyFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyKerryBoyleD.Ac.,M.S.,L.Ac.,Dipl.Ac.,CYT—WrittenbyAmandaBarrellonJuly15,2021RelatedCoverageEssentialoilsforasorethroat:Lemon,peppermint,andmoreMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTEssentialoilsareapopularhomeremedyformanyailments,butcantheysootheasorethroat?Inthisarticle,welookattheevidencebehindusing…READMOREAromatherapy:WhatyouneedtoknowMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTAromatherapyisatypeofalternativemedicinethatusesessentialoilstoimproveaperson'shealthormood.Findoutabouttheoilsandhowthey…READMOREFiveeffectiveessentialoilsforheadachesMedicallyreviewedbyKerryBoyleD.Ac.,M.S.,L.Ac.,Dipl.Ac.,CYTPeoplehaveusedessentialoilsthroughouthistoryfortreatingailments.Welookatfivepopularessentialoilsfortreatingheadachesandmigraines.READMOREWhatyoushouldknowaboutessentialoilsforerectiledysfunctionMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTAlookatessentialoilsforerectiledysfunction.Includedisdetailonwhatoilsworkandhowtheydoso,inadditiontothosethatdonotwork.READMORE