Aromatherapy Carrier Oils: Tips And Advice

Aromatherapy Carrier Oils: Tips And Advice

What are aromatherapy carrier oils?

Most people associate aromatherapy with essential oils. While essential oils form the backbone of aromatherapy, carrier oils also play a vital role in aromatherapy. Essentially, aromatherapy carrier oils are base oils that are mixed with pure essential oils before they are used for a particular purpose. Carrier oil is generally extracted from vegetables, seeds or kernels. What is the importance of aromatherapy carrier oils?

In their undiluted form, essential oils are too potent to be used and they can cause irritation or burning. Carrier oils are added to pure essential oils to dilute them before their application. Since the base oil carries the essential oil to the human body, it is termed carrier oil. Carrier oils are used in massage creams, lotions, bath oils and other skin care products too. Unlike essential oils that evaporate when exposed to air, carrier oils are more stable. They are almost odorless, which means they do not impart any fragrance of their own to the aromatherapy oil. Some carrier oils have a slightly sweet, nutty fragrance though. However, it must be remembered that carrier oils have a certain shelf life and turn rancid after a while. Essential oils, on the other hand, lose their potency but do not turn rancid. Aromatherapy carrier oils come from different sources. Different oils have different therapeutic properties and conditions. The nature of the carrier oil impacts many aspects of the aromatherapy oil and affects therapy, color, aroma and purpose of the treatment. Thus, the type of oil to be used depends on the therapeutic benefit of the aromatherapy oil. The most commonly found aromatherapy carrier oils include sweet almond oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, hazelnut oil, jojoba, sunflower oil and sesame oil. However, it must be remembered that carrier oils used for aromatherapy are cold pressed. Therefore, most oils available in grocery stores cannot be used as carrier oils. When shopping for carrier oils, the following must be kept in mind: * Ensure that the oil is cold extracted or cold pressed. This means that the oil has not been influenced by heat. Oils that have been extracted using the 'cold expeller pressed' method are the best. * Carrier oils that have been processed in the right manner are rich in antioxidants and are therefore beneficial for the skin. These also extend the shelf life of the blended product. * High quality carrier oils also contain essential fatty acids. Since essential fatty acids are not produced by the body, they are highly nutritious for the skin. Different oils have varying amounts of essential fatty acids. While higher percentage of essential fatty acids is beneficial, fatty acids also reduces the shelf life of the oil. * The price of aromatherapy carrier oils varies. The source of the oil, its extraction process and whether the source is organic are some of the factors that decide the cost of the base oil. * Mineral oils are not used as carrier oils.

POST COMMENT

How to Celebrate Mother's Day- Tips For making the Day Memorable and Enjoyable Tips For Choosing a Low Profile Ceiling Fan Tips to Proper Watering of Your Landscape Tips on Booking a Luxury Villa in Hawaii How to Dirty Talk To Your Guy? Dirty Talk Tips Review Cfd's trading tips: patience and trading 5 Tips for a Successful Blog Tips to Raising Champion Roses Living With Passion - 3 Tips For Living The Passionate Life If Those Around You Have No Passion Tips On What Type of Vacuum Cleaner to Choose Moving Tips You Should Know to Accomplish Successful Move Wall Decor- Top 5 Tips on How to Decorate Your Wall 3 Tips on How to Take Control of Your Time