The exciting world of Carrier Oils!
Jan 27th 2021
Just kidding... They may not be THAT exciting, but they definitely are an important part of our essential oil education!
What are carrier oils, and why are they important?
A carrier oil is generally a neutral oil, made from the fattier parts of plants such as seeds, nuts, and kernels.
Any time we use an essential oil on our skin it needs to be diluted because essential oils are super potent. (Think hundreds and/or thousands of pounds of plants or flowers to create the oil itself!) This means that even though the plant may be safe for you and the oil made from that plant is safe for you, the concentration, if used purely on its own without dilution may cause an adverse reaction such as skin irritation or even toxicity issues.
(All of our oil blend rollerballs already contain a carrier oil. Our dropper bottles do not contain carrier, so you need to dilute it when you use it.)
Carrier oils can be used for things other than simply diluting your essential oils! Some ideas include things like creating a face serum, face wash, massage oil, hair mask/moisture treatment, and cuticle oil.
What are some types of carrier oils?
We carry several different carrier oils, and they all have their place and purpose. There are others but I'll cover our products here.
appropriate for all skin types, especially beneficial for dry skin / may improve complexion and skin tone / absorbs quickly / vitamins A & E / zinc / omega 3 fatty acids / avoid if allergic to nuts
lightweight, nourishing, soothing / great for many skin types, but especially for aging & sensitive skin / vitamin A
lightweight / little to no aroma / absorbs quickly, and is non-greasy / all skin types, but may be drying to certain skin types / most absorbent, allowing for fast absorption of essential oils
considered to be a light liquid wax / soft & light aroma / all skin types, but primarily good for dry, rough, oily, and blemish-prone skin / vitamin E / antioxidant
odorless, thin fluid oil / all skin types, but especially useful for aging skin / vitamin C / antioxidant
How to blend your own dilution:
For adults-
(please note that there are different dilution percentages for children)
It is generally acceptable to use anywhere between .2-20% dilution, depending on the purpose of the oil. For facial use typically a 0.2-1.5% dilution is fine, while bath and body products are usually diluted 1-4%, and 5-20% for oils used for pain such as arthritis or muscle pain. (click the link below to see a handy chart for dilution percentages... there is also a chart for diluting oils for children.)
Here is a link to a dilution chart from the Tisserand Institute that you can print and keep near your oils for reference!
(please note- We at iViva never recommend ingesting essential oils... please use our oils only topically, diluted unless there is a carrier oil noted in the blend ingredients)