One of the things that confused me the most when I started using essential oils was the carrier oil that you needed to use along with many of the Young Living products. Not all essential oils need carrier oils, and some can be applied directly on the skin; however, many oils are so powerful that you need to dilute them with some sort of carrier oil to ensure that they do not burn the skin or pack too much of a punch. Additionally, when it comes to our little ones, we always want to use carrier oils to help dilute the powerful essential oils for their delicate skin. When it comes to carrier oils, there are so many out there and carrier oils are usually overlooked because they don’t contain the therapeutic constituents of other essential oils. Yet, they are an indispensable companion to topically apply oils. So today I wanted to break it down for y’all and share the details of what I’ve learned over the years.
First, what are carrier oils?
Carrier oils are naturally derived from vegetarian sources and have a neutral smell. They aren’t volatile like essential oils, which makes them an excellent medium for dilution and application.
How are carrier oils used?
Essential oils are volatile, which means they evaporate rapidly and contain the natural smell and characteristics of the plant. This can make them too strong to apply undiluted. Carrier oils do not evaporate or have a strong aroma, making them the perfect pair for diluting especially strong essential oils—reducing the concentration of the essential oil without altering its therapeutic qualities. When you dilute an essential oil with a carrier oil, you can also control its concentration before applying.
Like other substances that are high in fat, carrier oils have a limited shelf life, meaning that eventually they can go bad. Depending on the type, oils with a short shelf life should typically be used within six months, while oils with a longer shelf life may stay good for up to a year. It’s important to store oils in their original air-tight containers in a cool, dark place, such as the pantry, to maximize shelf life.
Carrier oils can vary widely in their consistency, absorption, aroma, shelf life, and other characteristics. They can be blended to change or combine their properties, so you can mix and match until you find the blend that’s just right for you!
V-6 carrier oil vegetable complex
- a proprietary Young Living formula combining fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil (contains a lot of vitamin e and acts as a natural preservative), sunflower oil, and olive oil
- moisturizes and nourishes the skin
- an excellent carrier oil for all your best essential oils and applications
**caution: may cause a reaction to those with nut allergies.
- light and thin consistency
- well suited for massages; leaves a light glossy film over the skin
- moisturizing
- high in linoleic acid
- relatively short shelf life
- slightly sweet, nutty aroma
- medium consistency
- absorbs relatively quickly; leaves a slight hint of oil on the skin
- rich in vitamin e and oleic acid
- moisturizing
- good all-purpose carrier oil
**caution: may cause a reaction to those with nut allergies.
- slightly nutty aroma
- medium consistency
- superior, non-greasy absorption, similar to the skin’s natural oils
- moisturizing for skin and hair
- long shelf life
- popular, easy-to-find oil used in both topical and culinary applications
- thicker consistency; leaves an oily feel on the skin
- stronger aroma
- good source of oleic acid (omega fatty acid)
- relatively short shelf life
- unlike coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil is liquid at room temperature
- no noticeable aroma
- absorbs well; leaves skin feeling silky and moisturized; non-greasy
- high in essential fatty acids
- long shelf life
- solid at room temperature
- distinct coconut aroma
- solid white color
- leaves a moisturizing, oily feeling layer on top of the skin
- long shelf life
- liquid at room temperature
- smokey, nutty aroma
- yellowish in color
- antioxidant properties
- solid and difficult to work with at room temperature
- best used when melted and blended with other carrier oils
- sweet, chocolate aroma
- solid at room temperature
- nutty aroma
- cream colored
- moisturizing to skin and hair; leaves behind a moisturizing, waxy-feeling layer
Our favorites are fractionated coconut oil and pure shea butter. We typically use fractionated coconut oil when we are making our roller bottles and homemade recipes, yet for every night oily application, we tend to grab our shea butter more often than not.
For more of our favorite must-have bottles, rollers, carrier oils, label makers, etc. for all your essential oil DIY’s – check out our oily swag!
What is your favorite carrier oil?
