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What is a Carrier Oil?

If you’re new to the world of essential oils, you may be confused by the term “carrier oil.” 

A carrier oil is not the same thing as an essential oil. Carrier oils are natural, fatty oils that can be used to dilute essential oils. 

Essential oils tend to evaporate quickly making it difficult to apply them to larger areas of the body, like your leg or your back. By adding a couple drops of essential oil into a small amount of carrier oil, you can easily cover these areas before the essential oils evaporate.

If you have sensitive skin or if you are using essential oils on young children, you may choose a carrier oil to help you control the rate the essential oil is absorbed. The therapeutic effects of the essential oil will be the same, but the oils will absorb more slowly into the skin, decreasing any potential discomfort. 

Carrier oils are also helpful if an essential oil becomes uncomfortable on your skin. In this case, you apply the carrier oil on top of the essential oil. Again, it will slow the absorption of the essential oil and help take away that uncomfortable feeling.

Some of my favorite carrier oils are:

Young Living’s V-6*

This carrier oil goes on smooth and isn’t greasy…which is always a plus in my book! It’s made of coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil. If you haven’t tried this one yet, I highly recommend it.

This is also my go-to oil when making roller bottles. 

Fractionated Coconut Oil

Don’t confuse this one with straight coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil stays liquid at room temperature. It makes a good carrier oil because it has a long shelf life and doesn’t have a strong smell. This is another great one to use when making rollers. 

Grapeseed Oil

The best part about Grapeseed oil is it’s inexpensive and easy to find at your grocery store. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a long shelf life, so if you choose to use this one, I’d recommend buying a smaller bottle so you can use it up before it goes bad.

Which carrier oils have you tried?

*You can purchase Young Living’s V-6 oil here.

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