Carrier Oils’ Role Playing in Aromatherapy
Essential oils and carrier oils both play the important roles in aromatherapy. While carriers are often thought of in terms of their reflexology and massage uses, these oils actually posses their own virtues. Instead of thinking of them as merely the method of applying essential oils, we can explore the unique qualities of carrier oils separately with great results. Most likely, your aromatherapy techniques will be enhanced by using your special essential oils with carriers that actually increase their medicinal qualities.
Also, need to remind you here that most of the pure essential oils are not safe if apply directly to skin undiluted, because essential oils are highly concentrate oils. Whenever, you plan to use essential oils, always refer to the safety precaution of aromatherapy essential oils.
To begin with, it is important to remember that fats are essential for human life. Fats, called lipids, are critical for maintaining warmth, providing protection and ensuring healthy cellular function. Although the world of nutrition is engaged in discovering which fats are best for internal health, aromatherapy is concerned with how plant-derived oils deliver health from the outside in. Externally-applied oils help the body maintain vital functions in unique ways through both chemical changes and mechanical assistance.
Carrier oils are primarily derived from nuts and seeds. They are extracted via cold-pressed technology, meaning high heat is not used. Once oils reach temperatures exceeding 160 degrees Celsius, their structure is altered, making them trans-fats, a kind of mutated fat that the body cannot assimilate properly. Expeller-pressing is another common extraction method. By placing seeds or nuts in an expeller, the precious oil is pressed out and then bottled. Superior carrier oils are mechanically pressed oils and have not been subjected to chemical changes.
Many carrier oils can be used in multiple applications, and consumers often choose oils based on the thickness or scent they prefer. Individual carrier oils do have some specific qualities though that can be used to your benefit. The main carrier oils can be divided into three general groups, reflecting their common aromatherapy applications. Sweet almond, sunflower, hempseed and fractionated coconut are excellent choices for massage and reflexology. A mixture of 10-15% essential oil and 85-90% carrier oil will ensure a powerful oil that is smooth and great-smelling. Facial skin care is another aspect of aromatherapy where carrier oils shine, bringing health to sun or acne damaged skin. Apricot kernel, rosehip, and hazelnut oils are deeply nourishing in these applications, and rosehip can even be used to treat scars Dry skin and other bodily skin disorders, such as eczema, can be helped with tamanu, avocado, evening primrose, jojoba, sesame, grapeseed and shea. When choosing your own carriers, experiment with a few and see how your skin responds. Once you find one you love (and there’s definitely a carrier oil for everyone) you can begin mixing the carrier with your favorite essential oils.
Mixing carrier oils with volatile oils allows the essential oil to be used more efficiently. Volatile oils have a short lifespan once they hit the air. In about an hour, these oils are no longer active. A carrier oil, with its viscous body, keeps the essential oil vibrant, allowing the essential oils to exhibit their healing qualities longer. A way to remember this is to consider what happens when you put a drop of ylang ylang on your skin. Within an hour the scent is decreased. If you mix the ylang ylang with a carrier, however, the scent, and the oil’s medicinal qualities will last much longer. Aromatherapists have found that essential oils are most effective when they are applied on a regular basis, and carrier oils allow us to do so. Because some essential oils may cause sensitization of the skin, carriers also protect the skin from this potential pitfall - remember this: you will NOT be reducing the efficacy of your essential oils by diluting them properly in carriers, you will absolutely be enhancing the ability of your body’s ability of making use of these precious gifts of nature!
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