Finding your perfect carrier oil

If you’re applying essential oils topically, it’s always important to dilute them down to 2% as a general rule. One of the easiest and most effective ways to dilute and benefit from an essential oil is to blend it with a carrier oil. These plant-based oils don’t have the concentrated aroma of an essential oil, instead they act as a vessel for carrying essential oils deeper into the skin.

Avocado

Avocado oil has all the fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to help your skin glow and your hair shine. Best suited to dry or combination skin types, avocado oil has a heavier consistency which offers deeper moisturising. If your skin tends to get a little more oily, jojoba oil has a lighter consistency. Avoid throwing your over-ripe avocado away, and try mashing equal parts avocado fruit with avocado oil, for a nourishing face mask that will leave your skin glowing.

Sweet almond

Packed with vitamin E power, sweet almond oil soothes and softens skin. This makes it a great choice for mature skin, which naturally loses vitamin E over time. Use as an ingredient in hair products for strengthening and shine - you can even combine it with your favourite essential oils for a relaxing hair mask. The vitamin A content also means sweet almond oil is great for fighting acne.  Blend your own acne treatment by mixing this carrier oil with tea tree essential oil and apply liberally to spots.

Jojoba

If you’re looking for a lighter carrier oil which won’t leave your skin feeling greasy, jojoba is an excellent choice. Closely mimicking human sebum, jojoba oil is nourishing without being too greasy for daily moisturising. The fatty acids in this oil mean it absorbs fast into the skin, perfect for creating your own muscle strain ointments and antifungal skin treatments. Make the most of jojoba’s antifungal properties too, by combining with antifungal essential oils for a super strength skin treatment.

Olive

The anti-inflammatory component of olive oil makes it a great choice for creating topical ointments. The light, nutty aroma means it’s not overpowering in homemade treatments and cosmetics and is full of fatty acids, perfect for cleansing and detoxifying the skin. Bring back shine for dull, fragile hair, by mixing with your favourite essential oils and applying from root to tip as a conditioning treatment, before rinsing with warm water and shampoo.

Coconut

Much like jojoba oil, coconut oil is packed with fatty acids, and is commonly used on its own as a cleanser, makeup remover, and moisturiser. Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal, coconut oil is both cleansing and moisturising for the hair and body. Coconut oil penetrates the skin much deeper than most oils, perfect if you’re creating an anti-inflammatory ointment. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic structure means it won’t lead to breakouts and clogged pores.

Now it’s time to create your own blends! All of the products mentioned are available from our store, including a fabulous selection of essential oils to experiment with.

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