Carrier Oils

Carrier oils are a versatile base ingredient used in beauty and cosmetic products both as a standalone product applied directly to the skin and to dilute essential oils prior to application. For massage oils and blends it’s necessary to use carrier oils for essential oils to make products safe to apply directly to the skin. Using too little carrier oil in your blend can risk skin irritation from essential oils that are not properly diluted, so it’s important that you carefully read all safety information when making your own cosmetics. Because of their diluting properties, carrier oils for essential oils can be found across skin, eye and hair care.

As with essential oils, carrier oils for skincare have different characteristics and will have different benefits. By learning each carrier oil's unique properties, you can tailor-make blends for different skin types and conditions. Carrier oils also have other properties, like absorption rate and longevity, so you should select your carrier oil based on the properties you want your final blend to have. We have a number of carrier oil selection kits available including the gentle skincare carrier oil selection and hydrating carrier oils, which make getting started even easier!

Vegetable oils are just one example of carrier oils for skin; although carrier oils are often referred to as ‘vegetable oils’ other examples include the oil from seeds and nuts. Carrier oils are added to massage oil blends and used for massage, making the products safe for direct application onto skin. While most people would associate vegetable oils with cooking, oils extracted from some vegetables are actually ideal for use as carrier oils for skin products when combined with essential oils. 

Lots of aromatherapists and massage therapists focus on the 2% of what goes onto the skin and into the bloodstream during a massage — the 2% being the essential oil of choice. But with carrier oils making up such a huge part of the final product, as much care and attention should go into selecting ingredients for the remaining 98%. 

The ideal carrier oil will have little to no odour, so it doesn’t interfere with the fragrance of your blend. While some carrier oils do have a little fragrance, it’s worth experimenting to find out which carrier oil works best with your chosen oils. 

Carrier oils can be used in hair care products very effectively. As well as diluting essential oils, just by adding different vegetable oils together, you can make synergistic blends — add other fat-soluble raw materials and active ingredients, such as botanical CO2 extracts, remodelling intense, vitamin A and vitamin E, Q10 plus E, etc., and you can have a very powerful skin-rejuvenating blend — ready in minutes, not heating required!

Make tailor-made massage oils, nail blends, serums, hair oils, body and face oils. When experimenting with carrier oils for the skin, try making serums for the face and sensitive eye area and pour them into mini roll-on bottles. Click on “Info” for each product for more information and recipes. 

Profit margins are high (as much as 80-90%) for products that contain majority carrier oils, making them not only highly effective but simple and economical to work with. You can also make these kinds of blends with minimal equipment — you simply need a measuring jug, cylinder or beaker. Your imagination is your only limit!

We are always increasing our range of specialist carrier oils, especially fairly-traded oils from small-scale community and cooperative projects in developing countries.

Buy carrier oils with Aromantic now and get 10% off when you sign up for our newsletter. If you need help, have any questions or are a wholesale buyer, call us now on +44 1309 696 900 or email our friendly team.

See our range of organic carrier oils, non-organic carrier oils and carrier oil selections.

Related Products: Base Creams and Lotions | Botanicals | Essential Oils | Vitamins.

Related Cosmetic Recipes: Body Oil for Mature Skin | Plumping Face Cream.