What takes 22 seconds to reach your brain, 2 minutes to be found in your bloodstream, and less than 20 minutes to reach every cell in your body? That’s right, essential oils! They are amazing compounds that can be utilized in many different ways for your overall health. The most common way people use essential oils is topically (applying to one’s skin).
Because essential oils are so very concentrated, carrier oils are used to help slow down the absorption into the skin (to reduce irritation) as well as help extend the essential oil over a large surface area.
Carrier oils are oils made mainly from fruits or vegetables and derived from the fatty portion of the plant, typically from the seeds or the nuts. They are high in essential fatty acids and can be used in many different capacities such as cooking, cleaning, beauty regimens and medicinal products to name a few.
When it comes to your choice of carrier oil, a lot of it is personal preference. Everybody’s body is different and you need to find what works best for you and your skin type.
Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular carrier oil choices that I have come across and what they are good for.
Coconut Oil / Fractionated Coconut Oil: Fractionated Coconut Oil stays in liquid form, while the extra virgin Coconut Oil hardens when it cools. It can be used for anything and everything but is especially good for dry skin. It is great at removing makeup but some people find that they break out if they use Coconut Oil because the molecules are large and sit on the surface of your skin longer. Use Fractionated Coconut for your rollers and on the spot diluting and use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in moisturizer and cream recipes. Whip up a body butter!
Grapeseed Oil: Great for an everyday use for rollerballs and also a good choice for face serums. Great for balancing, toning, and smoothing the skin while being kind to skin that may break out easily.
Jojoba Oil: Since it is technically a wax, this oil has a longer shelf life than most carrier oils and is very resistant to higher temperatures. Jojoba Oil is colorless and odorless and is found in many cosmetic products as a replacement for Whale Oil. It is great for skin, hair and cuticles. I would recommend this oil for any beauty recipes, especially those for your face.
Rosehip Seed Oil: Extracted from the seeds of a wild rose bush, this oil is high in essential fatty acids such as omega-6 and omega-3. Commonly used for face serums Rosehip Seed Oil is great for nourishing and toning your skin.
Vitamin E Oil: Vitamin E oil is rich in antioxidants and used in a lot of skincare products, especially those that claim anti-aging benefits. It is used in wound care, reducing appearance of scars, sunburn care, and treating Psoriasis symptoms.
Young Living’s V-6 Oil: A mixture of 7 different oils (Fractionated Coconut Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Olive Fruit Oil) This carrier oil can be used for anything and is odorless and colorless. It is safe to use on everyone in your family, including your pets.
Mix it up and try different things to find your favorite. I pretty much exclusively use fractionated coconut oil for everything I make. However, when making beauty products for my face I lean towards Rosehip seed oil or Jojoba Oil. My next venture is to try Vitamin E oil for all my rollers because, why not?!
With all that said, I still do use some essential oils “neat” or straight out of the bottle from time to time. This is a level of comfort that you will have to find for yourself and is totally a personal preference. Your Starter Kit makes it easy by providing you a roller top you can pop directly on a EO bottle. My favorite to do this with is Stress Away and wear it as a perfume.
Times I suggest to always use a carrier oil are when you are using an oil for the first time (to make sure that you don’t have a negative reaction to the oil) or when you are using a “hot oil” (see image below).
Hot oils can cause a warming sensation, and possible irritation if not used with a carrier. 
**When you are using oils on children, ALWAYS DILUTE with a carrier. Dilution ratio chart below for reference:
Dilution chart for animals:
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