What Are Carrier Oils? A Beginner’s Guide
Pull up almost any aromatherapy recipe, and somewhere in the ingredients list you’ll find a carrier oil.
It might be listed as “jojoba,” “sweet almond,” or just “a carrier oil of your choice.”
If you’re new to making personal care products with essential oils and are not familiar with carrier oils, the instructions can stop you in your tracks.
Carrier oils are a fundamental component in aromatherapy. They are the base that makes essential oils safe and practical to use on the skin.
Once you understand what they are and what role they play, everything else in a recipe starts to make sense.
This post covers the basics: what carrier oils are, how they’re made, why they’re needed, and how to work with them.
When you’re ready to go further, the guide to the best carrier oils for essential oils details individual oil options so you can choose the right one for your recipe.
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What Is a Carrier Oil?
A carrier oil is a plant-based oil pressed from the fatty parts of a plant, usually the seeds, nuts, or kernels. The pressing process extracts a mild, nourishing oil that can be applied directly to the skin on its own or used as the base for an essential oil blend.
The term ‘carrier’ comes from the job the oil does – carrier oils carry essential oils onto the skin.
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts and aren’t meant to be applied directly. They must be diluted first. A carrier oil is what makes that dilution possible.
When you dilute a few drops of essential oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil, the carrier oil becomes the dominant substance, distributing the essential oil evenly and reducing its concentration to a comfortable level for skin contact.
This list of the 10 best carrier oils for essential oils covers detailed characteristics of each oil and how to choose the best one for your purpose.
How Carrier Oils Are Made
Most quality carrier oils are made through cold pressing or expeller pressing. Both methods extract the oil by applying pressure to the plant material. The difference between the two techniques is the amount of heat involved in the process.
Cold pressing extracts oil at low temperatures, which preserves more of the oil’s natural character. Cold-pressed oils are generally considered the best choice for DIY aromatherapy and skincare recipes because the extraction process is gentle.
Expeller pressing uses mechanical pressure and generates heat through friction, but no external heat is applied. The resulting oil is still considered a quality option for most uses.
When you’re shopping for carrier oils, look for “cold-pressed” or “expeller-pressed” on the label. If the label doesn’t mention the extraction method, the oil may have been processed using heat or chemical solvents, which compromises its quality for DIY use.
Carrier Oils vs Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic plant extracts that evaporate quickly and are too potent to apply directly to skin.
Carrier oils are mild, plant-based oils pressed from seeds, nuts, or kernels. They don’t evaporate, have little to no scent, and are gentle enough to use on skin on their own.
A few defining characteristics set carrier oils apart from essential oils:
- Non-volatile: Carrier oils don’t evaporate. They stay on the skin rather than dispersing into the air.
- Mild or neutral scent: Some carrier oils are nearly odorless, others have a faint nutty or earthy note, but none compete with the fragrance of an essential oil.
- Oily texture: Unlike essential oils, which feel dry and evaporate quickly, carrier oils feel oily. They spread, absorb, and leave some residue on the skin.
- Can be used alone: Unlike essential oils, carrier oils can be applied directly to the skin. Many people use them as standalone moisturizers, massage bases, or recipe ingredients. Essential oils are optional and only added for their scent.
The two are used together because the carrier oil dilutes the essential oil to a safe, comfortable concentration. For a full side-by-side comparison, read this guide to the difference between essential oils and carrier oils.
Carrier Oils vs Cooking Oils: Not the Same Thing
A common question from beginners is, ‘Can you just use olive oil or coconut oil from the kitchen?’ The short answer is: sometimes, but not usually.
Most cooking oils you’ll find in a grocery store have been refined using heat, which strips out much of what makes an oil useful as a carrier.
The processing that gives cooking oils a long shelf life and a neutral taste also reduces the qualities you want in a DIY recipe.
At best, a heavily refined cooking oil does very little in a blend. At worst, it can go rancid quickly or feel unpleasant on the skin.
There are exceptions. Unrefined extra virgin olive oil, which is cold-pressed from the first pressing of the olives, can work as a carrier oil. However, its strong scent makes it better suited to balms and salves than to anything where you want the essential oil fragrance to come through.
Unrefined coconut oil similarly retains more of its useful properties than the refined version.
For most DIY recipes, purpose-made carrier oils from a reputable supplier are a better starting point than anything from the cooking aisle.
They are formulated for skin use, clearly labeled with extraction method and quality grade, and consistently free of the additives and processing aids that sometimes appear in commercial cooking oils.
Why Every Topical Aromatherapy Recipe Needs a Carrier Oil
Essential oils are extracted from plant material through steam distillation or cold pressing. It takes a significant amount of plant material to produce even a small bottle of oil. The result is an intensely concentrated liquid.
That concentration is what gives essential oils their strong aroma, but it’s also why they need to be diluted before skin use.
Applying a concentrated essential oil directly to the skin can cause irritation, and some oils can cause sensitization, a reaction that, once it develops, can make that oil difficult to use in the future.
Diluting in a carrier oil reduces that risk by spreading the essential oil across a larger volume of a gentle, skin-safe base.
You might wonder whether water could do the same job. It can’t. The reason is simple: oil and water don’t mix.
Shake essential oil and water together, and the oil breaks into droplets that float right back to the surface.
The same thing happens on the skin. The essential oil separates and ends up sitting in concentrated spots rather than being dispersed evenly.
A carrier oil, being oil-based itself, blends smoothly with essential oils and keeps them blended.
Quick note: Carrier oils are only needed when applying essential oils to the skin. When using essential oils in a diffuser, no carrier oil is required. More importantly, you should never add carrier oil to a diffuser, as it can damage the mechanism.
What Carrier Oils Are Used For
Carrier oils appear in almost every category of aromatherapy and natural DIY recipes. Here’s where you’ll typically encounter them:
Body Oils and Roller Blends
The simplest application: combine a carrier oil with a few drops of essential oil, and you have a custom body oil or roller blend.
The carrier oil forms the bulk of the blend. The essential oil adds fragrance and character.
Roller bottles (usually 10 ml) are a particularly convenient format. Fill the roller bottle with carrier oil, add essential oils, snap the roller ball in, and it’s ready to use.
Massage Bases
Carrier oils have been used as massage bases long before essential oils entered the picture.
Lightweight oils with good slip, such as sweet almond and grapeseed, are popular choices. They spread easily, allow hands to glide smoothly, and absorb well without leaving a heavy residue.
Essential oils can be added for fragrance, or the carrier oil can be used on its own.
Bath and Body Recipes
Sugar scrubs, bath salts, body butters, and balms all commonly include at least one carrier oil.
In scrubs and salts, the carrier oil disperses the essential oil through the mixture and adds a moisturizing quality to the finished product.
In balms and butters, it forms part of the base alongside waxes and butters, contributing texture and consistency.
Infused Oils
Carrier oils can also be used as the base for botanical infusions in which dried herbs or flowers are steeped in the oil to draw out their scent and character.
The finished infused oil can then be used in recipes just like any other carrier oil, with the added fragrance of whichever botanicals were used in the infusion.
Get detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use carrier oils to make these infused oils – Rose, Calendula, Lavender, Dandelion, Yarrow, and Coffee.
How to Store Carrier Oils
Carrier oils don’t last forever. Unlike essential oils, which oxidize over time but don’t go rancid, carrier oils can spoil.
A rancid carrier oil has a distinctly unpleasant smell – sharp, sour, or musty in a way that’s different from the oil’s normal scent. If yours smells off, replace it.
A few storage habits that extend shelf life:
- Store bottles away from light and heat. A cool, dark cupboard is ideal. Direct sunlight and warm spots accelerate deterioration.
- Keep lids tightly closed. Exposure to air speeds up oxidation. Close the bottle promptly after each use.
- Transfer to smaller bottles as you use them up. The more air in the bottle, the faster the oil deteriorates. Decanting into a smaller container as the level drops keeps the ratio of oil to air more favorable.
- Check the date before using. Shelf life varies by oil. Lighter oils such as grapeseed have a shorter shelf life than more stable ones like jojoba. If a bottle has been sitting for a while, smell it before adding it to a recipe.
Most carrier oils don’t need to be refrigerated, though a few (rosehip oil in particular) do better with cold storage. Check the label for the supplier’s guidance on individual oils.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind About Carrier Oils
Nut allergies. Sweet almond, argan, and apricot kernel oils are all derived from tree nuts. If you have a nut allergy, or are making products for someone who does, choose fractionated coconut oil or jojoba instead. Both are excellent all-purpose options that suit most recipes.
Patch testing. When trying any carrier oil for the first time, apply a small amount to the inside of your wrist or elbow and wait before using it more widely. This is standard practice recommended by aromatherapy organizations for anyone introducing a new oil to their routine.
Always dilute essential oils before skin use. A carrier oil isn’t optional for topical applications. It’s a consistent part of safe practice. The guide to diluting essential oils has the specifics on dilution ratios if you need them.
Buy from reputable suppliers. Label claims like “cold-pressed” and “100% pure” are only meaningful if the supplier behind them is trustworthy. Plant Therapy is a reliable source for both carrier oils and essential oils — their products are clearly labeled with extraction method and purity information. Browse their carrier oil range here.
FAQs About Carrier Oils
Can I use any vegetable oil as a carrier oil?
Not all vegetable oils make good carrier oils. Most grocery store cooking oils are refined using heat, which removes the qualities that make them useful in a DIY recipe. Oils clearly labeled as cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils are a much better choice. Unrefined extra virgin olive oil can work in a pinch, but its strong scent limits what you can make with it.
Can I use carrier oils on their own without essential oils?
Absolutely. Carrier oils are useful on their own as massage bases, moisturizers, and recipe ingredients. Many people use jojoba or fractionated coconut oil as a standalone face or body oil without adding essential oils. The essential oil is optional. The carrier oil does its own job regardless.
Do carrier oils expire?
Yes. Carrier oils can go rancid over time, especially if stored improperly. Shelf life varies by oil. Jojoba is the most stable and can last several years. Grapeseed oil has among the shortest shelf life. Store all carrier oils in a cool, dark place with lids tightly closed, and check for an off smell before using any oil that’s been sitting for a while.
Ready to Choose Your First Carrier Oil?
Carrier oils are the quiet foundation of aromatherapy DIY. They don’t get the same attention as essential oils, after all, there’s no drama in a bottle of jojoba. But, without carrier oils, you wouldn’t be able to make any personal care products with essential oils.
Now that the basics are clear, the natural next step is choosing which carrier oil (or oils) to start with.
Fractionated coconut oil and sweet almond oil are popular beginner choices because they’re versatile, mild, and pair well with almost any essential oil. But there are plenty of other options depending on what you’re making and what texture you prefer.
