10 Carrier Oils Every Aromatherapist Should Own
What makes an aromatherapy blend special? It isn’t just the high-quality essential oils. Carrier oils and creams give blends character and additional therapeutic benefits. Plus, they’re fun to work with and give you more versatility as an aromatherapist!
Every aromatherapist should have a variety of carriers in their toolbox. As with essential oils, various carriers have different therapeutic benefits and unique characteristics. Perfect carrier oils can round out a blend and make it special.
Blending for aromatherapy clients
When blending for clients, it’s especially important to offer many carrier oils and creams. Essential oil recipes aren’t one size fits all. Your goal is to create the most powerful blend for your client’s specific needs and desires. Some clients may prefer cream rather than oil, or even a butter.
Delivery methods are part of the overall process of creating effective, meaningful blends. For example, a client of ours with rheumatoid arthritis in the hands needed a creative solution. We created a Castile soap foaming hand wash that delivered pain relief throughout the day–every time the client washed their hands.
Aromatherapy and skin issues
Allergies and skin sensitivities must also be taking into account when creating aromatherapy blends and aromatherapy recipes. When you keep a variety of aromatherapy carriers in your aromatherapy kit, you can create blends that are safe for a variety of skin types.
Top essential oil carriers
Whether you’re getting started in aromatherapy or you’re a veteran, the following oils can round out your essential oil toolkit.
- Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
- Unscented cream or lotion
- Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis)
- Anti-trauma oil
- St John’s wort infused oil (Hypericum perforatum)
- Arnica flower infused oil (Arnica montana)
- Calendula flower infused oil (Calendula officinalis)
- Balm of Gilead infused (Cottonwood or Balsam Poplar bud) oil (Populus balsamifera)
- Foraha or Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum)
- Castile soap
Jojoba has an indefinite shelf life and is often the foundation and beginner oil for many aromatherapy recipes. It’s close in chemical makeup to the sebum of the skin and has excellent absorption.
Some notes on carrier oils
We love anti-trauma oil, olive oil infused with arnica, calendula and St. John’s wort flowers, for its strong healing properties. Castile soap is particularly useful because everyone washes their hands (we hope), and an aromatherapy soap blend is the perfect way to ensure that a client applies oils regularly throughout the day.
Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know!
