When you read about Aromatherapy, you think of Essential oils. Of course, they have awesome fragrances along with a wide range of benefits. However, Aromatherapy is not about Essential oils only. Carrier oils or plant oils are also crucial for getting any result from practicing aromatherapy. Healthline defines aromatherapy as a “holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being”. Interestingly, plant extracts include both essential oils and cold-pressed oils like Olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil etc. Today, I wish to talk about carrier oils or cold-pressed oils and how they are beneficial in aromatherapy.
[lwptoc]Aromatherapy mostly works by two processes, using a sense of smell and absorption through the skin. In both cases, essential oils are used in diluted form. For skin applications, they are diluted using plant-based natural oils like olive oil, coconut oil etc. They are called carrier oils, as they act as carriers for essential oil. Aromatherapy is very useful to fight pain, stress and other health issues. Once in a while, you might have also enjoyed a warm relaxing massage in a spa in a fragrant environment. That experience is aromatherapy at its best. The idea behind this therapy is to assist the natural strength of the body to rest, recover and heal against stress and sickness.
Most popular carrier oils are virgin olive oil, coconut oil, argan oil etc. They are excellent and useful oil in themselves. Olive oil is extremely good for hair and skincare due to its natural ability to provide a protective layer against external factors. Coconut oil can help you fight blood sugar and diabetes. These oils complement the strength and properties of essential oils and amplify them to provide better healing effects. Due to this, they are now a day base of various cosmetic products like soaps, shampoo, and bath bombs.
Depending on your skin and hair type, you can select which carrier oil you can use. You can also use a mix of them. Most of the carrier oils are unscented and used as edible oils. So you might be familiar with most of them from your kitchen. However, it goes without saying that you should only use high quality and pure oils such as Olive oils, Argan oils, and coconut oils.
Olive oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit, rather than seed like most common oils. It is very stable and easily preserved oil. It won’t spoil even without refrigeration for over a year. Originally it is from Mediterranean region in Europe. But now it is successfully grown in regions in other countries like California in the US. It is generally dark golden colored thick oil. Since medieval times, it is one of the most popular oils in kitchens.
Olive oil is 99% triacylglycerols by its composition. Which is a family of oleic acid, linoleic acid and Omega 3. It is rich in phenolic antioxidants, making it very beneficial for health. It contains a plethora of vitamins like A, B1, C and E. Due to all these nutrients, it is an excellent carrier oil for massages and hair care. There are several studies that show it helps in muscle gain, especially in children. For skin care, research shows that regular massage from it can prevent signs of aging and sun damage.
It is always preferred to use extra virgin olive oil for skin and hair care purposes. Aromatherapy experts overwhelmingly prefer extra virgin over regular oils. However, it is more popular as a base for soaps and shampoos. We have done posts on reviewing the best soaps and shampoos from olive oil.
You can add Tea Tree essential oil along with Olive oil in skin & hair care routine for following benefits:
Massage oil for Energizing
Hair oil for dry and thick hair
Just as Olive oil rules kitchens in Italy, Argan oil rules in Morocco. However, Argan oil is no more limited to Morocco due to its numerous benefits in culinary, cosmetic and medicinal practices. Argan oil is mainly composed of fatty acids and phenolic compounds. Oleic and linoleic acids are major parts of fatty acids in this oil. This excellent combination makes it an ideal choice for carrier oil in Aromatherapy.
However, you should always be cautious to buy only pure oil from reputable sources. We had done a review of argan oils for skin care and another review for hair care oils. Do check them out and use them in your daily care routine. It is one of the lighter carrier oils which goes well in blends with thick oils like olive etc. However, it does have little nutty aroma of its own, which goes well with various essential oils like sandalwood, cedarwood and ylang ylang essential oils.
If you just search online or look at your shop racks, you will find various beauty products highlighting argan oil as important ingredients. You can check out the best reviewed shampoo from argan oil which is available in the US.
Benefits of Argan Oil for skin and hair care:
Facial Moisturizer
Body Skin Oil
