What is the best carrier oil to dilute essential oil?

Since essential oils cannot be applied topically, you need a carrier oil to dilute the essential oil. Now is the question, what is the best carrier oil to dilute essential oils. A lot of factors depending on how you are using the essential oil. Are you using it for wellness; like a body massage or are you using it for skin and hair care.

Some of the most commonly used carrier oils are:

What is a carrier oil?

Carrier oils are vegetable oils used to dilute essential oils so they are safe to apply to the skin (or ingest, in some cases). The best carrier oil is cold-pressed and made from plants. Cold-pressed oils hold onto more of their beneficial properties since they are not subjected to heat. It’s also best to choose unrefined oils that have no additives.

What is the best carrier oil to dilute essential oil?

These are some of the best carrier oils that you can use to dilute essential oils. You will need just a drop or two of the essential oil in about 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil to use it the way you want.

Body Massage

You can use oils of coconut, almond, olive and sesame if you are opting for a body massage. Some of the essential oils that go with these carrier oils for a body massage are:

Lavender: Lavender has soothing and calming properties. Using a lavender essential oil as a body massage oil will help calm your whole body and its wonderful fragrances helps to soothe anxiety.
Peppermint, Clove and Eucalyptus: A combination of these oils help to soothe your sore muscles and aches. A vigorous massage followed by a hot shower will relax tensed muscles and reduce the intensity of the soreness and aches.

Skin Care

You can use oils of coconut, almond, olive, marula, hazelnut, jojoba, grape seed, fig-seed, argan, rosehip and sesame if you are opting for skin care. Some of the essential oils that you can use on your by mixing with these carrier oils are:

Lavender: Lavender has soothing and calming properties. Using a lavender essential oil as a face oil will leave your skin feeling smooth and supple. I would recommend mixing it with the marula oil or the hazel nut oil for better results. Alternatively you can make your own skin toner. Take spray bottle. Add 00 ml of distilled water to it. Add 5 drops of any of the carrier oils and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Spritz on your face and wipe off with a warm washcloth for best results.
Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil is known to heal sensitive and acne prone skin. While you can use it with a carrier oil, I would recommend adding a drop or two of this essential oil in water and using a cotton pad to dab on the areas that are sensitive and acne prone. You can make your own toner as well following the recipe given above. If you want you can omit the carrier oil and use just the distilled water and tea tree oil.
Chamomile Oil : A great stress buster! And with its anti-inflammatory properties, when mixed with a carrier oil and applied on sore muscles it is known to relax the tensed muscles. Or if you are feeling anxious, add a few drops to your diffuser and inhale its lingering aroma to soothe the blues away.

Hair Care

You can use oils of coconut, almond, olive, marula, hazelnut, jojoba, grape seed, fig-seed, argan, rosehip and sesame if you are opting for hair care. Some of the essential oils that you can use on your by mixing with these carrier oils are:

Rosermary/Tea tree/ Peppermint: Got an itchy scalp, try mixing a few drops of any of these oils with pure coconut, almond or argan oil. Mix well and apply on the scalp. Massage on the scalp for a few minutes and move from the roots to the tips of your hair. Wrap your head with a hot towel for the oil to soak in the scalp. Wash off with sulphate free shampoo and follow up with a conditioner.
Lavender essential oil: Did you know that lavender essential oil can help speed up your hair growth? Mix 3–4 drops of lavender essential oil with a carrier oil like olive oil or melted coconut oil or argan oil. Apply it directly to your scalp. Leave it in for at least 10 minutes before washing it out and shampooing as you normally would. You can do this several times per week.
Cedarwood Oil/Lemongrass: Cedarwood & Lemongrass essential oils are known to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss by balancing the oil-producing glands in the scalp. Along with its anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, it can be used to treat an itchy scalp and also reduce the intensity of dandruff. Mix 3–4 drops of cedarwood/lemongrass essential oil with a carrier oil like olive oil or melted coconut oil or argan oil. Apply it directly to your scalp. Leave it in for at least 10 minutes before washing it out and shampooing as you normally would. You can do this several times per week.

For Wellness

For wellness you can use the essential oils directly in the diffuser to let its aroma spread across your living spaces. Most of these oils will directly affect your mind, body and soul, calming and soothing it. Oils like Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Lavender, Frankincense, Rose and Sandalwood are known to calm you down while citrusy fragrances like lemongrass, rosemary, peppermint, clove or orange are known to enhance focus and build up your energy levels.

These are just some basic essential oils that I have mentioned in this post; What is the best carrier oil to dilute essential oil. There are loads of essential oils available in the market that can target specific wellness, skin and hair care issues. No matter which essential oil or carrier oil you choose, ensure that it is organic and 100% natural without any artificial fragrances or alcohol. This will ensure a better way to use these oils in combination without harming your skin or hair.

This post was originally published on Quora. You can view it here – https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-carrier-oil-to-dilute-essential-oil/answer/Pratibha-Pal-2