What are Carrier Oils and what are they used for
Carrier oils play an essential role in aromatherapy. Essential oils, which are used in aromatherapy, are diluted in them.
It is particularly important to dilute essential oils when they are being used to massage the skin as the are are highly concentrated and some of them can be very expensive. If they were used without diluting a considerable quantity would need to be used and this would become very expensive. More importantly however, if the essential oil is going to be used for massage it is important to dilute it first otherwise the body would not be able to tolerate the absorption.
It is also the case that essential oils are so much easier to handle during a massage if they have been diluted with a carrier oil. They are lubricants and this allows the hands to glide freely over the body and this in turn allows for a more comfortable and soothing result. Otherwise during a massage session the hands tend to stick to the skin and drag along the top rather than run smoothly over the body
Another very important role that they play is that they they aid in the essential oil's ability to absorb deep into the skin and ultimately the blood stream. It is also the case that essential oils absorb much more quickly when they have been diluted.
The most effective carrier oils are nut and vegetable oils. In actual fact these types of carrier oils can be used on their own without using essential oils. However before you rush to your kitchen cabinet and seize for the bottle of vegetable oil that you use in your cooking, there are a few things you should know.
First of all, put that bottle back into your cupboard and use it only for cooking. Why? Because oils used for cooking go through a different manufacturing process than the vegetable-based carrier oils that are used in aromatherapy.
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