Vegetable Oils in Aromatherapy

The choice of the base oil to which the oils and essences will be added is really a matter of personal preference or therapeutic needs. Sweet almond oil is a general favourite. It has a pleasing and mild fragrance, is easily absorbed by the skin and is not too thick or sticky.

The main points to remember when choosing your base oil are:

• Quality (cold-pressed)
• Texture (sticky or fluid) Read more

Importance of Carrier /Base Oils

The use of high-quality vegetable oils in aromatherapy is obviously very important, for the following reason:

• They provide a natural medium in which the essential oils can be diluted without harmfully altering their therapeutic effect.
• The vegetable oil molecules are absorbed into the blood-stream through the skin pores, unlike mineral oils. The essential oils are also absorbed in the vegetable blend, and can therefore have the desired action.
• The nutritional constituents of the vegetable oils (such as vitamins A and E) nourish the skin itself. Read more

Where to Buy Essential and Base Oils

Buying essential oils

There is currently considerable confusion when it comes to buying good-quality essential oils. How do we ascertain the standards of purity and quality? These are some basic rules to remember:

1. If they are labelled “aromatherapy oils” or any description other than “pure essential oil” it is unlikely that they are pure essences. They will probably contain a high percentage of vegetable or mineral oil to “stretch” the pure essential oil.  The therapeutic properties will therefore be greatly reduced. Read more