A carrier oil is a plain plant oil, pressed from nuts, seeds or kernels, that you mix essential oils into before they touch your skin. It spreads the essential oil over a larger area, makes it gentle enough for skin and lets you massage it in.
There is no single best carrier. The right one depends on what you want to do: a light, quickly absorbed oil for the face, a slippery oil that stays on the surface for a long massage, or a long-lasting oil for blends you will keep for months. If someone in your home has a nut allergy, that narrows the choice straight away.
This guide compares the carrier oils you are most likely to find in the essential oils range, usually sold in 50ml bottles.
The common carrier oils compared
| Oil | Feel on skin | Often used for | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jojoba | Light, silky, not greasy | Face, body, roller blends | Very well, years if stored cool |
| Fractionated coconut | Very light, stays liquid | Roller bottles, massage, hair | Very well, up to about 5 years |
| Sweet almond | Smooth, a little slippery | Body massage | 1 to 2 years |
| Apricot kernel | Light, similar to almond | Face and body | About 1 to 1.5 years |
| Argan | Light to medium | Face, hair ends, dry skin | Store cool and dark |
| Grapeseed | Thin, light | Massage, oilier skin | Shorter than most; use fairly quickly |
| Avocado | Rich, thick | Very dry skin, mixed into lighter oils | Keep in the fridge once opened |
Jojoba
Jojoba is not technically an oil but a liquid wax pressed from the seeds of a desert shrub. That is why it hardly goes rancid: it is one of the most stable carriers you can buy. It feels light and sinks in without a greasy film, which makes it a common choice for face blends and for roller bottles you want to keep for a long time.
Fractionated coconut
Ordinary coconut oil turns solid in a cool room. Fractionated coconut oil has had the heavier fats removed, so it stays liquid, has almost no smell and keeps for years. It is thin and easy to use in roller bottles, and it washes out of fabric more easily than heavier oils.
Sweet almond and apricot kernel
These are the classic massage oils. Both glide well, so your hands do not drag on the skin. Sweet almond is pressed from almonds, so avoid it if you or the person being massaged has a nut allergy. Apricot kernel feels similar and slightly lighter, but it is also a kernel oil, so check with a doctor if you have a known allergy.
Argan
Argan oil comes from the kernels of the argan tree, which grows in Morocco. It is light to medium in feel and popular for face oils, dry patches and smoothing the ends of hair. It tends to cost more than almond or grapeseed for the same size.
Grapeseed and avocado
Grapeseed is thin, light and inexpensive, which suits a full body massage or anyone who dislikes a heavy oil. It does not keep as long as most carriers, so buy small bottles. Avocado oil is the opposite: thick and rich. Most people mix a little of it into a lighter oil rather than using it alone.
Organic or pure
As with essential oils, you will see organic carrier oils (plants grown to a certified organic standard) and pure ones, such as the Garden of Flora range, which are usually cheaper. For a massage oil you use up within weeks, either works. If organic farming matters to you, or the oil goes on your face daily, the organic version may be worth the extra.
Check that a carrier oil is a single named oil and not a fragranced blend. Fragrance added to a carrier makes it harder to know what caused a reaction if your skin does not like it.
Mixing a blend
- Choose a clean amber or blue glass bottle; a 10ml roller bottle is handy for small blends.
- Fill it most of the way with your carrier oil.
- Add essential oil drop by drop: about 4 to 6 drops in 10ml for a body blend, 1 or 2 drops for the face.
- Top up with carrier, close and roll between your palms to mix.
- Label the bottle with the oils and the date.
The guide to using essential oils safely has the full dilution table and covers which oils need extra care in sunlight. If you would rather not mix your own, the balms range has ready made cleansing and body balms, and the wider skincare section has face polish, mists and body brushes.
Storing carrier oils
Carrier oils are fats, so they slowly go rancid when they meet air, light and heat. A rancid oil smells stale, like old crayons or paint, and can irritate skin.
- Keep the cap tight and store bottles in a cool, dark cupboard.
- Buy sizes you will finish: 50ml goes a long way for face use.
- Avocado and other rich oils keep longer in the fridge once opened.
- Your blend lasts only as long as its carrier, so use stable oils such as jojoba or fractionated coconut for anything you want to keep.
Quick checklist
- Pick by job: light oil for the face, slippery oil for massage, stable oil for blends you keep.
- Avoid almond and other nut or kernel oils if there is a nut allergy in the home.
- Choose a single named oil without added fragrance.
- Use dark glass bottles and label every blend with the date.
- Dilute essential oils at about 2% for the body and 1% or less for the face.
- Store carrier oils cool, dark and tightly closed.
- Throw away any oil that smells stale.
Common questions
Can I use olive or sunflower oil from the kitchen?
You can, and plenty of people do for a simple massage. Kitchen oils are heavier and have a stronger smell, and they are not usually sold as skin products, so a dedicated carrier oil is easier to work with.
Which carrier oil is best for the face?
Light oils such as jojoba, argan or apricot kernel are the usual choices because they absorb without a heavy film. Patch test first on a small area, and keep facial blends at 1% essential oil or less.
Why has my coconut oil gone solid?
Ordinary coconut oil turns solid below about room temperature. Stand the jar in warm water to melt it, or choose fractionated coconut oil, which stays liquid.
