Blog | The S.E.E.D. Institute UK

Using Carrier Oils in Aromatherapy

Edited: November 13, 2022

It is a general rule in Clinical Aromatherapy that applying pure essential oils without a carrier, is unsafe practice. The well-trained Clinical Aromatherapist is aware that there are a few exceptions to this rule, but even ‘safe’ oils like Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) and Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) can trigger a lifelong sensitivity. This highlights the importance of using essential oils under the guidance of a professionally trained Clinical Aromatherapist.

Therapeutic Essential Oils are Powerful.

Any essential oil could cause an allergic reaction if applied undiluted. For those interested in reading more about these dangers Marge Clark writes about her own ongoing personal battle with dermatitis following exposure to lavender oil in her book Essential Oils and Aromatics.

Using Carrier Oils.

Safe practice means treating essential oils with respect and diluting them with a carrier oil: so-called because they carry the essential oil onto or into the skin. All carrier oils are easily absorbed, have a mild or no aroma and are non-volatile. These oils nourish the skin and tissues and if chosen carefully enhance the healing properties of the essential oils.

With the wide range of non-volatile plant oils available, it is surprising to discover that many aromatherapists limit themselves to using grape seed or almond oils. Your choice of carrier oil can make a significant difference in the therapeutic properties, colour, aroma and even the shelf life of your final product. Unlike essential oils, carrier oils can go rancid over time which is why the clinical aromatherapist will generally create the bespoke oil or lotion for each client. You might choose an unscented carrier (like grape seed), lightly scented (such as coconut and jojoba) or more heavily scented (olive and argan for example) – each carrier oil bringing its own unique properties to the blend.

Essential oils are generally diluted at 2% by volume with the carrier oil for adults and at 1% for children and elderly clients. Following these guidelines should ensure safe topical application of most oils although treatment of children and elderly clients should always be undertaken with utmost care and requires specialised education and training. Higher concentrations can be used – up to 10% with some essential oils – but it is important to understand the potential risks involved. Here the professional Clinical Aromatherapist once again relies on their understanding of the chemical properties of both essential oils and carrier oils and the ways in which they interact.

Carrier oils also have cautions and contra-indications for use and so again should be used under the guidance of a Clinical Aromatherapist. E.g. Hypericum should not be used for clients who are taking certain antidepressants and nut oils should obviously never be used with people who have a nut allergy.

Choosing Your Carrier Oils.

Carrier oils should be cold-pressed and as unrefined as possible, meaning that they retain their aroma and are uncontaminated by bleaches or deodorisers. Some, like jojoba, are actually a form of wax and are useful when overproduction of sebaceous oils is a problem (as in acne). Others, like coconut and olive oils, contain fatty acids, polyphenols and plant sterols which feed and moisturise the skin. Some macerated carriers are either too viscose or too expensive to be used as 100% main carriers and therefore can be added to your main carrier at 25% of your carrier blend.

Whether they are nut oils, seed oils or from other vegetable sources, understanding the constituent elements and effectiveness of each oil enables us to choose exactly the right one as a carrier for each individual application.

Experiment With Different Carrier Oils

Delve into the exciting world of carrier oils and broaden your knowledge as to how they can create balanced and healing massage blends for your clients. Whether using avocado or sweet almond, black cumin seed or tamanu oils, every carrier oil has something unique to offer the professional aromatherapist in their practice.

Jasmine – The Essential Oil of Happiness

Edited: November 13, 2022

Guess what, the natural fragrance of flowers makes us happy!

We knew that already, right? Yes, but since 2010 we have known it for sure because the scientists – more specifically, the biochemists of Ruhr University in Germany – told us it’s so. (Yes, a little irony here).

But this really is exciting stuff. Their research showed that the jasmine scent molecules when breathed in are transmitted from the lungs to the blood and then penetrate the brain. The chemicals don’t have to be ingested to be effective. And that came as a surprise to the worthy biochemists – even if aromatherapists have telling people this for years.

Our brain cells send chemical messages across the brain and the nervous system, regulating it by exciting or inhibiting nerve responses through the spinal cord and throughout the body. These chemical messages are carried by neurotransmitters of which GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) is one that regulates the communication between brain cells by inhibiting or damping down of neuron activity.

There has been a great deal of research into the role of GABA in the brain. It helps us to control our behaviour and thoughts by reducing fear, anxiety and stress when the neurons become over stimulated. Lower than normal levels of GABA in the brain have been linked to schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.

Importantly for anyone interested in aromatherapy and the holistic approach to health, certain fragrances have now been proven by biochemists to enhance the effect of GABA on nerve cells helping to soothe, relieve anxiety and promote rest. Indeed, jasmine proved to be as effective as strong sedatives such as benzodiazepines which are the world’s most prescribed drugs, causing serious side-effects such as depression, hypotension, muscle weakness and impaired coordination.

In the words of Prof. Dr. Hanns Hatt who discovered that the two fragrances Vertacetal-coeur (VC) and the chemical variation (PI24513) have the same molecular mechanism of action and are as strong as the commonly prescribed barbiturates or propofol.

“Applications in sedation, anxiety, excitement and aggression relieving treatment and sleep induction therapy are all imaginable. The results can also be seen as evidence of a scientific basis for aromatherapy.”

If you or anyone you care for is experiencing the effects of stress, anxiety or insomnia, ask your aromatherapist to make you up a massage oil with jasmine, or put some in your diffuser or oil vapouriser. Even sufferers from neurological conditions such as MS or Parkinson’s who often react badly to sedatives, may be helped by this research.

So, when we fill our house with the divine scent of sweet peas, roses and jasmine, we know we are breathing in happiness and de-stressing in the healthiest way imaginable.

Carrot Seed Oil

Edited: November 13, 2022

My mother always told me that eating carrots would help me see in the dark. She was right – she was usually right. Rich in Carotene and Vitamin A, the roots are indeed beneficial to the eyes and are effective antioxidants.

But carrots have so much more to give us. Carrot Seed oil has incredible properties that are only now being understood by modern science. The mild, earthy sweetness of Carrot Seed produces a powerful yet well-tolerated oil with a wide range of healing properties.