Carrier Oils, are vegetable, seed and nut oils which are used to dilute essential oils so that they may be used for topical application

Varying dilutions of essential oils can be made depending on the intended use of the oil.

Essential oils which are diluted in carrier oils can be used for many different applications.

Wild As The Wind Carrier Oils

There are nearly 30 Carrier Oils in the Wild As The Wind Shop, including some incredible facial carrier oils which have been proven to be as effective as Retinol.

Diluting Wild As The Wind Essential Oils

Because there are different essential oil dilutions for different applications, you need to do a little bit of reading before you go ahead and use your essential oils. Essential oils are diluted with a carrier oil, in much the same way a cordial / squash is diluted by water.

The dilution of essential oils usually ranges between 1% and 5%. These different dilutions are listed, along withs their uses, in Using Essential Oils.

But, the basic idea is that the level of dilution of essential oils within a carrier oil depends on the intended use of the blend made from the essential oil(s) & carrier oil(s). These diluted essential oils in their respective carrier oils are called oil blends.

*The term oil blend is a universal term. An oil blend can also be a blend of carrier oils, as well as a blend of essential oils with no carrier oil.

Learn more about diluting essential oils in carrier oils here:

How To Use Essential Oils

Using Essential Oils

Healing Benefits Of Carrier Oils

However, all carrier oils possess healing properties of their own even before essential oils are added. Many are antimicrobial, like Coconut Oil, and others are anti-inflammatory, like Organic Sweet Almond Oil.

Some carrier oils are profoundly healing and are being used medically to address a good number of conditions.

In this article you will learn about some of the most important healing benefits of carrier oils, which include unofficial sun protection values (SPF’s), antioxidant values, moisturising capabilities and scar healing abilities.

Carrier Oils

Carrier Oils are made from cold pressing nuts and seeds to safely extract their oil content without harming the integrity and nutrient value of the resultant carrier oils.

Cold pressing is a process which is also used to extract a number of essential oils; more specifically Citrus Essential Oils. Citrus Essential Oils can also be steamed distilled like the majority of essential oils are, but, because the essential oils are contained in the outer layer of the peel of the fruit, it is more energy efficient to cold press them. Plus, owing to the bulk of the peel, from all Citrus Fruit, cold pressing these essential oil rich skins also makes sense from this perspective.

Cold Pressing Carrier Oil Methods

The method of cold pressing Carrier Oils hasn’t changed much in a long time. Large rollers are used to crush the kernels and seeds, so that the oil they contain can be liberated.

One of the more antiquated cold pressing machines is comprised of two very large and exceedingly heavy stones, cut to the shape of a wheel, and mounted on two separate axels, allowing them to rotate independently of each other. These two stone wheels sit side by side in a large stone bay, where they slowly roll side by side at 180 degrees to each other in a circular motion. One stone rolls closer to the centre of the bay, with the other rolling in it’s wake around the outer perimeter. This way, the wave of seeds and kernels are slowly passed from one wheel to another.

The weight of the stone wheels is so great that it can crush even the toughest of nuts. The nut of the Argan Tree, which only grows in two restricted regions of Morocco is considered to be one of the hardest nuts to crack. This is one of the reasons why Organic Argan Oil is a relatively costly oil.

The more modern cold pressing machines are made with of stainless steel which employ different mechanisms, but are usually comprised of a steel barrel with a corkscrew mechanism inside, which are locked together under great pressure, through which the nuts and seeds are passed.

These machines operate at a snails pace to ensure all of th oil is extracted from the valuable raw kernels. But, this also ensures the metal components remain cool.

Metal is well known for being an excellent conductor of heat. If the machines operated any more quickly, the nutrient value of the oils would be diminished.

Carrier Oil Healing Benefits

It isn’t just the essential oils in a diluted essential oil blend which convey the healing benefits. The carrier oils have many healing benefits all on their own.

Some carrier oils, like Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Rosehip Oil, Organic Pomegranate Seed Oil and Organic Wheat Germ Oil, can heal scarring. It is why all but one in this list are included in FACIAL OIL No. 2, which is an anti-aging and anti-acne and roseacea blend. You can read about these incredibly healing carrier oils in FACIAL OIL No. 2 Ingredients Explained.

Other carrier oil healing properties include their antioxidant abilities. A lot of seed oils are very vitamin dense… and this goes for a good number of the nut oils also. This is because all of the nutrients a seed need to propagate and then thrive need to be supplied by the seeds and nuts themselves.

Again, the carrier oils in FACIAL OIL No. 2 are very antioxidant rich, like Sweet Almond Oil, Wildcrafted Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Organic Sea Buckthorn Oil, and Pomegranate Seed Oil. You can read all about the six carrier oils and eight essential oils in this article devoted to the ingredients in FACIAL OIL No. 2 :: FACIAL OIL No. 2 Ingredients Explained.

Some carrier oils possess healing benefits because they contain  essential fatty acids, aka EFA’s or omega fats. These are incredibly moisturising for the skin. Oils like Sea Buckthorn Oil and Pomegranate Seed Oil are ideal for this. But Organic Borage Seed Oil, Blackcurrant Seed Oil, Organic Evening Primrose Oil and Raspberry Seed Oil

One of the healing benefits of many carrier oils is very little known. Many carrier oils possess natural SPF’s, aka sun protection factors, although these are not recognised by cosmetic governing bodies.

It is the SPF value of sun creams which protect our skin from the damaging rays of the sun. But sadly, it has now been scientifically proven that sun creams cause more skin cancer than an excessive over-exposure to the sun can sometimes cause.

So, which carriers oils have this healing benefit?

Carrier Oil SPF (Unofficial)

Organic Sweet Almond Oil :: 5 SPF

Organic Pomegranate Seed Oil :: 8 SPF

Organic Wheat Germ Oil,:: 20 SPF

Raspberry Seed Oil:: 28 SPF – 50 SPF

Carrier oils can be blended to achieve the SPF you are looking for. An example would be combining Almond Oil with Pomegranate Seed Oil (which is very viscous) and Raspberry Seed Oil, in equal parts, to obtain an SPF in the range of 15 SPF to 20 SPF.

Adding an essential Oil or two would make the aroma of these oils a lot more agreeable.

Lavender Essential Oil  is a good choice as it is excellent for treating burns and scalds, as are the Chamomile Essential Oils, (either Roman Chamomile Essential Oil or German (blue) Chamomile Essential Oil would be perfect), but I personally like the balsamic oils like Copaiba Essential Oil or Peru Balsam Essential Oil or Benzoin Essential Oil as their aromas are really pleasant and not too intrusive.

Wild As The Wind Carrier Oils

Wild As The Wind supply all of the carrier oils mentioned in this article, as well as a few others besides.

The Wild As The Wind  carrier Oils are of exceptional quality, with most of them being organic.

We reserve some exceptional small batch oils, like the wild crafted Rosehip Seed Oil, for the exclusive use in FACIAL OIL No. 2. This is because wildcrafted oils Wild-Crafted Essential Oils are exceptionally rare and they are very time consuming to make. Because the rosehips, used to make the Wildcrafted Organic Rosehip Oil, are gathered from dog roses which are growing wild, they do not appear in tidy rows, placed a few feet apart. Instead, they grow where they please, and the pickers need to walk some distance between one rosehip bush and another.

This takes time, and increases the cost. It also severely limits supply. But, the nutrient profiles of wild crafted oils are off the charts, which is what makes them so desirable.

Wild crafted carrier oils have a better nutrient profile than oils produced using farmed plant matter. This includes organic carrier oils.

Organic carrier oils have a better nutrient profile than non-organic carrier oils because they tend to be grown in better quality soil. Organic farmers have to comply to stringent farming standards which ensures superior soil quality than that found on non-organic farms.

Conventionally produced plants on non-organic farms are often deficient in nutrients because there are no standards for soil fertility set for these types of farms.

Disclaimer

The information provided is not intended to replace the medical directives of your healthcare provider. This information is not meant for the diagnosis of health issues. If you are pregnant, have serious or multiple health concerns, consult with your healthcare provider before using essential oils or associated products. If you experience any complications or adverse reactions contact your healthcare provider.

Deepen your knowledge by using the Wild As The Wind Recommended Resources

Another resource you may find useful can be found by following the link below. *Please note, I use sources from the Recommended Resources list as well as sources from the Healthcare and Skincare Information Sources list when researching articles for the Wild As The Wind Blog.

Best Healthcare and Skincare Information Sources.

Wild As The Wind use a number of resources when deciding which essential oil formulas to put together for optimal healing and efficacy, as well as to support any health claims we may make.

We use the industry ‘bible’ on essential oil safety: Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals [2nd Edition] by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, to establish the safety of the Wild As The Wind formulations.

We owe a particular debt to GreenMedInfo, and, of course, the teachings of Penny Price and Patricia Davis.

Many of the scientific studies used to inform the claims made on this website are via GreenMedInfo, as well as via Dr. Josh Axe, Ty Bollinger on the Truth About Cancer website as well as, on the odd occasion, Dr. Eric Zielinski

Other resources include:

• PubMed
• WebMD
• Robert Tisserand
• Dr. Robert Pappas
• AromaWeb