Using Carrier Oils and Butters with Essential Oils

The use of essential oils in aromatherapy and soap making involves using a careful mix of these oils with carrier oils or butters. Although all three are fats, essential oils are much stronger and much more concentrated. Actually, essential oils by themselves may be too strong to be applied directly. In order to make the perfect product to be used in aromatherapy and soap making, the essential oil is mixed with a carrier oil or butter that dilutes the essential oil.

Carrier oils are beneficial. They help prevent the essential oils from evaporating. These carrier oils are absorbed into the skin more easily, and they carry the essential oils with them. Many carrier oils provide moisture for the skin, and many also contain vitamins and antioxidants which are good for the body.

Butters can be used in very similar way that carrier oils are utilized. The largest difference is that butters are in a more solid form. The fact that a butter remains as a solid form at room temperature allows it to be stored in purses and bags. This is a much cleaner option to liquid oils, which could spill or leak out of their containers. Lots of people also believe that body butters are generally better at moisturizing your skin than carrier oils. Certain kinds of butters do offer lots of vitamins good for the skin, but you will find oils that offer the same benefits. Regardless, carrier oils and butters are essential.

Essential oils have many purposes, from use as cleansers to fragrance oils. Carrier oils offer a mild fragrance of their own. Essential oils can be distilled from hundreds of different plants, each of which offers a unique application. While essentials are distilled from plants, carrier oils and butters are pressed of the fatty parts of a plant, like the seeds, nuts, and kernels. Butters originate from plants with oils that solidify at room temperature, for example palm and cocoanut. Clients who are searching for both will find them at aromatherapy and specialty shops like Lynden House International. These shops offer specialty supplies including melt and pour soap, candle making materials, and incense kits. Lynden House International provides a multitude of supplies and oils.

Aromatherapy and candle making require essential oils and carrier oils to be combined in specific ratios. These two plant products are both fat. However, essential oils are highly concentrated. These concentrated oils and also the experts at Lynden House International recommend that essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin. This is the reason why carrier oils are combined with essential oils to dilute them. Both carrier and essential oils originate from plant parts. Essential oils are distilled from plant leaves and flowers, whereas carrier oils are from the seeds and nuts of plants. Essential oils often make popular fragrance oils. Carrier oils not only help dilute the essentials, they also preserve them carry and them into the body when absorbed through the skin. Mixing body butters and carrier oils with essentials is an integral part of creating items like lotions, creams, cleansers, candles and soaps. One can't be present without the other, and that's why both carrier oils and body butters are so important.