Mix for massage (Carrier Oils)

Member Name: January

Product:	Carrier Oils
Date:	17/03/06 (1275 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Helps the skin to absorb the essentail oil

Disadvantages: none

Carrier Oils are needed to be able to use essential oils for massage, as essential oils need to be diluted before they go on the skin, as some of them can irritate and cause rashes. They are also concentrated and evaporate quickly.
A carrier oil has a short life of two or three months which is why they are used whenever needed and not mixed together with the essential oils when you buy them, but mixed with the essential oils at the time of use.
Essential oils last a lot longer and can be stored for years in a dark brown bottles in cool, dry places away from the sunlight.

There are a few kinds of carrier oils which can be bought but the most common carrier oils are vegetable oils such as olive oil or safflower, you can also use almond oil, but this is slightly more expensive.
I have also melted down a little vascaline in a small pan and mixed the essential oils with it to use when I couldn’t get to the shops. This is excellent for adding essential oils as it helps the hands glide over the skin when massaging backs and shoulders.
Baby oil can be used if there is nothing else available to hand, but like the vasceline it can slow down the process of the skin absorbing the essential oil.
Although a base oil like olive oil or almond oil is better as they are absorbed into the skin and take the essential oils with them and do not leave the skin feeling greasy.
A base oil can be bought from the health shop too at about £2.50 for a 500ml bottle, but olive oil works just as good as anything and can be bought at the supermarkets.

Another good thing about using vegetable or nut oils as a carrier oil is that they have healing properties of their own.
Almond, olive, sunflower, jojoba, grapeseed, hazelnut, corn, safflower or avocado oils can be used for carrier oils.
Although once mixed with essential oil they will only last a couple of months, adding vitamin E to the mixture can help it last a little longer. It is however best to just mix up a little each time you need to.
Add two drops of your chosen essential oil or oils if your using more than one, to little carrier oil and gently massage the area which needs treatment.
Essential oils penetrate the skin and the adding them to a carrier oil helps the smooth application of the oils.

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Here is a useful guide on what quantities to mix your essential oils to the carrier oil.

Carrier Oil Essential Oil
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100ml = 20 - 30 drops
25ml = 7 - 25 drops
1 teaspoon = 3 - 5 drops

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More than one essential oils can be blended with the carrier oil at a time, but it is not usually good to use more than three essential oils at a time.
Once mixed with the carrier oil you can treat ailments, sprains or muscular pains by massage or poultice.
Please remember that use of essential oils can be beneficial and may seem easy to use but some of them should be avoided in certain conditions such as pregnancy and in some cases massage is not always the best form of healing.
If you are pregnant it is advisable to seek a trained aromatherapist so that you can find out if the essential oil your thinking of using is safe for you.

I hope this has been helpful in some way.

Summary: very useful