Common carriers
- Fractionated coconut oil — light, long-lasting, no strong smell.
- Jojoba — technically a wax; very stable on a shelf.
- Sweet almond, grapeseed, olive — kitchen-familiar and easy to find.
- Unscented lotion or an aloe base, for recipes that call for one.
Why recipes almost always include one
Undiluted essential oil on skin is the most common cause of irritation reports, and aromatherapy safety references recommend diluting for topical use rather than applying neat.
A carrier also makes a tiny amount of essential oil spreadable — a couple of drops in a spoonful of carrier covers far more skin than the drops alone.
What a carrier is not
Water is not a carrier. Essential oils do not dissolve into water, so shaking them into a water spray leaves undiluted droplets behind.
See it in practice
Recipes in the app list their carrier and amount, so you can follow along exactly.
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