Because we test more than just the essentials.

Just like with our essential oils, we take our carriers seriously. Before we source a single carrier oil, we find out everything we can about the farmer, distiller or supplier. We research their background, reputation and their commitment to quality.Only after we verify that the company meets our high standards do we begin looking at the carrier oils themselves.

We use the words "carrier oil" a lot around here, but not everyone knows what a carrier oil is! Carrier oils are VERY important when using essential oils because essential oils are never supposed to be applied undiluted to the skin.

First things first, what is a carrier oil? A carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portions of a plant, usually the seed, nut, or kernels. Carrier oils also have their own different therapeutic properties, and your choice of the carrier oil should depend on what therapeutic benefit you're looking for. A carrier oil is used to dilute essential oils before they're applied to the skin.

When looking for a carrier oil to use with your essential oils, you should be taking into account the type of oil you need, the oil’s purity, and of course the value it adds to your essential oil blends!

Carriers are complicated. What might seem simple (like choosing a quality oil) can be harder than it looks. And here’s why:

Carrier oils, like essential oils, can come in different levels of purity. Some carrier oils are often diluted with other cheaper oils or are made using impure methods of extraction that can pollute the product’s therapeutic value and effectiveness. This issue is even more serious when you take into account the need for correct allergen labeling.

We also go the extra mile to FAME test every single carrier oil we carry. FAME stands for Fatty Acid Methyl Ester testing, which is comparable to the GC/MS testing we run on every single essential oil batch.

All the different carrier oils contain fatty acids, but the proportions change depending on the carrier oil being tested. A FAME test profile shows us what’s in our carrier oils, breaking down the makeup of the carrier oil so we can confirm what we’re selling and exactly what the makeup of the oil is. A FAME test also serves as an additional standard for purity determination. This means you can be confident that our carrier oils are exactly what they say they are, and nothing else!

We never recommend using essential oils neat on your skin, for lots of reasons. And that’s where carrier oils come in.

When you dilute your essential oils with a carrier oil before applying them to your skin, the carrier oil helps prevent the essential oil from evaporating, enhancing their usefulness! That means you're getting more of the essential oil absorbed into your skin, and you need to use less. And the therapeutic properties of the essential oil are strengthened and enhanced by the carrier oil you choose.

The answer to "which carrier oil is best for me?" depends upon your skin type. They each have their own benefits, so it’s important to choose the best one for each situation.

At Plant Therapy, we test every single batch of carrier oil to make sure that what you see on the label is the only thing in your bottle. You have our promise of purity and can fully trust that the value and benefits of each carrier oil are what we claim. Which means you can buy Plant Therapy carrier oils and be completely confident about what is in your oil.