Base oil, or also called carrier oil, provide a medium for diluting and dispersing concentrated essential oils. A base oil is from vegetable, nut, or seed sources. It can also be made by macerating a herb in a plant oil. Base oils have their own benefits.
Why dilute essential oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant essences, so as a general rule they should always be used diluted in a base oil, lotion, ointment or balm, or bath oil. As the name also says, it helps to ‘carry’ the essential oils through the skin. Base oils are mild and blend well with essential oils to create a homogenous mixture. This makes it ideal to use on your skin.
Doing a skin patch test
Before using an essential oil, carefully check the safety advise and make sure you follow the recommendations for dilution.
If you have sensitive skin or you have never used a particular essential oil, or blend of essential oils, do a patch test on your skin. This way, before using the essential oil for the first time, can check first that you won’t have an adverse reaction.
To do a patch test, make up the oil blend using the blending guidelines in the table below. Apply a small amount to the inside of your elbow and wait for 24 hours. If no redness or irritation occurs, you can then try using the blend on a larger area of the skin.
How to dilute essential oils with a base oil
Use this table as a guide to essential oil and base oil quantites for oil blends | Number of drops of essential oils for base oil quantities: | |||
| 10ml / 2tsp | 15ml / 1tbsp | 30ml / 2tbsp | 100ml / 3.5fl oz | |
| Adults with delicate skin or for a facial blend (less than 1 per cent) | 2 drops | 3 drops | 6 drops | 20 drops |
| Massage blend for adults with no skin sensitivities (2.5 per cent) | 5 drops | 7 drops | 15 drops | 50 drops |
| Bath oil or therapeutic blend for applying to a small area of the body, for example, a joint (5 per cent) | 10 drops | 15 drops | 30 drops | 100 drops |
Almond base oil
At OPLA we use pure almond oil, that is cold-pressed from the seeds of the sweet almond tree. This light general-purpose oil is vitamin right and suitable for all skin types, but especially for sensitive skins.
Almond oil also acts as a natural moisturiser, soothing and encourages the healing of dry, irritated skin, and relieves inflamed skin conditions, such as eczema.
This oil is absorbed slowly, which makes it a popular choice as a message oil base. It also has a delicate aroma that will not compete with essential oils in a blend.
Pure Almond Oil (100ml)£6.50 incl. VAT
