What are the best carrier oils for skin? Does it matter which carrier oil you use? Learn more about the best carrier oils to use and their benefits for your skin.
Carrier oils are kind of a big deal here at Everything Pretty. I use them in my DIY beauty recipes often, and I carefully choose the best carrier oil for my recipes based on their different properties.
Each carrier oil has its own unique benefits for your hair and skin. If you're using it to make a roller bottle, it really doesn't matter which one you use since it's such a little amount on your skin.
But if you're using a carrier oil for a DIY beauty recipe like a lotion, salve, or face oil, then it absolutely matters which carrier oils for skin that you use.
Oils have different fat compositions. Some are dry oils; some are wet (heavy) oils. Some won't clog pores, and some have antibacterial properties.
Choosing the best carrier oil for your skin depends on how you're using, where you're using it, and your skin type.
There are antibacterial oils and the best oils for face wrinkles. Each carrier oil has its own benefits and properties, and you'll want to use the best one for your skin type.
I've already talked about a list of carrier oils and their benefits, what is a carrier oil, and the best carrier oils for hair. Now let's talk about the best carrier oils for skin.
Best Carrier Oils for Skin
Can Carrier Oils Be Used on Skin?
Yes! Carrier oils can absolutely be used on the skin. Carrier oils have several benefits for your skin, including vitamins, minerals, and moisturizing the skin.
The best carrier oils for skin depends on your skin type. I have oily skin, so I can't use a few carrier oils on my skin, but someone with dry skin will probably love those oils.
What is a Carrier Oil for Face?
A carrier oil for face is a nut or fruit oil that is used to carry essential oils or other ingredients. The essential oils and other ingredients have properties that can help your skin.
You can use any carrier oil on your face, but some are better than other for your facial skin. The best carrier oils for skin depends on your skin type.
How Do You Mix Essential Oils With Carrier Oils on Face?
Essential oils are highly concentrated. They have to be diluted with a carrier oil before you can apply them to your skin. You can choose the best carrier oils for skin to mix with your essential oils.
Using an essential oil neat, without diluting it, can cause sensitization. Once you experience sensitization, you will probably always have a reaction to that particular oil.
Sensitization often looks like a skin allergy. It can cause itching or a rash. Sometimes it can even cause respiratory problems or even swelling of the throat.
This is why it's very important to always use a carrier oil to dilute an essential oil before you use it. Only apply oils neat if you are working with a certified aromatherapist.
Generally, you want to use a 2 percent dilution for your skin with essential oils and carrier oils for skin. However, you should use a 0.5 or 1 percent dilution for most recipes for your face.
For 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of carrier oil, you will use:
- 1 drop essential oil for 0.5 percent dilution
- 3 drops essential oil for 1 percent dilution
- 6 drops essential oil for 2 percent dilution
There are some applications that can use a higher percentage of essential oils, but I'm not going to recommend those. Talk to a certified aromatherapist for more information.
Read more about the best essential oils for skin.
Read more about the best essential oils for skin.
What Is A Comedogenic Rating and Why is it Important?
A comedogenic rating is how bad an oil or other substance will clog your pores. It ranges from 0 to 5, and you want to look for oils that have a low comedogenic rating.
- 0 will not clog pores
- 1 is a small chance that it will clog pores
- 2 will not clog pores for the majority of people
- 3 means about half will break out and half will not
- 4 most people will break out
- 5 breakouts are very likely
If you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, you will do best with 0-1. If you have dry skin, you can probably use a 0-3.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almond oil
is my favorite all purpose of the carrier oils for skin. It's a great oil, it's inexpensive, and it doesn't clog pore for most people. I don't use it much for facial skin, but it is a great choice for DIY recipes for the rest of your body.
is my favorite all purpose of the carrier oils for skin. It's a great oil, it's inexpensive, and it doesn't clog pore for most people. I don't use it much for facial skin, but it is a great choice for DIY recipes for the rest of your body.Sweet almond oil has vitamins A and E, monosaturated fatty acids, potassium, zinc, and proteins. It's a natural antioxidant and can help boost collagen production.
The fatty acids help keep the skin moisturized and can promote healing for your lips and skin.
Jojoba Oil
Comedogenic rating: 2
Jojoba oil is actually a wax and not an oil. It closely mimic the skin's natural oil, so it's often used for the face and is a great oil for acne prone skin.
Jojoba oil has vitamins B and E, antioxidants, zinc, copper, and chromium. It's a lighter oil, and it can penetrate deep into the skin.
Since jojoba oil is so similar to the oils that we naturally produce, the body thinks it has produced enough oil and stops oil production. With time, using jojoba can help balance oil production without creating a risk of acne or other blemishes.
Jojoba is one of the antibacterial oils, so it can help reduce acne and blackheads when used on the face.
Jojoba oil is a more expensive oil, so I usually mix it with other oils for their benefits.
Coconut Oil
Comedogenic rating: 4
Browse DIY beauty on Pinterest and you'll see hundreds of recipes with coconut oil. I love coconut oil and use it often in my sugar scrubs, solid lotions, and other recipes.
It does have a high comodegenic rating, so it can cause breakouts. I have oily skin and used coconut oil with great success as a facial moisturizer. It was a little too heavy for my skin, but I didn't have any breakouts from it. If you have oily skin, I'd skip it though.
Coconut oil is very moisturizing. It's also a solid at room temperature, so it's used often in solid lotions and sugar scrubs where you want the final product to be harder. Coconut oil has vitamins A and E, which can promote anti-aging.
Coconut oil is one of the antibacterial oils, but it's comedogenic rating makes it unsuitable for acne prone skin. If you are prone to acne on your face or body, it's probably best to skip this carrier oil.
Grapeseed Oil
Comedogenic rating: 1
I use grapeseed oil for my hair and skin often because it's a dry oil, which means that it sinks in quickly. It's one of the better carrier oils for skin because it soaks in quickly and won't leave your skin feeling oily.
Grapeseed oil is a great oil for acne prone skin. It won't clog pores, and it can even help dissolve oil that can clog pores to clean them out and reduce acne blemishes.
Grapeseed oil can help reduce the appearance of scars, help shrink pores naturally, and it's one of the best oils for face wrinkles. Vitamins C and E in grapeseed oil can help reduce the signs of aging.
Rose Hip Seed Oil
Comedogenic rating: 1
Rose hip seed oil is excellent for dry or mature skin. It has vitamins A, C, and E, which are all known for their anti-aging properties.
Rose hip seed oil won't clog pores, but it's still too heavy for oily or acne prone skin. It's best when used for dry skin or in anti-aging recipes.
I usually combine rose hip seed oil with other oils for skin because it's more expensive. Rose hip seed oil is one of the best oils for face wrinkles because it's moisturizing, nourishing, and high in vitamins that your skin needs.
Argan Oil
Comedogenic rating: 0
Argan oil is an excellent carrier oils for skin because it rarely clogs pores. It's very high in vitamin E, so it's one of the best oils for face wrinkles.
It's said to tighten the skin, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's also a light oil, so it soaks in quickly without making your skin feel oily.
Argan oil can help reduce acne while still moisturizing the skin.
Avocado Oil
Comedogenic rating: 3
Avocado oil is a heavier oil, and it may cause breakouts for some people. I usually combine it with other carrier oils for skin because I love the benefits of it but it can be too heavy to use on its own.
It's high in vitamins A, D, and E for your skin. It has some anti-aging properties, and it is deeply moisturizing for your skin. It's naturally anti-inflammatory, too. It's vitamins and fatty acids make it one of the best oils for face wrinkles.
Evening Primrose Oil
Comedogenic rating: 2 or 3
Evening primrose oil is also one of the best oils for face wrinkles. It can cause acne and clog pores in some people, but it also has properties that can help clear out pores for others.
It can help improve elasticity in the skin, so it has anti-aging properties. It's anti-inflammatory properties make it a great oil for dry patches or eczema.
These are the more popular carrier oils for skin. There are over 40 different carrier oils, and you can learn more about each one in my book Carrier Oils.
Choosing the best carrier oils depends on their properties and benefits and what you want to use them for. The best oil for a face serum will be different than the best oil for a sugar scrub. The best carrier oils for skin for you will be different than what's best for your friend.
Don't be afraid to mix carrier oils. I often combine the more expensive oils with less expensive oils so the expensive bottle lasts longer. This also gives you the benefits of both oils, and that can help your skin more.
I like using antibacterial oils for body scrub recipes to help reduce body acne. I don't have too much acne on my face, but if you do, then look for antibacterial oils and oils that are naturally anti-inflammatory for your facial skin care recipes.
If you have mature skin, look for the best oils for face wrinkles like evening primrose oil or argan oil.
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