There is a quiet irony in the world of aromatics: the essential oils tend to be the star of the show, while the carrier oils are standing stage left keeping the whole show together. One gets called “the active ingredient,” the other gets reduced to “just a base.” Yet without the carrier, many essential oils would be far too intense, irritating, or fleeting for meaningful use. Many people think applying essential oils neat or ingesting them without consideration is the best and most effective way to use essential oils. I assure you it is not. And it is often not safe. In the world of aromatherapy less is more, not more is more. The carrier oil is not merely a method of diluting oils, but they help the oils penetrate the skin otherwise the essential oils never really absorb, and they just dry the skin and evaporate because they are highly volatile. They also provide some glide when used in massage, you cannot “massage” with essential oils. Carrier oils and other fatty lipid-rich oils are herbal allies in their own right — nutritive, protective, mineral-rich, and deeply intelligent in the way they interact with the body. Many of these oils are not only great for skin care but they can be taken internally to boost your essential fatty acids and other minerals.
Essential oils and carrier oils are often grouped together in modern aromatherapy, but they are fundamentally different substances. Essential oils are not actually oils in the true fatty sense at all. They contain no fatty acids, lipids, minerals, vitamins or nourishing oil content. They are not food for the skin or the body. Instead, they are highly concentrated volatile aromatic compounds distilled or expressed from plants — the fragrant molecules responsible for a plant’s scent, defense, communication, and attraction. They evaporate quickly, leave little to no oily residue behind, and function more like the plant’s aromatic spirit than its nutritive body. Essential oils do contain many chemical constituents that are therapeutic and work on many of our body’s systems, but as the name “aromatherapy” suggests, that work is often done through our olfactory mechanisms, particularly when we are using essential oils for calming, relaxing, sleeping or really any of the uses for the nervous system. But paired with a carrier oil they become that much more versatile to help the oils penetrate deeper into the skin for other uses like muscle aches and pains and skin care and other massage applications. This is where a carrier oil should be the base of the formula and only a few drops of essential oil is needed to do a lot of deep work.
Carrier oils, by contrast, are true oils pressed from seeds, nuts, or kernels, rich in fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant sterols that nourish tissues directly. Where essential oils are volatile and evaporative, carrier oils are grounding and restorative. One speaks in aroma and immediacy; the other feeds skin, scalp, nerves, and connective tissue over time. Essential oils may bring potency, but carrier oils bring substance — which is perhaps why they are so often overlooked in a culture that tends to favor intensity over nourishment. The irony, of course, is that the “carrier” is frequently doing the deeper healing work while the essential oil gets all the attention. It is also not accidental that many companies who promote undiluted use of essential oils are fully aware that essential oils are much more costly than most carrier oils are.
In traditional herbalism, oils were never considered empty vessels. Long before modern aromatherapy existed, healers infused roots, flowers, resins, and seeds into fats and oils because oils themselves were recognized as medicine. In my own Southern Italian lineage Extra Virgin Olive Oil is used for a lot more than cooking. It is one of our primary health tonics. I drink a shot a day with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of high-quality sea salt for extra minerals. I also take Pumpkin Seed and Black Cumin Seed oil, both internally and externally for its impact on hair growth and its well-researched prevention on hormonal hair loss, and many other health benefits. Lipids nourish the skin barrier, soften inflammation, support hormone production, and help carry fat-soluble plant compounds deep into tissues. In alchemical traditions, oils were viewed as substances of preservation and embodiment — the thing that helps spirit take root in flesh. In other words: the carrier oil has always been doing the heavy lifting while the essential oil gets all the glory.
Many carrier oils are abundant in essential fatty acids, vitamin E, phytosterols, antioxidants, and trace minerals that support both topical and internal wellness. Oils rich in omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids help maintain healthy skin integrity, soothe dryness, support cardiovascular health, and nourish the nervous system. Internally, these oils can act as deeply restorative foods for tissues taxed by stress, inflammation, depletion, and modern life’s favorite pastime: pretending hydration and sleep are optional.
As a person who runs hot and dry and who lives in a very dry climate taking these oils along with my herbs helps to prevent my body from getting too dry. Many of our tonic herbs have a drying effect, by design and that is a good thing, but as a Hot-Dry aka Pitta-Vata constitution I take the oils to offset any effects that may dry my tissues out too much.
And then there are the oils that feel almost mythic in their usefulness. There are so many out there that are great tonics, but we have selected a few to share with you and that we will be carrying in the store in the next few weeks.
Jojoba oil - Simmondsia chinensis is technically not an oil at all but a liquid wax ester that is remarkably similar to human sebum, which explains why the skin and scalp greet it like an old friend instead of a suspicious stranger. It balances rather than overwhelms, making it beloved for both oily and dry skin types. On the scalp, jojoba helps soften buildup, calm irritation, and support healthier follicles — particularly when paired with stimulating botanicals or essential oils used for thinning hair. It is the diplomatic herbalist of the oil world: balancing, adaptive, and quietly brilliant. It is my favorite oil for massage oil blends because it is virtually non-allergenic except in rare cases, it is neutral in scent so it doesn’t take away from the aromatics of your essential oils like coconut and other stronger carrier oils do, it has great glide, and it has a shelf life of 99 years some say, but 5 years to be safe. Way, way longer than sweet almond and other nut oils.
Pumpkin seed oil- Cucurbita pepo carries a darker, earthier energy — rich in zinc, phytosterols, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. Traditionally associated with vitality and nourishment, it has become especially respected in discussions around hair thinning and androgen-related hair loss. Emerging research suggests pumpkin seed oil may support healthier hair growth patterns, likely through its influence on inflammation and hormonal pathways. In practical herbal terms: it feeds the roots. Literally and metaphorically. I would not use this as a full body massage oil as it is very thick, but it makes a great scalp oil, and I take 2 teaspoons a day internally. This is not a cooking oil; high heat will destroy the fatty acids and antioxidants.
Black cumin seed oil Nigella sativa feels like something pulled from an ancient apothecary shelf in a desert monastery. Sharp, potent, and unmistakably medicinal, it has been treasured for centuries across Middle Eastern and North African traditions. Rich in thymoquinone and antioxidant compounds, black cumin seed oil is renowned for calming inflammation, supporting immune resilience, and encouraging scalp health. For thinning hair and stressed follicles, it brings warmth, circulation, and restoration — the botanical equivalent of someone lighting candles and telling your hair follicles to remember who they are. This is another one that I would only use for scalp massage. It can be taken internally to support the immune, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. It does have an intense flavor which I do not mind, but it can be put in capsules as well. This is also not meant for cooking or heating.
Sesame seed oil Sesamum indicum- This is NOT the same Dark Sesame oil you get in the Asian food aisle for cooking. It is one of the oldest medicinal oils in the world and still one of the most underrated. In Ayurveda it is revered as warming, grounding, and strengthening to the nervous system. Some say this oil is tri-doshic meaning that it is good for all constitutional types and others think it may create too much heat for Pitta types. I am a Pitta and based on how I use it I don’t find that to be the case. Rich in minerals and antioxidants, sesame oil penetrates deeply into tissues and is traditionally used for self-massage, joint support, dry skin, and scalp nourishment. This is a wonderful oil for moving the lymph and doing your own lymphatic self-massage. My practice in the morning is dry brushing and then doing self-massage with the oil. It is a primary ingredient in our coming soon Lymphatic Massage blend. It is also a primary oil used in Naysa Oil, an Ayurvedic practice of oiling the nostrils and nasal cavity which protects us from airborne irritants and keeps the mucosa moist.
Hibiscus seed oil- Hibiscus sabdariffa, lush and almost decadent in texture and reputation. Hibiscus has long been associated with beauty, sensuality, and hair rituals across multiple traditions. The seed oil is rich in linoleic acid and antioxidants that help support elasticity, moisture retention, and scalp vitality. In hair care, hibiscus is beloved for encouraging shine, softness, and resilience while helping brittle or overworked hair remember it was once wild and glorious. Frankly, hibiscus behaves like it knows it’s beautiful. Which is fair and why hibiscus is my favorite plant ally in all forms. It also supports skin elasticity, minimizes fine lines and helps sooth problem and maturing skin. This one is special and is rarely not used stand-alone. Stay tuned while we are busy creating a skin care offering specifically for maturing skin health.
Perhaps the deeper lesson is this: the plants we dismiss as “supporting characters” are often doing the most profound work. Carrier oils remind us that nourishment itself is medicine. Not flashy. Not volatile. Not dramatic enough for a tiny amber bottle with a Latin name and a warning label. But steady, mineral-rich, tissue-building, and enduring. The kind of medicine that restores slowly and thoroughly — like roots drinking underground long before anything blooms.
The more years in the plant world and the more years I have spent in my journey on this planet I find myself reaching for the lipid rich fatty oils + my tonic herbs for my daily nutritive needs and the essential oils for my emotional, heart opening and spiritual needs. As I get older, I have realized I don’t need heroic, I need gentle and grounding and these oils do exactly that. But don’t take that as these are only good for more mature people, essential fatty acids are also crucial for children’s brain development.
We are offering a unique opportunity to pre-order these oils (except for hibiscus) in 8 oz glass bottles, so we know how much to bottle because the less you expose these oils to air the longer they last. When you pre-order we fill them on demand. The first round will take a few weeks as we are waiting on the bottles to arrive.
Stay tuned because we will be adding many more oils and bases to our inventory that will be great for massage therapists, DIY skin care hobbyists and more!
