Wednesday, July 29, 2009

What are Base Oils?


In aromatherapy, there are essential oils, which capture the essence of whatever plant they are made from and there are base oils. Base oils are used to dilute essential oils so that they can be applied to the skin for a variety of healing purposes.

There is a variety of base oils, each with different properties and effective for different ailments. Base oils are typically less expensive and more viscous than essential oils, which makes them ideal for blending. You should choose your base oil to compliment the ailment you are trying to treat with your essential oils.

Here are some of the most common base oils, though it is in no way an inclusive list.

Almond Oil- Almond oil is used in massage and cosmetic applications. This oil has a long shelf life and is quite easy to find, even in some grocery stores.

Arnica Oil-Arnica is quite effective as a natural pain reliever. It is blended into Moriah Herbs Muscle Massage formula for this reason. It makes an ideal base for aromatherapy massage blends.

Coconut Oil- Coconut oil is easy to find in most grocery stores and is ideal for use on very dry skin. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, and doesn’t become liquid until it is above 80 degrees. For this reason, you should mix your essential with the oil when it is in it’s liquid state, but be sure to store it in a wide mouth container, so that when it cools to it’s solid form you can get it out. If it were in a bottle, it would be quite difficult.

Grapeseed Oil- Grapeseed oil is a great base oil for massage oils, as it is not known to cause allergies. It is available in some grocery stores and widely available in natural food stores.

Olive Oil-Olive oil is not just great for your heart when used in cooking, it’s good for your skin as well. Olive oil has been used since antiquity for massages and for treating dry skin and hair. It is rich in Vitamin E which makes it a powerful when used for healing skin conditions. This would be ideal to blend with lavender essential oil.

Check out http://www.moriahherbs.com/, it is your source for natural healing. At Moriah Herbs you are part of the vision, our mission is your well being.

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