Tons of home products sold in the market are manufactured with vegetable oils as one of its major components. Vegetable oils have a wide variety of fine uses from cookery to cosmetics. Cosmetics, health and wellness and food products including the meals that we prepare everyday would be difficult to produce without vegetable oils.
One of the most important uses of vegetable oils is its ability to blend well with essential oils to reduce their strength and purity. They act as carriers of essential oils to make them safe for human use.
Here are some of the most common carrier oils:
1. Almond oil
This is one of the most useful and popular vegetable oils. It is the type of oil that works well to soften and recondition all skin types. Its emollient properties make almond oil useful as carrier oil.
2. Apricot kernel oil
Apricot oil is somewhat similar to almond oil, only it is specifically good for sensitive and prematurely aging skin.
3. Argan oil
Argan oil is produced by pressing kernels of the Moroccan argan tree. It is abundant in carotene, fatty acids, phenols, squalene and vitamin E. It is used to provide hydration to hair, nail, and skin. Argan oil is particularly useful in erasing stretch marks on the skin.
4. Avocado oil
This rich organic oil is packed with high amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2, D, and E. It is also loaded with amino acids, essential fatty acids, lecithin, panthothenic acid, and sterols. It is particularly effective for treating skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.
5. Baobab oil
This oil is produced by cold pressing seeds of Baobab fruit trees that grow in Africa. Baobab is known in Africa as the “tree of life.”
Baobab oil is rich in vitamin A E and F. It contains sterols and it is useful for treating dry skin. This oil is also used as an active ingredient for skin and hair products.
6. Borage seed oil
Borage seed oil contains high levels of gamma linolenic acid, a substance that is believed to relieve inflammation. It is used to provide relief from pain, reduce swelling and joint stiffness due to rheumatoid arthritis. It has also been found to work well on a lot of skin disorders such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and prematurely aging skin.
7. Castor oil
Castor oil is produced from castor beans. It is used as an ingredient in many cosmetic products.
8. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is derived from mature coconut fruits. It is useful general moisturizing purposes and it helps to provide protection to the skin. It is one of the most common ingredients of soap products.
This is the first in this series. We will introduce the other carrier oils in succeeding posts.
