A carrier oil is a plain plant oil you mix with essential oil so it can go on skin at a lower strength. This guide covers how much essential oil to add, how three carrier oils we sell differ, and when to skip the skin entirely.
We sell essential oils and the jojoba, sweet almond and argan oils discussed here, so read this with that in mind. We found no study that ranks carrier oils for blending, and where our advice comes from our own product pages, the guide says so. For the wider scent question, see our guide to how scents affect mood, sleep and stress.
The Tisserand Institute says the greater the concentration of essential oil, the greater the risk of an adverse skin reaction. Its range for body oils and lotions is 1 to 3 percent.
For sensitive or impaired skin the same source gives 0.2 to 1 percent, and for facial products 0.5 to 1.2 percent. Drop counts are only approximate because no two drops are the same.
We found no study ranking carrier oils for blending. Jojoba is a liquid wax with high oxidative stability in one review; sweet almond oil can contain nut proteins if it is cold-pressed.
Health Canada does not recommend or approve do-it-yourself uses of essential oils. A 2023 clinic series of 42 people found all had become allergic to an oil they used themselves.
What Is a Carrier Oil for Essential Oils?
It is a plant oil that dilutes an essential oil so the blend is weaker than the bottle. Essential oils are concentrated, and the carrier lets you spread a small amount over skin in a measured way.
- Why dilute at all: The Tisserand Institute lists the reasons as avoiding skin irritation, preventing allergic and phototoxic reactions, reducing expense and following safety rules. It states that the greater the concentration, the greater the risk of an adverse skin reaction.
- What a carrier is not: It is not a preservative and not a cure for sensitivity. Dilution lowers the strength; it does not make an oil you react to safe.
- What ours say: Our essential oil collection page lists topical use as diluted in a carrier oil, and says aromatherapy grade, with no carriers or fillers in the bottle.
How Much Essential Oil Goes in a Carrier Oil?
For body oils, 1 to 3 percent is the range the Tisserand Institute gives, and less for the face or for sensitive skin. Percent means essential oil as a share of the total blend.
| Use | Dilution (Tisserand Institute) |
|---|---|
| Sensitive or impaired skin | 0.2 to 1% |
| Facial products and deodorants | 0.5 to 1.2% |
| Body oils and lotions | 1 to 3% |
| Bath products | 2 to 4% |
| Acne spot treatment, wound healing | 2 to 10% |
| Pain and “feel good” rollerballs | 3 to 10% |
- Turning percent into drops: Our product page suggests 1 to 3 percent for adults, which it works out as 6 to 18 drops per 30 ml of carrier, and 0.5 to 1 percent for sensitive skin. That is our guidance.
- Drops are approximate: The Tisserand page warns that drop-based conversions are always approximate, because no two drops of essential oil are the same.
- Start low: We cannot tell you which end of a range suits your skin. The lower end is the cautious choice, and the higher ranges on that page are for short, specific uses.
Which Carrier Oil Should You Choose?
There is no proven best one. We found no study that ranks carrier oils for essential oil blends, so the points below are about what each oil is, not which wins.
- Jojoba: A 2021 review in Polymers describes jojoba oil as almost 98 percent waxes, widely known as a liquid wax rather than an oil, with high thermal and oxidative stability and high resistance to rancidity. Our product page calls it a stable carrier for roller blends.
- Sweet almond: Our sweet almond oil page describes it as cold-pressed, light and quick to absorb, with a mild nutty scent. The next section covers the allergy catch.
- Argan: Our argan oil page describes a 30 ml bottle with a pipette dropper, which makes it easy to count drops. For how it compares with jojoba as a face oil, see our jojoba vs argan guide.
Featured in this guide
Pure Jojoba Oil
100% pure cold-pressed jojoba, listed on our page as a face oil, hair treatment, cuticle conditioner and carrier oil for aromatherapy. Full details are on the product page.
Shop now → ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee · Free shipping over $75Is Sweet Almond Oil Safe If You Have a Nut Allergy?
Not necessarily. An allergist answering for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says cold-pressed nut oils can contain allergenic proteins, while refined ones generally do not.
- The refined versus unrefined point: The AAAAI page (reviewed October 2026) says refined oils are extracted with chemical agents or high heat and generally lack proteins, while unrefined cold-pressed nut oils contain them.
- Our oil: Our product page calls the almond oil cold-pressed. By that logic it is the kind that may carry protein, so we would not suggest it to anyone with a tree nut allergy.
- What to do: The AAAAI answer encourages asking the maker whether a nut oil is refined. If you have a tree nut allergy, ask your doctor before using any almond product, or pick a seed oil such as jojoba.
Can You Skip the Carrier Oil and Use Essential Oil Neat?
We would not. Health Canada says certain essential oils in do-it-yourself uses can lead to high exposure when applied to skin, and that natural does not always mean safe.
- Health Canada: The Health Canada page (modified February 28, 2025) says it does not recommend or approve do-it-yourself uses of essential oils and botanical extracts. It gives no dilution figures, so those come from Tisserand above.
- Real allergy cases: A 2023 clinic study in Contact Dermatitis followed 42 patients with allergic contact dermatitis. All were sensitized to the essential oil they used, mostly lavender, tea tree and ravintsara, and 8 needed hospital care.
- What that does not show: It is a series of patients who already had a problem, so it cannot tell you how common this is. It also found 40 percent of them had not mentioned using essential oils.
- Dilution is not a guarantee: Allergy depends on the person as well as the strength. A weaker blend lowers the dose, but if your skin reacts, stop.
How Do You Mix and Test an Essential Oil Blend?
Measure the carrier, add essential oil by percentage, label it, test a small patch and store it away from children. These steps combine the sources above with general practice, and the patch test is the part the sources we read do not spell out.
- Choose the strength. Pick a percentage from the table for the use, and go to the low end if your skin is sensitive.
- Measure the carrier. Use a clean measuring container, for example 30 ml, so the percentage means something.
- Add the drops. For 30 ml, our product page works out 6 to 18 drops for 1 to 3 percent. Count them, and keep in mind that drops vary.
- Label and date it. Write the oils, the percentage and the date. We found no authoritative shelf life for a blended oil, so we do not give one.
- Test a small patch. As general practice, apply a small dab to the inner forearm and wait a day before wider use. Skip it if you have reacted to an essential oil before.
- Store it safely. Health Canada says to keep essential oils out of reach and sight of young children and pets. Keep blends away from heat and light, too.
Who Should Check With a Professional First?
Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a skin condition or a tree nut allergy, and anyone using oils on a child. This guide is information, not medical advice.
- Stop if skin reacts: Redness, itching, burning or a rash are reasons to stop using the blend. Get care if it is severe.
- Do not swallow: Our product page says aromatherapy grade only and not for ingestion. If someone swallows an essential oil, call your local poison control centre or emergency services at once.
- Children and pets: Keep bottles out of reach. We found no source we trust for a child dilution figure, so ask a health professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a carrier oil for essential oils?
A plant oil you mix with essential oil so it can go on skin at a lower strength. The Tisserand Institute says a higher concentration raises the risk of a skin reaction.
How much essential oil should I mix with a carrier oil?
For body oils the Tisserand Institute gives 1 to 3 percent, 0.5 to 1.2 percent for the face and 0.2 to 1 percent for sensitive skin. Our product page works 1 to 3 percent out as 6 to 18 drops per 30 ml.
Which carrier oil is best?
No study we found ranks them. Jojoba is a liquid wax with high oxidative stability in one review; sweet almond oil may carry nut proteins if cold-pressed.
Can I use essential oils without a carrier oil?
We would not. Health Canada does not recommend or approve do-it-yourself uses of essential oils, and a 2023 clinic series documented allergy to oils people used themselves.
Is sweet almond oil safe for a nut allergy?
Not necessarily. An AAAAI answer says cold-pressed nut oils can contain allergenic proteins, so ask your doctor first or choose a seed oil such as jojoba.
See Sampson Pure Jojoba Oil — 30-Day Guarantee