Carrier Oils
Carrier oils are fatty oils called triglycerides and triglycerides are esters of glycerol. Carrier oils are differentiated by their unique fatty acid profile. Fatty acids can be saturated (do not contain double bonds), e.g. Palmitic, Lauric, Stearic, Myristic or unsaturated (contain one or more double bonds), e.g. Alphas and Gamma linoleic acid.
Carrier oils are extracted either by cold expression or by a combination of cold expression and solvent extraction or by solvent extraction alone. The yield of some carrier oils such as Grapeseed is so low by cold expression that these are instead produced by solvent extraction.
Carrier oils easily become oxidised during the manufacturing process and cause the oil to become rancid. This rancidity gives the oil a malodour. To remove the malodour it goes through a refining process whereby it is washed with an alkali, usually sodium hydroxide.
In cold conditions the higher molecular weight triglycerides precipitate out, making the oil cloudy. The refining process is therefore combined with a process called ‘Winterising’. This involves cooling the oil to a set temperature allowing the heavy triglycerides to precipitate out. These are then removed by filtration.
Our carrier oils are refined and winterised unless otherwise stated.
Carrier oil | Origin | Botanical name | Parts used | Extraction method | Almond sweet | Spain | Prunus amygdalus var dulcis | Kernals | Cold pressed & refined | Apricot kernel | South America | Prunus armeniaca | Kernals | Cold pressed & refined | Arnica (infused) | Spain | Arnica Montana, Helianthus annus | Herb | Infused in Sunflower oil | Avocado refined | Israel | Persea Gratissima | Dried fruit pulp | Cold pressed & refined | Avocado unrefined | Israel | Persea Gratissima | Dried fruit pulp | Cold pressed | Blackcurrant | Chile | Ribes nigrum | seeds | Cold pressed | Black seed | Turkey | Nigella sativa | Seeds | Cold pressed | Borage | Holland | Borago offcinalis | Seed | Cold pressed | Broccoli seed | USA | Brassica oleracea | Seeds | Solvent extracted | Calendula (infused) | Spain | Calendula officinalis,Helianthus annus | Flowers | Infused in Sunflower oil | Camelia (infused) | Spain | Camelia sinenis, Helianthus annus | Flowers | Infused in Sunflower oil | Carrot (infused) | Spain | Daucus carota, Helianthus annus | Root | Infused in Sunflower oil | Castor | India | Ricinus communis | seed | Cold pressed | Chaulmogra | India | Taraktogenos kurzii | Nuts | Cold pressed & refined | Coconut (fractionated) | Indonesia | Cocos nucifera | Fruit | Fractional distillation | Coconut (unfractionated) | Indonesia | Cocos nucifera | Fruit | Cold pressed & refined | Comfrey (infused) | U.K | Symphytum officinale, Helianthus annus | Herb | Infused in Sunflower oil | Evening primrose refined | China | Oenothera biennis | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Flaxseed | | Linum usitatissimum | seeds | Cold pressed | Grapeseed | France | Vitis vinifera | Seeds | Solvent extracted | Hazelnut | USA | Corulus avellana | Kernal | Cold pressed & refined | Hemp | England | Cannisbis sativa | Fruit | Cold pressed & refined | Jojoba | Israel | Buxus chinesis | Seeds pods | Cold pressed | Macadamia (refined) | Israel | Macadamia ternifolia | Nuts | Cold pressed & refined | Mango seed | India | Mangifera Indica | Seed | Cold pressed & refined | Manoi de frangipani | Tahiti | Cocos nucifera & Gardenia tahitensis | Flowers | Infused in Coconut oil | Marula | | Sclerocarya birrea | | | Meadowfoam | USA | Limnanthes Alba | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Mustard | India | | Seeds | Cold pressed | Olive | Italy | Olea europaea | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Palm | Indonesia | Elaeis Guineensis | Kernal | Cold pressed & refined | Peach | S. America | Prunus persica | Kernal | Cold pressed & refined | Rapeseed | UK | Brassica campestris | seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Raspberry seed | Finland | Rubus ideaus | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Red turkey | India | Sulphonated Castor Oil | Seeds | Sulphonation of castor oil | Rice bran | USA | Oryza Sativa | Husk | Refined | Rosehip | Chile | Rosa mosqueta | Rosehip seed | Cold pressed & refined | Safflower | UK | Carthamus Tintctorius | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | Sea Buckthorne | China | Hippophae rhamnoides | Ripe berries | Cold pressed | Sesame | USA | Sesamum indicum | Dried seed | Cold pressed & refined | Soya | China | Glycine soja | Seeds | Cold pressed & refined | St John’s Wort (infused) | Spain | Hypericum perforatum | Extract of herbs | Infused in Sunflower oil | Sunflower | Spain | Helianthus annus | Seed | Cold pressed & refined | Wheatgerm (refined) | USA | Triticum vulgarae | Grain | Cold pressed & refined | Wheatgerm (unrefined) | USA | Triticum vulgarae | Grain | Cold pressed |
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