Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage

Have you ever wondered what makes an Oil light or heavy, or why one may be considered superior to the next?  Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage by Len Price is a detailed guide to working with a wide range of standard Vegetable and Carrier Oils and can help answer these and many other common questions.  Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage begins with a very interesting chapter called, “The Nature of Fats and Oils“.  In this chapter the author carefully explains the basic components and characteristics found in all Fixed/Carrier Oils.  Price also explains the difference between Fixed Oils and other closely related or associated ingredients such as Essential Oils, or liquid waxes.  The chapter then takes a detailed look into some of the most common methods for oil production, explaining in great detail the difference between Cold Pressing, Conventional Refinement, and more.  The author takes time to explain these processes while describing the benefits and drawbacks of each.

In the next chapter, “Chemistry of Fixed Oils“, Price gives the reader an education in the components and behavior of Fixed Oils, touching on subjects including Essential Fatty Acids, Saturated and Unsaturated Fats, Hydrogenation, and more.   This detailed look inside Carrier Oils continues in the following chapter, “Fixed Oils and Skin Penetration“, concluding the educational preface of the book.

This education into the nature of Carrier Oils is followed by over 40 incredibly detailed Carrier Oil profiles.  Price lists a useful range of the most popular and notable Oils including favorites such as Sweet Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Rosehip Oil, and Jojoba.  Most profiles include information on the plant’s origin, the oil’s cosmetic, therapeutic, and medicinal uses, as well as an insight into the oil’s chemical components.  The Carrier Oil Profiles are followed by a Glossary of Terms, several handy tables and additional profiles, and a detailed index.

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage is an incredibly educational text which would be helpful to almost any skin care enthusiast or professional.  Formulators, Massage Therapists, Aromatherapists, or Soapmakers  could equally benefit from the information contained in this book.  Though Carrier Oils are essential components in most skin care recipes they are rarely written about with such detail or insight as they are in Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage.  For me, this is an indispensable handbook in the creation of natural skin care recipes.