Purodem® Journal

Carrier Oils

The base of most natural skincare and the medium behind many therapeutic preparations. A complete guide to carrier oils, with profiles of the individual oils and how to choose between them.

Carrier oils are the base of most natural skincare and the medium through which many therapeutic preparations are delivered. Choosing one well means understanding how it feels on the skin, how quickly it absorbs, how stable it is, and which oils suit which kind of product.

This section brings together a complete guide to carrier oils alongside detailed profiles of the individual oils, from everyday bases like sweet almond and sunflower through to specialist oils chosen for a particular purpose.

Start with the Complete Guide to Carrier Oils for the principles, then use the profiles below to compare individual oils. Carrier oils are covered in depth in our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation.

Carrier Oil Entries

Ready To Learn More?

Everything here feeds what we teach. If you want to move from reading to formulating, our courses take you from first principles to your own finished work.

Read about ITF — Coming September 2026, a new qualification in therapeutic formulation.

View the NSF Diploma — beginner-friendly, the route into cosmetic formulation.

View the PEOT Diploma — advanced, for practitioners taking essential oil work deeper.