How do I choose a carrier oil?
Short answer
By what you need it to do. For the face, the books use light, fast-absorbing oils; richer butters belong in body care.
Explanation
In the facial oil, squalane and marula come first as the lightest oils, followed by camellia, argan and jojoba. Jojoba resembles skin's own sebum and is non-comedogenic. Grape seed and camellia are light and fast-absorbing. Shea, cocoa and mango butters are rich enough that the book warns its body butter is too heavy, and possibly comedogenic, for the face.
In soap, the choice is about how each oil changes the bar: coconut for hardness and lather, olive for mildness and conditioning, castor for stable lather, butters for creaminess.
What to do
- Blend from lightest to richest.
- Add vitamin E to oxidation-prone oils.
- Apply facial oil to damp skin.
Source: The Big Book of Homemade Skin Care, The Big Book of Homemade Soap — Omega-Renewal Facial Elixir · Interpreting Soap Calculator Quality Values