Can I replace the essential oils in this formulation with carrier oils?

Can I replace the essential oils in this formulation with carrier oils?

We don’t recommend it. In the world of cooking, this would be like replacing a spice like cumin or cinnamon (something potent used at low amounts) with something like celery or broth (something significantly less potent in the flavour department that is used at higher concentrations in food).

If you were making a curry, replacing a teaspoon of cumin with a teaspoon of celery would be rather silly. You’d lose a ton of flavour from the loss of the cumin, and an additional teaspoon of celery will do nothing to compensate for that loss of flavour.

It’s the same with essential oils; replacing essential oils in a formulation with carrier oils is pretty meaningless. If you don’t want to use the essential oils called for in the formulation just replace them with more water (if it’s a lotion) or more of the predominant carrier oil in the formulation (if it’s anhydrous).

← Older Post Newer Post →

Leave a comment

Substitutions - These articles contain more general information on substitutions, and should answer the rest of your questions!

RSS
Can I use emulsifying wax instead of solubilizer, or solubilizer instead of emulsifying wax?

Can I use emulsifying wax instead of solubilizer, or solubilizer instead of emulsifying wax?

No. Emulsifying wax thickens products and requires a precise ratio of oils to water to form an emulsion, making it ideal for lotion type applications....

Read more
Can I use a fragrance or flavor oil in place of the essential oil(s) called for in a recipe?

Can I use a fragrance or flavor oil in place of the essential oil(s) called for in a recipe?

Generally speaking, yes, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Are the essential oils part of the function? In something like tiger...

Read more