Whether it is your skin or your health, oils play a very crucial part in your life. Starting from your skin care routines to your healthy diet plans, different varieties of oils come into play with their respective benefits.
Believe it or not, oils are very essential to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- Carrier oils are vegetable oils that dilute essential oils for safe topical application. Cold-pressed oils are extracted mechanically without heat, preserving their nutritional content and flavor.
- Some cold-pressed oils can also serve as carrier oils, but not all are cold-pressed.
- Both oils have distinct uses and benefits, with carrier oils playing a crucial role in aromatherapy and skin care and cold-pressed oils offering unprocessed, nutrient-rich options for consumption and topical use.
Carrier Oil vs Cold-Pressed Oil
Carrier oils are used as a base to dilute essential oils before applying them to the skin, derived from plants such as coconut, jojoba, and grapeseed, and are used to dilute essential oils. Cold-pressed oils are extracted by pressing fruits, seeds, or nuts without heat or chemicals.
Carrier oils, as the name suggests, are used as a “carrier” for other essential oils. Both types of oils are extracted from plants, but the essential oils are a bit harmful when applied directly to the skin.
So the carrier oils dilute essential oils for better and safe application.
On the other hand, cold-pressed oils are the type of oils extracted from oil seeds. The oil seeds are pressed to extract oil from them. Hence, the name cold pressed oils.
These have a very high amount of oil content. Cold-pressed oils are mainly used for culinary purposes.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Carrier Oil | Cold Pressed Oil |
|---|---|---|
| Use | Used for skin care and hair care | Used for culinary purposes |
| Benefits | Help nourish and moisturize your skin | Diluted with essential oils to apply on the skin |
| Extraction | Extracted from plants | Extracted from pressed oil seeds, nuts, or fatty fruits such as olives |
| Scent | Strong fragrance | Unscented |
| Application | Diluted with essential oils to apply on skin | Cooking oil |
What are Carrier Oils?
Carrier oils are the type of oils that “carry” the essential oils to your skin. As it is harmful to apply these types of oils directly on your skin, carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils for better and safe application on your skin.
Most oils do not cause irritation or an allergic reaction, but it is always advised to do a patch test for precaution.
Some carrier oils are absorbed in your skin better than others. These fats are rich in two types of fatty acids, i.e., Omega-3 and Omega-6.
These acids are known to be very beneficial for your skin as they nourish your skin and give it a smooth texture. Carrier oils are used for massages, beauty products, and pain relief.
Carrier oils have a distinct odour, but when diluted with essential oils, they carry a different and more pleasant scent. These oils can be kept for a much more extended period than other oils.
When it comes to their application, you need to use them according to your skin type. Some carrier oils might not be safe for your skin as they may irritate or cause a worse skin condition, such as acne.
But it is not the same for all carrier oils. Most carrier oils have very beneficial effects on your skin. They possess beneficial properties such as cell regeneration, moisturizing the skin, providing essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and calming inflammation.
What are Cold Pressed Oils?
Cold-pressed oils are extracted from nuts, oil seeds, peels, kernels, and fatty fruits such as olives. These oil seeds are crushed with the help of a stainless steel presser.
This method of extracting oils helps retain most of the plant’s nutrients and has more essential properties than any other method.
Cold-pressed oils are widely used in many nations across the world. They are considered more nutritious than hot-pressed oils.
They are obtained naturally by crushing oil seeds compared to hot pressed oils,, which lose most of their nutritious values during extraction. No extra heat or chemicals are used in their extraction,, making them the healthiest type of oils.
Cold-pressed oils are considered healthier than most other oils known to us. This is because they retain almost all the nutrients and flavours after their extraction.
They contain antioxidants that are absent in other oils. Most cold-pressed oils are very beneficial for your diet as they are rich in vitamin E and oleic acid, which are suitable for your immune system and have anti-inflammatory properties.
These types of oils are primarily used in cooking. Unsurprisingly, they can replace regular cooking oils as they are more nutritious and healthy for the body.
They are also used as salad dressings or dipping sauces with snacks and other cooking methods. These oils should be kept in a dark-coloured container away from direct exposure to light and excessive heat.
This safely keeps the oils to preserve their nutrients for a long time.
Main Differences Between Carrier Oil and Cold-Pressed Oil
- Carrier oils are extracted from plants, whereas cold-pressed oils are extracted from various plant parts such as oil seeds, peels or fatty fruits such as olives or coconuts.
- Carrier oils can not be applied directly to your skin, but it is completely safe to use cold-pressed oils without any dilution.
- Carrier oils are used for skin care and as beauty products, whereas cold-pressed oils are famous for their beneficial culinary uses in cooking.
- Carrier oils are rich in fatty acids, whereas cold-pressed oils are extracted with retaining many of the nutrients.
- Carrier oils get absorbed in your skin when applied, whereas cold pressed are easily digested in your body.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R3oeEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA151&dq=carrier+oil+vs+cold+pressed+oil&ots=kJaEWmeN4c&sig=sMi9mn9YHpDGYBfsGOhdxq94AF0
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1271/bbb.68.1690
Last Updated : 25 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
