Plant Oils – Vegetable and Fruit Oils

Many professional aromatherapists use natural plant oils in their practice for massage therapy treatments, or in the formulation of products. Natural plant oils are valued for their botanical make up and effectiveness in natural skincare and for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments. Referred to as "fixed oils," they can be cold pressed (usually the seeds of the plant) and organic, or macerated, the raw materials flowers, leaves etc of the plant, as is the case with herb oils like Comfrey, Calendula, or St Johns Wort.Fixed oils are not simply to be added to essential oils, but contain a botanical potency of their own. Used alone or blended with one or two other oils in appropriate quantities, they can create a synergy which is invaluable for general topical usage and to alleviate many skin conditions.

Organic Oils

The term organic can refer to the way in which a crop is grown or to the production process at the end of the growth cycle. Both processes should exclude the use of chemicals. Many producers also plant crops at specific periods in the yearly calendar, to optimise the vital energies of nature, including the soil. These factors, it is said, add subtle energies not only to plant growth but to the efficacy of the living plant material when it is eventually harvested.

The choice of oils used in massage therapy is personal and often reflect the type of benefit both practitioner and client aim to achieve. The choice is pretty broad. Here is a small selection of natural vegetable and fruit oils.

Rice Bran Oil (Oryza sativa) good for mature skin

Rice bran oil has anti oxidant properties and is useful as a skin softener. Good for mature skin, it contains oryzanol, a plant sterol which improves blood circulation and reduces inflammation. The oil is obtained from the rice germ contained in the seeds, and from the bran or husk of the rice.

Sunflower Oil (Helianthus anuus)

According to Jan Kusmirek in his book Liquid Sunshine, the sunflower was "traditionally cultivated by Native American Indians." It was used for its medicinal qualities for example, to alleviate rheumatic pain. In its long tradition, the plant was also sacred to the Aztec and Mayans. There are many different plant varieties and values to the oils.As with all vegetable oils used for massage, cold pressed and organic is considered the best quality available. It is a highly versatile and useful plant oil. Sunflower oil has properties similar to human sebum and as such is a compatible oil when comparing lipids found naturally in the skin. The oil has vitamins A, D and E and also contains potassium, phosphorous, iron and zinc. A light, multi purpose oil, it can be added to other oils to produce a synergistic blend in massage treatments.

Camellia Oil (camellia japonica)

The camellia flower has been used for centuries in Japan. There are many varieties of the camellia plant and it is used in skin care and particularly for hair care. Also highly cultivated in china, it is a light, emollient oil, non greasy and considered of beautiful quality for face massage. It has anti scarring properties, and is rejuvenating for delicate facial tissue.

Passion Flower Oil (passifloraincarnata)

The plant originates in Brazil, Mexico, and Africa and has beautiful purple, blue or white flowers with edible fruits. Technically this plant produces a fruit oil. The seeds make the oil but a maceration is also derived from the flowers. The oil is light, and readily absorbed into the skin of the face and body in massage therapy. The flowers have pain relieving, and sedative properties. It is considered useful against neuralgia, skin irritation, and itchiness. It blends well with other oils.
Calendula Oil (calendula officianalis)A vibrant orange or deep yellow in colour, the Marigold flower is a freely self seeding plant. It is capable of growing all year round in the wild, and more obviously so, in hot, sunny climates. The oil is produced by maceration in a vegetable oil such as organic sunflower oil. It's a healing oil for bruises, eczema, psoriasis, cracked and chapped skin.
Calendula oil is classified as a herbal oil with many anti inflammatory properties and benefits. Normally added to another oil if for massage purposes, it can also be formulated as a balm and applied topically for a particular condition such as eczema.

Coconut oil (cocosnucifera)

The coconut is a palm which grows as tall as 30 metres. It is a tree native to the Indian Ocean and is also found in tropical regions like the Caribbean, Brazil, Africa, and Malaysia. Associated with beaches, holidays, and cooling drinks, the nut from which the oil is derived has many traditional uses in food, as well as hair, and
scars .

In a mature seed, the smooth green husk is removed to expose fibrous, brown, inner coir. When this is removed, the hard brown shell is exposed. When the shell is broken, the coconut which has white, meaty, flesh is revealed. It is well worth the wait for the vitamin content alone. It is a highly saturated vegetable fat which has good stability.Coconut oil is largely obtained from copra, the dried flesh of the coconut. However, a virgin oil or creamy butter is also to be had from the rich, milky flesh of the ripe coconut, which is squeezed and pressed mechanically. This gift of nature is an excellent conditioner and moisturiser. Luscious, silky, and skin softening, coconut oil also stimulates hair growth in naturally curly hair.