Today we’re starting a series on Essential Oils and Carrier Oils, and how to use them to make your beauty routine more effective and enjoyable. First up, we’ll be reviewing a lovely Carrier Oil Mixing Set we received.

The Gio Naturals Organic Carrier Oil Gift Set for Hair, Face & Body contains four bottles of carrier oils and one empty bottle to mix your own concoction, and is great for both as a gift and as a starter kit into DIY beauty oils The four carrier oils are Jojoba, Argan, Castor and Tamanu, which makes for a very versatile set. Here is an overview of each oil, its’ uses, and the quality and presentation of these particular oils.

Jojoba Oil is one of my favorites. I use this to both help other oils penetrate into hair and because it fills the hair shaft in porous hair. Helps repair heat damage, great for scalp problems like dandruff. Very soothing. If I have a free day, I apply Jojoba earlier in the day and let that sit for a bit, then apply other oils or conditioners atop the Jojoba. A small amount of Jojoba can be used on the ends of hair for styling and protecting, it is not greasy. Similar benefits to olive oil for scalp but it is much easier to wash Jojoba out of the hair. If you are a “No ‘poo” shampooer, you will definitely like Jojoba over olive oil for scalp conditioning. Adds shine. Unscented and absorbs easily. I found the quality of this particular brand to be unscented, thick, and rich and a nice rich golden color.

Jojoba is also very nice as a facial moisturizer, especially if you oily skin, as it is very close to sebum, so it helps the skin regulate itself.

Argan Oil is for the repair of damaged follicles and for hair loss. Argan is the popular buzz word in many products these days, but for hair, the real value is to apply it to the scalp. Personally I don’t find much value to Argan in the length of my hair, but many prefer it to other conditioning oils. I do find it beneficial for nail beds to retain moisture on my nails that split and crack easily. It is also good on cracked, dry skin on feet, and for stretch marks. This particular bottle has a warm, nutty scent, but it is light enough to not be noticed, especially when combined with other oils.

Castor Oil thickens thinning hair and acts as a humectant for frizzy hair. Also useful for eyelash growth/conditioning. Apply to a cotton swab and blink your eyelashes over the tip to avoid getting it in your eyes. Also good for conditioning eyebrows. This bottle was thick, golden and no scent.

Tamanu Oil was unfamiliar to me, in doing some research it is used for skin conditions such as cold sores, psoriasis, eczema, acne scars, general scars, burns, stings, stretch marks, mosquito bites, toenail fungus, dry scalp and flaky, scaly or overly dry skin. Tamanu oil is also topical healing agent with antineuralgic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties. Unlike Jojoba, there is a definite scent to Tamanu, sort of a mesquite smell. It is not terrible, but it would conflict with a floral scent perfume. It is however, less of a scent than some topical ointments. There is a greenish tint to the golden color; a very tiny bit goes a long way.
The fifth bottle in this set is the white Blender bottle to mix your own combinations. A good example might be 3 parts Argan Oil with 1 part Castor Oil for applying to the scalp to reduce dandruff and encourage hair growth, and add a couple drops of Jojoba to help the mix penetrate into the scalp and to condition the scalp skin.

The oils also mix nicely with sugar scrubs and to ramp up your basic facial moisturizers.