When you hear “essential oil”, the first thing that springs to mind probably isn’t olive, sunflower, or hemp oil. You’re probably thinking intense scents and aromatherapy, right? You’re not wrong, but trust me when I say there’s so much more!

In this post we’ll go over industry standards for carriers used in essential oils, why we chose the carrier oils we did for PawsiVibes’ products, and the advantages of using carrier oils for supplement delivery.

Industry Favorites

Something seasoned and knowledgeable essential oil users know is that if you want to get the most out of your oils, you need to dilute them in a carrier oil. Essential oils on their own are too concentrated and will evaporate quickly in open air.

(Note: Even in diluted form, these human grade essential oils are often highly toxic to pets. Please check out our FAQ and Pet-Friendly blog post to learn more)

Let’s run through a handful that are popular for both humans and pets!

Coconut oil is the most popular carrier, paws-down. It’s packed with healthy antioxidants and is naturally anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. It’s also super hydrating! You can find this super oil in PawsiVibes formula Slim.

Olive oil is another favorite, full of benefits for heart health and good cholesterol. It’s also just extremely tasty, which both pets and their parents will appreciate. Olive oil is the carrier in our Boost infusion.

MCT oil or “medium-chain triglyceride” oil is all the rage these days. It’s extracted from the cannabis plant, but doesn’t actually contain any of the THC compounds that would be harmful to pets. It has natural anti-inflammatory properties like coconut oil, has a neutral taste, and is incredibly stable at a wide range of temperatures. You could even leave it in your car on a hot summer day or in sub-zero temperatures. It’s the carrier in our best seller Calm.

Flax oil or flaxseed oil has the highest amounts of alpha-linoleic acid amongst all veggie-based carrier oils. If you aren’t familiar, alpha-linoleic acid is what gives oils their anti-inflammatory properties. That’s why we chose flax oil for our popular Allergy formula. You won’t find a carrier better than this one for allergy relief.

Sunflower oil is often overlooked for humans, but this energizing oil is the basis of our Vigor blend. It’s used in tons of pet treats and foods due to its high omega-6 content and support for healthy organ functions. When you combine this with the essential oil ingredients of catnip & aniseed, your lethargic pet will be bouncing around in no time.

Fish oil is our final (at the time of writing, at least!) carrier oil, and this one isn’t often used to dilute essential oils for humans. But we know just how dang healthy fish oil is for our pets’ overall health, skin, and luscious coats. That’s why we chose it as the carrier for Shine, to get all those omega fatty acids to make their fur dazzling.

There are plenty of other popular carrier oils for human grade essential oils. Jojoba, almond, argan, avocado – the list goes on. It’s worth noting that most oils are toxic to either cats or dogs even in small amounts, so please don’t go feeding your cat jojoba or avocado oils, and keep your dog (and cat) away from castor oil.

We selected our oils for a reason: they are safe and healthy for pets!

Why Oils?

We dedicated a whole blog post to this topic, but it’s worth summarizing again here.

Oils are healthier and more convenient than pills or powders. The nourishing omega fatty acids and amazing antioxidants speak for themselves there. A few drops with their meals is also much easier than trying to get them to eat a tablet.

There’s also the added benefit of topical applications. You get a 2-for-1 special with PawsiVibes essential oils! You can’t exactly rub a chewable supplement on your dog’s forehead to treat anxiety, but you can dab a couple drops of Calm on there.

For the cat owners in the room, there are two extremely valuable benefits of using oils as supplements. Every oil can help with hairballs (although we recommend Slim for that and soothing our kitties’ picky stomachs). There’s also the fact that cats have a naturally low thirst drive – they don’t always seek out water like many other animals do. Oils are hydrating and can help your cat retain moisture when they’re less interested in drinking. This is especially helpful if you feed your kitty an all-kibble diet.

We have lots of other blog posts to read through if you’re curious about our oils and their benefits. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us at info@pawsivibes.com or use our contact form. We love hearing from our readers and fellow pet parents!

Pet pics? Email us at blog@pawsivibes.com - we’d love to see them. With your permission, we may even showcase your pet on our Instagram or Pinterest board! Catch them posing around some PawsiVibes merch or products and we’ll absolutely feature them in a post, and get you 20% off your next order. How cool is that?