Absolute Oilis an essence, having an extremely high concentration of fragrance very close to the natural smell of the plant material. Because of their high concentration of aromatics, absolutes are most often used in perfumery instead of aromatherapy or other health-related applications.
Essential Oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetherolea, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted. An essential oil is “essential” in the sense that it contains the “essence of” the plant’s fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term “essential” used here does not mean indispensable or usable by the human body, as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid, which are so called because they are nutritionally required by a given living organism.
Carrier Oil, also known as base oil, is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They are so named because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. Diluting essential oils is a critical safety practice when using essential oils. Essential oils alone are volatile; they begin to dissipate as soon as they are applied. The rate of dispersion will vary based on how light or heavy the carrier oil is.