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All edible oils, including vegetable carrier oils, are classified as lipids and are composed of fatty acids - that being a marriage between a fatty component and an acid component.
Fatty acids can either be saturated or unsaturated, and fever hydrogen atoms in the structure results in less saturation.
Unsaturated fatty acids
Except for palm and coconut vegetable oils, the majority of vegetable oils are mostly polyunsaturated fats. Good examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids are linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acids and they are known as essential fatty acids since they are required by the body, yet cannot be manufactured by the body, but can in some instances be synthesized by other nutrients.
Essential fatty acids 
The two most important essential fatty acids are linoleic acid and linolenic acid, and linolenic acid can be metabolized to produce two very useful fatty acids:
- GLA gamma-linolenic acid,
- DGLA dihomogamma-linolenic acid
Collectively these are called Omega 6 fatty acids.
Linoleic acid is the main omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in cold pressed vegetable oils and a deficiency of this ingredient could lead to:
- Skin eruptions
- Loss of hair
- Liver degeneration
- Susceptibility to infections
- Poor wound healing
- Male sterility
- Arthritis
- Growth retardation and
- Circulatory problems
Rich sources of this ingredient is found in evening primrose oil as well as borage seed oil.
- Although lipids do not directly have much to do with essential oils or vegetable carrier oils, we have included this page since some of our visitors requested more information regarding it.
Analysis of fatty acids in vegetable carrier oils used in aromatherapy
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