I recently met a therapist who uses EVOO in their massage practice. Really? EVOO?! That’s what I said. When it comes to massage the possibilities for reducing friction in skin on skin contact(bare bones that’s what the oil is for) are endless. The massage therapist is looking to basically reduce drag with the fringe benefits being the properties of the oils themsselves. In our work we can use anything from apricot kernel oil to Shea butter. The oil, or cream in some cases, is typically a carrier oil with other good stuff like Vitamin E, aloe, and/or essential oils mixed in. A carrier oil is the base, and is typically a natural oil derived from a plant or even a nut. It’s important to ask your massage therapist if you know you have allergies. The massage therapist typically bases their decision of which oil to use on how it performs when they work, and what kind of shelf-life it has. Old oil can be a bad thing, rancid oil often reacts with the skin, not to mention smelling just plain rancid. The massage therapist should be aware of how long they’ve been using their oil and often disposes of it entirely before it gets into the massage room.
Some massage therapists add to their oil themselves, or use blends that come from good sources. When making blends, a massage therapist can put anything from arnica to wheat germ oil. The blend is typically based on client goals. Often lavender and bergamot are used for soothing and stress relief while arnica and peppermint are good for sports massage. Peppermint? Yes, peppermint has great qualities and while on it’s own peppermint essential oil can be a bit much for the skin to handle, a few drops in a carrier oil can help the muscles.(Click the sports massage link for a great blend.) Be warned though, while essential oils are the essence of natural botanicals, this concentration makes them extremely potent and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
The intent behind massage oil is two-fold, assisting the massage therapist in their work and assisting the massage client in feeling great.
