Over the years the modern human being has associated massage with relaxation, pain reliever, a decrease in muscle tension, and joint manipulation. The massage technique developed from the South East Asian countries, Egypt and Rome. With the development and improvement in technology, massage technique has evolved to suit the modern man. The use of massage oils is used more frequently now to improve massage experience. The massage oils are used to add more pleasure to massage by offering aromatherapy benefits. Massage oils can be used to reduce menstrual pains in ladies, improve the romantic love life of couples, and reduce muscle tension and joint pains. In this comprehensive massage guide oil, we review the different types of massage oils.
Challenges of using massage oils
• Skin irritation
Massage oils are of different varieties and new products are coming up in the market each new day. Every person’s skin is different and what may suit one person, may cause skin breakouts or even allergic reactions to the other person. This is to be taken into consideration when using massage oils. The masseuse should ask their client’s if they have an allergic reaction to any of the massage oils before using it so as to limit the number of accidents.
• Feeling greasy after a massage
This is bound to happen as you will be using a lot of oil on your body to achieve that perfect massage and leave you relaxed. When a massage therapy is performing a massage to a client they tend to use a lot of the massage oil so as to achieve that natural smoothness of the skin that will help them to release tension from the skin. This can be a problem if the massage oils end up causing stains to the client’s body and making the client be uncomfortable to ever use that oil again. For this reason, most of the massage therapists prefer the use of massage oils that can easily be absorbed from quickly by the body. However, massage oils that easily absorb through the skin need frequent re-application.
• Shelf life
The massage oils need to be stored in a cool and dry place in order to increase their shelf life. Oils that have vitamin E tend to be stored for a longer period of time. Also, oils that are cold pressed have a loner shelf life and they can be stored for longer periods of time.
Type of massage oils
• Base Oils
Base massage oils are basically carrier oils and all massage oils are made up of base oils. Base oils are considered the starting point for any massage oil mixture and are a necessity to the massage oils. The base massage oils can be obtained from either vegetable oils or mineral oils. Mineral oils are synthetic oils obtained from petroleum products. An advantage of the mineral oils is that they have a longer shelf life as compared to the vegetable oils. Also, they offer the right amount of fluidity over the skin when massaging. However, most of the mineral oils are likely to cause allergies and for this reason, most people prefer the use of the natural base oils. Vegetable oils are easily absorbed in the skin and they tend to mix up quite well with other oils and for this reason, most people tend to prefer them more as compared to the mineral oils. However, since vegetable oils are made up of plant products they tend to have a shorter storage life and they spoil quite easily. Most people prefer the use of sweet almond oil as it is one of the inexpensive massage oils on the market. Additionally, the oil has an ideal absorption rate on the skin and thus tends not to cause stubborn stains on the client’s clothes. However, as the name suggests almond oil is extracted from almond which is a nut and hence the oil is not to be used by a person allergic to nuts. The market offers different types of base oils and each of them has their own unique healing properties and uses. The various types of base oils in the market include sunflower oil which is derived from sunflower seeds, jojoba which is an excellent moisturizer, apricot which is great for sensitive or dehydrated skin, avocado which is effective for those with super sensitive skin and wheat germ which is preferred for its sticky consistency.
• Essential oils
Essential oils are mostly added to the base oils to add fragrance and aromatherapy benefits. Essential oils are derived from plants which include the roots, seeds, and the trees. The essential oils are added in small amounts to the base oils, for example, lavender and chamomile oil is added to provide a soothing and calming fragrance. Additionally, when they are both combined they can be used to treat eczema and reduce muscle tension. The essential oils work on the belief that during a massage them aromatherapy aspect if the oil works by releasing the healing essential molecules that pass to the brain and blood barrier realizing a soothing and relaxing feel that overwhelms the whole body. The essential oils have an effect on the body and mind and leave the body feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. According to a study done by Germany’s Ruhr University, it showed that essential oils may play a part in some of the biological factors that occur in the body. Some of these biological factors include the heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, immune functions, and breathing. Also, the essential oils can affect how the body and brain perceive and reacts to emotions, pain, mood, and pleasure. This makes the essential oils effective in important to the masseuse to relieve pressure, relieve stress, reduce pain and increase relaxation to the body.
• Fragrance Oils
As the name suggests fragrance oils are the oils used to add smell to essential oils for aromatherapy use. They are different from the essential oils through their synthetic composition and this makes them stand out as unique. However, the fragrance oils are never used alone as they have a poorer overall quality and can actually cause harm to your skin id used in high concentrates. For this reason, they are preferred mixed with essential oils to give bring out their full potential.