Conscious Choice: Body and Massage Oils

October 1999

Body and Massage Oils

by Meg McGowan

Massage has an ancient healing history that spans many diverse cultures. It can soothe the nervous system, reduce blood pressure, relax muscles, diminish swelling, and stimulate the flow of blood and lymphatic fluid. Yet it has taken some time for its popularity to build in the U.S. Perhaps it is our Puritan roots that have long restrained Americans from using the touch that heals. Finally, however, individuals are recognizing that they can reap the healthful benefits of touch through self massage, partner massage, and infant massage.

Ayurvedic author and practitioner Vasant Lad recommends an oil massage of the head and body, morning and night, to boost your happiness quotient, improve circulation and sleep quality, calm the mind, and prevent headaches. Because what touches your skin becomes a part of your body, using good quality oils with natural ingredients and essential oil scents increases the positive effects exponentially. Experiment with various oils for various needs. Each blend of oil uniquely affects the way in which you experience touch and the sensation of movement on your skin. Science was never so much fun!

Abundant Earth Organic Body & Massage Oil uses organic oils of high oleic safflower, sesame, avocado, and jojoba seed along with rice bran and wheat germ oils. Sage and rosemary are included for their antioxidant properties. The combined oils form a rich, nourishing base, allowing touch to glide over skin even after most of the oil has been absorbed. Abundant Earth’s Warming Ginger formula adds Ginger CO2, and essential oils of sweet orange, clove bud, and cinnamon leaf for an oil that is comforting and supportive — perfect for the autumn and winter months. The unscented formula is suitable for people with chemical sensitivities and allergies, but either oil is a good choice for a deeply healing, nurturing massage.

Earth Majik also makes oils with an emphasis on deep levels of healing. The company’s Dew Drop Therapy Body & Massage Oils have been created with synergistic blends of essential oils with the aim of assisting in one’s ability to help oneself. Olive oil is used as a base for its healing qualities, in concert with jojoba oil which supports longevity. Their Patchouli and Lavender Blends begin with lavender-infused olive oil and lavender essential oil chosen for comfort. Patchouli is added to the former to support releasing, along with bergamot, which is refreshing; benzoin is added to create safe space along with lemon eucalyptus for relaxation. The Jasmine Blend begins with rose-infused olive oil, and merges it with rose geranium essential oil for harmony, jasmine to soothe, and lime, which is uplifting. The oils are substantial, and the scents are light.

EO Products has as its goal "to make safe, gentle, effective, and restorative essential oil-based bath and body care products for the whole family." These products, made in small batches to ensure freshness and quality control, are plant-based, gentle, safe, and cruelty-free. EO BodyOils use a combination of vitamin E and unrefined, cold-pressed sunflower, hazelnut, and pecan oils as their base. The result is a light oil that is quickly absorbed into the skin. Seven distinct scents are available, ranging from the Balancing Blend, with rose geranium and citrus, to the Rejuvenating Blend, with eucalyptus and lemon oils. The Detox formula marries grapefruit and mint essential oils with EO’s body oil base for a fragrance that is uplifting and an oil that is purifying, detoxifying, and stimulating. The effect is both emotionally and physically cleansing.

Trying a tiny vial of EO’s Foot Massage can also give you a whole new outlook on life. The blend of vitamin E, grapeseed oil with lavender, lemon, and peppermint essential oils soothes tired feet and imbues them with renewed energy. When your feet feel fine, well-being is restored to your entire body. If you hope your practical love of a good foot massage will lead to a lighter, more romantic touch, decant a pool of EO’s Romance Blend BodyOil and experience the sweetness of ylang ylang grounded in the earthiness of cedarwood essential oil.

It’s but a small step from romance to Passion, an intriguing massage oil that is part of a line of bath and body products by Osea International. Jenefer Palmer, creator of Osea, has developed an "aphrodisiac" formula of essential oils with the aid of a perfumer. She selected eight essential oils reputed to possess aphrodisiac properties, including jasmine, neroli, artemesia, and clove bud (the other four oils remain a secret). The perfumer blended the oils to create a fragrance that is complex and haunting. The carrier oil base is equally complex, incorporating oils of sesame, avocado, macadamia nut, jojoba, apricot kernel, olive, rice bran, and grapeseed, along with vitamin E. Whether or not the scent will ignite passion is undoubtedly a matter of individual response, but memorable nuzzling may certainly ensue as a partner tries to determine the four mystery ingredients!

You can extend your search for aphrodisiac oils through the Emprys experience. Exotic Wish is one of six singular blends from Emprys; it’s a swirling concoction of ylang ylang, massola bark, ginger, and other essential oils in a base of jojoba, hempseed, and sweet almond oil. Not all ingredients are revealed. The oil permeates quickly—one of the advantages of hempseed oil — leaving skin silky and pliant without residual stickiness. All Emprys oils are packaged in classic dark glass bottles for freshness and protection from light. Their other oils span the realms of consciousness from Awakening (petitgrain, lemon, geranium, vetiver) and Energy (peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, eucalyptus) to Lavender Rain (lavender, blue chamomile, marjoram) and Sweeter Dreams (blood orange, vanilla, petitgrain). For those who wish to reach further into the unconscious, Sacred Earth (patchouli, sandalwood, Peru balsam) features a deep rich fusion of oils designed for grounding, meditation, and rituals.

Aura Cacia has recently introduced two new spiritual scents — Purify and Meditation — into the Aroma Collection of body oils. In both body oils, essential oils mingle with grapeseed, apricot kernel, and sweet almond oil, supplemented by vitamin E. In Purify, soothing and clarifying patchouli acts with the fresh, energy-clearing qualities of sage. Tea tree cleanses and purifies, while peppermint revitalizes. During times of transition, Purify is a perfect choice to incorporate into cleansing rituals or for daily use to support releasing old patterns and moving forward.

Meditation begins with the calming and harmonizing strength of Texas cedarwood; the relaxing, centering scent of sandalwood; and soothing patchouli. Myrtle adds clarifying, cleansing, and strengthening qualities. Meditation is an excellent choice for massage that focuses on energy patterns and for self care during times of intense inner work. Both Purify and Meditation could be utilized in rituals of personal retreat and renewal.

If you need to unwind before you can contemplate what’s for dinner let alone the meaning of life, try Tradewinds’ St. Johns Wort Therapeutic Oil for a soothing, deeply relaxing body rub. St. Johns Wort oil is blended with unsterilized hempseed oil and vitamin E for a massage oil rich in essential fatty acids. The company’s Calendula Healing Massage Oil gently eases the ache of sore and bruised muscles. Calendula flowers cleanse, detoxify, and aid the body in repair, while olive oil and unsterilized hempseed oil bring their own healing qualities and work to improve circulation.

Tradewinds also produces three aromatherapy grade and one unscented massage oil. The base oil is made from sweet almond oil, unsterilized hempseed oil, and vitamin E. Essential oils scent the Lavender, Tangerine, and Sandalwood selections. Tradewinds’ oils come in cobalt-blue glass bottles, part of the company’s commitment to high quality products and sustainability.

Chicagoan Vicky Weis, a certified personal trainer and a master aromatherapist, has created Perfect Scents, a line of body oils and mists to complement the Perfect Stretch workout. Before the workout — at home or while chatting and enjoying a cup of tea in class — participants apply Warmup Oil to set their intentions. Its sandalwood and orange essential oils center, calm, and uplift. Black pepper and spearmint enhance cardiovascular functions. Lime adds a splash of fun. Weis’s oils augment each step of her workout (or yours). Energizing Oil precedes the most intense movements, followed by a choice of Meditation or Serenity Oil as participants turn to floor work, breath work, or meditation. Revive or Joyful Rising Oil may be chosen to end a session. Joyful Rising includes essential oils of spearmint, grapefruit, patchouli, and lime. Revive prepares class members who need to bounce back into their daily lives. It supports clearing, centering, and energizing with essential oils of sandalwood, birch, orange, grapefruit, peppermint and black pepper. Perfect Scents oils can make any workout more holistic, bringing greater presence to movement by engaging mind, body, and spirit.

Burt’s Bees offers a bracing alternative for post-workout pain. Rebound Stimulating Massage Oil includes the penetrating actions of peppermint, rosemary, and lavender in essential oils and with pine needle extract. As the name implies, a rub down with Rebound helps you bounce back when you’re tired but you must keep moving. Lemon oil provides an emotional and energetic lift. Peppermint stimulates circulation as it revitalizes both body and spirit. The base of sweet almond oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil, and vitamin E does not leave skin feeling greasy.

Burt’s Bees’ Farmer’s Market Vitamin E Body & Bath Oil is a richer oil created to nourish and moisturize the skin while improving circulation. Vitamin E is included for its antioxidant properties; joined with wheat germ oil and sweet almond oil it enhances their hydrating effects. Lemon oil adds a light fragrance and an invigorating lift.

For the Whole Family

Once restored, you may want to pass along the benefits of massage. Baby massage offers infants all the healthy benefits of loving touch and improved body function that attract people of all ages. It can also provide an opportunity for parent-child bonding, ease symptoms of gas and colic, promote longer and deeper sleep, and relax both parent and child. Infant massage can easily be incorporated into daily rituals, after diaper changes or before bath or bedtime. BabyMassage is a gentle baby massage oil that contains pure extracts of lavender, aloe vera, and Roman chamomile to help calm and relax baby during massage. The massage oil is part of the BabySpa line, designed to include only non-irritating and wholesome ingredients that nourish and nurture a baby’s tender skin. Blended with a base of sunflower and wheat germ oils, BabyMassage contains no artificial fragrance or color, no mineral oils, and no nut derivatives.

If you prefer to dabble in the alchemy of creating your own blends, Aubrey Organics is the source for pure Evening Primrose Oil, White Camellia Oil, Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Seed Oil and Jojoba Oil. High in essential fatty acids, Aubrey’s Evening Primrose Oil nourishes, heals, and moisturizes, actually encouraging skin cell regeneration. It is particularly effective for soothing dry, irritated skin and troubled scalps. Similarly, White Camellia Oil is an excellent choice for scalp massages, hands and dry skin patches on the face or body. Rosa Mosqueta Oil improves skin texture and aids in the regeneration of damaged skin. The oil can be applied directly to diminish the appearance of fine lines, scars and stretch marks. It also can be used preventatively. Do, however, avoid using Rosa Mosqueta Oil on acne or oily skin.

Hydrating and soothing, jojoba oil is a favorite carrier oil for aromatherapeutic purposes. It can be used as a massage or body oil alone or in combination with other carrier oils. Aubrey’s Jojoba oil is 100 percent certified organic.

Recommendations for healthier living often seem to run toward life changes that smack of discipline and denial. They may be satisfying in the long run, but in the short run they are just plain hard work. With massage, however, the message is pure pleasure. All aspects are good for us and all aspects delight — the touch, the strokes, the oils, the scents, and the moments taken to focus on self. Remember that what is personal is political, and take the time to indulge in healthful living. True self-care provides a firm basis for reaching out to others.

Resources

Abundant Earth, 888-51-EARTH

Aubrey Organics, 800-AUBREY H

Aura Cacia, 800-437-3301

Azida, 800-603-6601

Baby Spa, Inc., 877-4 BABYSPA

Burt’s Bees, 800-849-7112

Earth Majik Herbary, 608-734-3085

Emprys, 800-EMPRYS-8

EO Products, 800-570-3775

Osea, 800-576-6732

Perfect Scents, Vicky Weis, 708-957-1141

Tradewinds, 541-338-0264

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