Massage Oil with essential oils?

[DorisShutt]

Can anyone recommend a massage oil with essential oils ready mixed in? (Preferably high street available?)

Thanks!

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If you've found this page in your search of the massage oils that have been recommended by fellow Mumsnet users, you might find our guide to the best massage oils useful. Hope this helps! MNHQ

Boots stock a lovely massage oil by Sanctury Spa, very subtle scent wise and good for both men and women, alternatively you could pop to holland and Barrett or most chemists and pick up some sweet almond oil (carrier) and mix a few drops of lavender or neroli oil for relaxation, sandalwood to calm the body and reduce inflammation, ylang-ylang for seduction or stress or something like bergamot or jasmine to uplift and stimulate (do not use jasmine whilst breast feeding as it can suppress milk production).

Oh, I didn't realise it was that easy to make - I was expecting test tubes and laboratories!

I've got a H&B next to my work so I'll have a look there!

Thanks!

Really easy Doris

It is worth looking up recipes as once you get into making it you may want to learn all about the different 'notes'. As a rule a perfect massage oil covers all three notes, base, middle and top. In the 'art of perfumery' (1862) Piesse classified scents as musical notes. Top notes are the first impressions of a scent, middle the body and base is the lasting fragrance.

Have fun and enjoy massaging

Right, well I have a YlangYlang, a Vanilla, a Grapefruit and a DH to experiment on

They all smell lovely so fingers crossed they work on the stress!

Just make sure you check before you buy from Holland & Barrett whether you are getting neat or diluted essential oils. A 10ml bottle of 5% diluted oil will only do a couple of massages, but on the other hand if you buy neat oil and use it undiluted you can irritate your skin very badly.

I'm studying for an aromatherapy qualification- if you want any help choosing oils or you're looking for any particular effect from your blend I might be able to help

I have one "ready to go" (vanilla) and the other two are neat.

The vanilla is quite a potent smell anyway, so I've just added a few drops to the neat/carrier oil blend (10ml to 3-4 drops) just to bring the grapefruit down. Smells lovely!

To be honest, DH suffers from a sore back so it's really just I need the oil to help the massage, and I figures essential oils would be a nice way to help relax him.

If you know of any that are good for pulled muscles that would be good though!

Cinnamon, clove, peppermint. But only use a few drops of each if using neat oils, and dilute well in a carrier oil.

Hmm, might try cinnamon then (not fond of clove and peppermint as they remind me of the dentist!).

I'm following the neat oil instructions (actually probably less as DH has sensitive skin) and so far DH looks happy. Whether it does his back any good is another story!

Well it's not really for scent - clove, cinnamon and peppermint are warming, literally so. The warmth helps soothe sore muscles.

Interesting, I never realised they actually did stuff. I think I just assumed it was a scent/mind thing.

Well, DH was wandering about last night smelling like a chocolate orange. I can definitely recommend grapefruit and vanilla as a combination!

It is largely a scent/mind thing, but scent recognition, pain responses and emotional responses are all processed in the same part of the brain- the primitive, unconscious part- so smell has an effect on these things. That's a very simplistic explanation, before anyone tears it to bits.

Cinnamon and clove bud (and all the other spicy, warming oils) are great for relaxing sore muscles but less great for sensitive skin.

Lavender and rosemary are both brilliant for sore muscles, and blend really well together. Don't overdo the rosemary if you're using it at bedtime though- it's a stimulant, so leave you wide awake. Also look out for clary sage. It has strong pain-relieving properties, is very relaxing, and can have an aphrodisiac effect...

COULD leave you wide awake, that should have said.

Cinnamon/clove/peppermint etc are what tingly plumping lip balms and lubes contain to make them warm and tingle.

Some essential oils are incredibly powerful and yes, most of them do stuff! Oregano is a powerful antiseptic for instance, and cade and rosemary oils help get rid of dandruff.