Aromatherapy And Massage

The healing art of aromatherapy - the use of pure essential oils to maintain physical, mental and spiritual health - is a wonderful way of enhancing the therapeutic effects of your massage.

This chapter is not intended to be a complete guide to aromatherapy but it will cover some of the most versatile essential oils. There are, in fact, more than 200 plants from which essential oils are extracted.

Blending

Essential oils are extremely concentrated. Always blend them with a suitable carrier oil in the appropriate dilution when using them for massage. A few essential oils may be used undiluted to treat injuries such as wasp stings, cuts or burns.

The essential oil content in a blend should usually be between 1 per cent and 3 per cent. Use the following as a rough guideline:

5 ml carrier oil = 1 teaspoon 10 ml carrier oil = 1 dessert spoon 15 ml carrier oil = 1 tablespoon Add 1-2 drops of pure essential oil to 5 ml of carrier oil

A full body massage will require approximately 20 ml of oil.

Storage

Oils should always be stored in dark coloured rather than clear glass bottles as the oils deteriorate in sunlight. Amber coloured bottles are by far the best. Essential oils are volatile, so replace the caps immediately after use otherwise the oils will gradually evaporate. Always keep essential oils at an even temperature - avoid direct sunlight and shelves on radiators.

If you keep pure essential oils in amber glass bottles in a cool place, they should have a shelf life of approximately two to three years. Citrus essential oils have the shortest shelf life. Once an oil has been diluted in a carrier oil or cream, it will keep or only a few months.

Purchasing

It is important to buy only pure oils if you want to achieve the best results. Synthetic and adulterated oils carry with them the risk of unpleasant and harmful side effects. Essential oils may be adulterated by adding alcohol, synthetic products or cheaper essential oils. Make sure you buy pure essential oils, not oils that have already been diluted in a carrier oil.