Aromatherapy massage:
a very soothing experience

Aromatherapy massage is a form of alternative and complementary medicine based on the use during a treatment of very concentrated "essential" oils from the flowers, leaves, bark, branches, rind or roots of plants with healing properties.

Armed with the information gathered from your consultation, I will select and blend three to four essential oils that best meet your individual needs. The essential oils are mixed with a carrier oil and absord through the skin into the bloodstream where they can affect the whole body and promote healing.

Creating a synergy is the most important part of blending, it requires a deep understanding of essential oils, a fair amount of experience and a lot of intuition. Intuition and experience are very important, because synergies are rather context-dependant.

To create a good synergy, I need to take into account not only the symptoms but also the underlying causes of the disorder, the biological terrain and the psychological or emotional factors involved.

During an aromatherapy massage, much of the essential oils are also inhaled and absorbed through the mouth and nose stimulating the production of relaxing, sedative euphoric or sedative neuro-chemicals, providing beneficial mental and emotional effects.

The aroma of these "essential" oils directly stimulates the brain and help to unwind or to comfort for example, this is more known as subtle aromatherapy.

Carrier oils are also used during a treatment for their nutritive value to the skin and the value and importance of the vegetable oil used during an aromatherapy massage should not be overlooked.

During an aromatherapy massage, I use a blend of different vegetable oils as they can be absorbed by the skin and be therapeutic to the body.

Sweet Almond Oil - This is probably the most common of base oil used in massage. Sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernels of the almond tree and it is an excellent emollient(softening and soothing to the skin) and also helps the skin to balance its loss and absorption of moisture.

Jojoba Oil - (pronounced ho-ho-ba) this oil is unique because it is not composed of fat but of liquid wax. It is suitable for all skin types, whether dry, oily or sensitive as it has a balancing effect. When applied to the scalp as a treatment, jojoba oil acts to regulate and remove the sebum layer, it's good for acneic skin. However, on its own only it does not give nourishment to the skin.

Avocado Oil - It is moisturising to the skin and is ideal for dry, mature skin and assists in the treatment of climate-damaged and undernourished or aged skin.

Calendula Oil - It useful for treating venous problems such as varicose veins and venous inflammation. It has a great effect to treat spider veins, ulcers, bed sores, varicose veins, bruises.

Hypericum Oil (St John's Wort oil) - It is a beautiful golden-red oil with an anti-inflammatory effect that soothes the inflamed nerves that cause neuralgia, sciatica and fibrositis. Hypericum oil if also effective on sprains, bruises and swellings.

Wheatgerm Oil - It is a natural anti-oxidant and preservative, because of its vitamin E and essential fatty acids, it promotes the formation of skin cells, improving blood circulation, and helps relieve symptoms of dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis.

Comfrey Oil - Comfrey is one of nature's greatest medicinal herbs and has been used since about 400 BC as a healing herb for broken bones in particular.

For a face massage I use :

Rosehip Oil - This oil has been used to reduce wrinkles and signs of premature aging, it also helps to counter the drying effects of the sun which are usually noticed by the fine wrinkles or crow-feet around the eyes and mouth. Rosehip oil can also be used to attenuate scars (both surgical and accidental).

Apricot Kernel Oil - It has a light texture making it very easily absorbed into the skin which makes it suitable for facial massage blends.




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