Aromatherapy Massage: The Benefits of Essential Oils and Touch Therapy

Aromatherapy Massage

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If you’ve ever gotten an aromatherapy massage before, then you can know how life-changing it can be for your physical, mental, and emotional health. It is hands-down one of the best ways you can treat yourself after a tiring week at work or following a crazy weekend with friends. But really, who needs an excuse for a day of relaxation? Anyone can benefit from getting an aromatherapy massage! Its natural ability to engage your senses will instantly lift your mood and make for a good day (or week even!). So if you’ve never gotten one before, then we hope this article convinces you to. Here at Lovoir Skin Body & Beauty, our customers love indulging in our aromatherapy massage treatment – and you’ll see why in a minute!

What is Aromatherapy Massage?

Everything you need to know about an aromatherapy massage is basically in its name. It combines two therapeutic practices – aromatherapy and massage therapy – for a holistic approach to healing the body, the mind, and – others may even say – the soul.

Aromatherapy engages one’s sense of smell through essential oils, which come in unique fragrance profiles that consequently induce sensations of healing, mood change, and overall rejuvenation. A massage, on the other hand, uses techniques like rubbing, pressing, and long-flowing movements to alleviate tension in the body and promote relaxation. Merging the two into an hour-long (or in some cases, even longer) session leads to a slew of physical, emotional, and mental benefits. Putting it that way, it’s no wonder aromatherapy massages are naturally addicting! 

With roots dating back to 2000 B.C., it’s amazing to see how these positive effects span generations and civilizations. Today, it has become a popular treatment for anyone looking to unwind, destress, and experience healing in all aspects. To understand all the benefits this type of massage can give you, let’s first get down to the essentials – or essential oils to be exact!

Essential Oils

Essential Oils

Essential oils are simply oil extracts from herbs, plants, and flowers. They contain the same natural compounds, like the aroma, fatty acids, esters, and other terms too complex to understand. To save you the trouble, just picture everything that makes up the “essence” of herbs, plants, and flowers – they’re found in essential oils too, hence, the healing powers!

The past decade has seen a rise in demand for these natural-based oils, with people realising  the immense benefits they have on mental and emotional health. We still remember the first time they broke the scene, and we hoarded on flavours  – anyone else?! While essential oils still have a long way to go in terms of mass collecting scientific proof to back their healing properties, several studies have already been conducted, and they support exactly what we’ve known all long – and more! The biggest discovery was the connection between essential oils and our brain’s neurotransmitters. In simple terms: The scent from essential oils stimulate our olfactory nerves (aka those responsible for smelling!), which then triggers neurotransmitters to deliver positive messages to different parts of our brain. Long story short – hello good mood, mental clarity, pain management, and even weight loss! 

In light of such breakthroughs, essential oils are now widely used around homes, spas, hospital clinics, therapy clinics, even healthy food stores! Because they come in a highly concentrated form, they are usually diluted into everyday products like room mists, humidifiers, candles, and skincare products among many other things. For those who prefer direct applications, they rub a small dose around certain parts of the body. This is a great way to reap its healing benefits too!

When it comes to an aromatherapy massage, essential oils are combined with carrier oils – the most common of which are grapeseed, canola, sunflower, and jojoba oils. A drop or two is enough for about 50ml of carrier oil. This combination allows it to be safely used throughout the body while still enjoying its strong fragrance and benefits. There are dozens of essential oils to choose from, each offering specific wellness benefits.

Essential Oils Diffuser

Best Essential Oils for Massage

Here at Lovoir Skin Body & Beauty, we encourage you to talk to our massage therapists beforehand so we can customise the best blend of oils for your particular goal. That said, some of our most popular oils are used for the following purposes:

  • Uplifting: Clary sage, rose, ylang-ylang
  • Calming: Lavender, geranium, chamomile
  • Energizing: Rosemary, lemon
  • Decongesting: Pine, eucalyptus, tea tree
  • Aches and pains: Black pepper, basil

Essential oils can be added to any type of massage – deep tissue, hot stone, and Swedish to name a few. Whatever the case may be, they drastically enhance the already great benefits you’ll get from a massage – which leads us to the next section:

Touch Therapy

We personally love referring to massages as a form of touch therapy. There are different types of massages, each of them offering unique benefits through specific touch points. For those of us at the giving end of a session, a lot of expertise goes into delivering it the exact way our customers need it.

Our massage therapists at Lovoir Skin Body & Body are trained to use artful techniques to care for your body in ways you may not even realise!

Aromatherapy Massage Techniques

For aromatherapy massages, in particular, our procedure involves alternating between gentle and hard kneading techniques, similar to a Swedish massage. Through this careful combination of strokes, pressures, and movements, we target specific needs of muscles, tendons, skin, and ligaments – together reducing your body aches, relieving you from stress, and encouraging holistic healing. 

Touch Therapy

Aromatherapy Massage Benefits

Combining aromatherapy oils with massage techniques is one of the best natural solutions to boost the immune system and address a wide range of wellness concerns and health conditions. Because this method uses natural ingredients, there are generally few risks. This means that you can have an aromatherapy massage as often as you want. In that case, sign us up for unlimited sessions please! 

Kidding aside (or not?), here are the main benefits you can get if you decide to book your aromatherapy massage with us.

Heightened Relaxation

Having a nice massage is relaxing in itself, but combining aromatherapy into the process leads to a whole different level of serenity! By incorporating the calming properties of essential oils into the massage, the effect on your wellbeing is all the more heightened. Relaxation is instant, and in some cases – a good and long nap on the massage table. True story! But hey, we’re all for it! What’s a better way to end your day?

Improved Circulation

Massages involve the gentle manipulation of different body parts, and with it comes pressure points that can help boost blood flow into your muscles and vital organs. To aid in this process, essential oils like grapefruit, frankincense, sandalwood, and cypress can be added to improve circulation. A special shout to those of you with varicose veins: Research shows that essential oils can help in leg swelling and inflammation. A good aromatherapy massage may do wonders for those spider legs!

Relief from Headaches

This is a fun fact we love to share with our customers! Studies show that lavender oil helps with headaches, as well as peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, chamomile oil, and rosemary oil. In that regard, aromatherapy massages can be an effective alternative for those of you who prefer natural treatments over mainstream medications. 

Reduced Inflammation and Pain

Aromatherapy Massage for Pain and Inflammation

Massages are best known for addressing pain, tension, and inflammation in the body. Adding essential oils to the mix will help even more! Some oils known to reduce pain symptoms and muscle spasms include ginger, bergamot, peppermint, citrus, and lavender essential oil.

Now, keep in mind:  Because pain is something that a licensed practitioner should address, it is important that you have your massage performed by a certified massage therapist (like us!). And even so, not everyone should expect a massage to to fix all their problems. A good example: People with rheumatoid arthritis might get temporary relief from aromatherapy, but they also require more long-term lifestyle changes to address their condition completely. In fact, more severe cases of pain and inflammation may not respond well to massages at all. So again, let this be your reminder to consult our massage therapists before your session. We’re here to treat you well, and that includes knowing any conditions you may have.

Enhanced Mental Health

A massage in itself is a great way to relax and destress, therefore improving our general wellbeing. But the biggest reason behind the mental health benefits of an aromatherapy massage is the presence of essential oils. 

For one, they trigger our bodies to produce more serotonin, a hormone responsible for our mood and wellbeing. This chain reaction increases our mental alertness and overall positive mood. If you’ve ever wondered why a massage automatically makes you happy, this is why! 

Additionally, essential oils also help to regulate our body’s stress response system. An overly stressed body can lead to muscle pains, drastic mood shifts, and decreased libido. By getting an aromatherapy massage, not only are you releasing tension in the body through movements, but the aroma is also allowing our neurotransmitters to react better to stress. 

Reduced Anxiety

Speaking of stress, essential oils are said to help with anxiety in particular. Hopkins Medicine did research on aromatherapy and found that using oils as part of certain therapies can help ease symptoms of insomnia, nausea, anxiety, and depression. 

By combining them with a long and relaxing massage, some find that it helps them calm down and detach from anxious feelings. Apart from the natural benefits of aroma and touch, being still during the entire session also helps with grounding and blocking out thoughts that might trigger one’s anxiety.

Skin Care Benefits

While aromatherapy massage is mostly associated with physical, mental, and emotional benefits – many forget about its skin benefits! The use of oils and strokes are a great way of naturally exfoliating and hydrating our bodies in one go. As friction aids in sloughing away dead skin cells, they free up our pores and allow a better absorption of oils. Depending on your blend of choice, you may experience some beauty benefits like a smoother skin texture, less dryness and  itching,  and a reduction in scars and signs of aging! What’s better than a massage that makes you feel good AND look good?!

Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage

Best Aromatherapy Massage in Christchurch

Eager to get an aromatherapy massage ASAP? We sure are! Put these benefits to the test and book an aromatherapy massage with us today. Remember to discuss your needs with our massage therapists first, and we’ll be sure to customise the best blend of essential oils for you!

Book an aromatherapy massage here

If you’re unsure about what you exactly need, we encourage you to book a consultation with us before seeking any treatment – whether it be from our range of body massages or for any of our beauty treatments for that matter. That way, we can assess your medical history and specific concerns before recommending a suitable treatment plan.

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