With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we thought we’d run a blog series on how aromatherapy can help to bring a little romance into your life. Part 1 is all about creating your own sensual massage blend. Click to learn more.
At this time of year, thousands of pounds are spent on cards, jewellery, spa trips and at restaurants. It can be a busy and hectic time of year. Don’t you ever feel that it may be more enjoyable to spend some time at home with your special someone, away from all the hustle and bustle?
There are few better ways of expressing your love than spending quality time together. A home cooked, candle lit dinner, some soft romantic music and lighting all help to create that special mood.
So, how can aromatherapy help? Well, simply burning or vaporising certain essential oils can help to set a romantic mood.
Better still, how about a lovely relaxing bath and a sensuous massage? It’s a great way to up the romance and a good chance to get creative in blending scents that you and your loved one will enjoy.
Aromas and essential oils have been used throughout history to promote feelings of love and romance – hardly surprising when you consider the effect that aromas can have on our mood and emotions.
In this series we’ll be giving you some ideas on how to make this Valentine’s Day extra special. We’ll start the series by offering you some ideas for how you can create some romantic homemade massage blends.
Not sure if you've got time to create your own blends? Not to worry - later in the series we'll give you some great ideas about which Amphora Ready to Use products would be perfect for this time of year.
Homemade Massage blends – An Introduction
Making your own massage blend is a wonderful way to create a tailor made gift which you and your loved one can both enjoy. You can pick and choose aromas that you both enjoy to help make that evening extra special.
This blog post is about getting you started and giving you some introductory guidelines of what you’ll need to make your own romantic massage blends:
You will need:
•A Carrier oil (for some ideas see below).
•A selection of essential oils
•Some empty bottles (our 100ml plastic amber bottles would be ideal).
•Some decorative labels and gift tags for your romantic message.
Blending oils yourself doesn’t have to be as daunting as it can sound as long as you stick to some simple guidelines.
First of all, we cannot stress enough the importance of diluting essential oils before applying to the skin. Essential oils are heavily concentrated and can cause irritation to the skin if applied neat. The general rule is that the maximum dilution rate should be no more than 5% (although a dilution rate of 3% is generally more advisable).
Judging by this guideline, you can reduce or increase the amount of essential oil depending on the strength of the aroma of each oil. It is always best to start off with the minimum amount and increase slowly as desired.
For example:
For 20ml of carrier oil, you can add between 8 and 20 drops of essential oil.
For 25ml of carrier oil, you can add between 10 to 25 drops of essential oil.
For 30ml of carrier oil, you can add between 12 and 30 drops of essential oil.
There are a huge choice of carrier oils to choose from for you to use as a base:
Sweet Almond – one of the most popular choices for use in massage as it will remain on the surface of the skin for a decent time. It is also nourishing to the skin, rich in vitamins B1 and 2. Please be aware that it is not suitable for use on those with a nut allergy
Grapeseed – high in omega 6, this is a gentle oil to use and lighter in consistency than other oils so if you’re after something less greasy, this could be the one for you.
Apricot Kernel – rich in vitamin E and quickly absorbed. Apricot Kernel is widely used for massage due to its moisturizing properties and gentle nature, plus it won’t leave you feeling too greasy afterwards.
Coconut - go for the fractionated coconut oil in liquid form – it’s easier to work with and apply than the pure coconut “wax”. Fractionated coconut is generally an affordable choice and is light and scent free.
Jojoba – great for balancing the skin’s natural oil production so it is a popular choice for those who suffer from acne to help balance sebum production. Jojoba (it is actually a liquid wax not an oil) is readily absorbed meaning you may need to apply more of it than other oils, however the benefits are certainly worth it.
Sesame – one of the most commonly used oils in Ayurvedic massage. Sesame is praised for its nourishing properties. It is slightly greasier than some other oils so you may wish to use less of it or blend it with another carrier oil.
Once you've settled on the carrier oil you'll need to think about the essential oils you'd like to use. These add the aroma as well as some other beneficial properties (quite a few of the following oils are known aphrodisiacs!). You can either blend a few different aromas together or you can simply pick the aroma which you enjoy the most.
Some essential oils and absolutes for love and romance you may like to consider using include (click on the name to see more details about each oil):
The beautiful, alluring aromas of the essential oils fill the room and create a heady, romantic atmosphere. Using natural essential oils in massage is one of the best ways to encourage the properties of the oils to be absorbed by the body and leave our skin feeling nourished, soft and supple.
We hope you’ve found this post to be a useful and informative introduction to creating your own sensuous massage blends - thank you for reading. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our next blog which will include some more in depth ideas for other blends and recipes.
You can see all of the blogs in this special Valentine's series by clicking the Valentine's Day Tag underneath this blog or clicking here.
