Which aroma oils???????

[luigidk]

Hello

I hope some one will be able to help me. I have a small home based salon. Im qualified in massage, indian head, hot stone, lymphatic drainage.

I wanted to start using some oils as part of my massage however im not an aromatherapist, and very unsure about what oils to use.

Ive heard that
Lavendar
Chamomile
Mlissa
Rosemary
Eucalyptus
Orange
Geranium
Sandalwood
are all safe to use without being qualified. Is this true?

MANY THANKS, Claire Xxx

 

[larkinsdelamare]

Hi Claire,

Personally I'd stay well clear unless you take a course and qualify. The oils you list have got so many properties, and some are sedative, some relaxing and some uplifting and you have to know what you're doing to blend these correctly dependent on your client type and mood.

You also won't be insured to use them as you're not currently qualified. Please, please don't use them until your qualified.

Why not take a course anyway, if you're interested in the oils then you'll really enjoy it.

 

[Pineapple Shortcake]

Hi Claire,

i was taught by my tutor that regular, over the counter oils like that are only good enough to burn in an oil burner, and not to use in massage. I really would steer clear unless you take a course, it's not worth the risk. Go on, sign up for one

 

[Mr Chill]

I second what has already been said . Unless you are qualified, I wouldnt use the oils for therapeutic purposes - besides which, your public liability insurance wont cover you for their use either. The oils you mention are not always safe to use and the dosage and botanical species of each also needs to be considered.

Sign up for a course!!! You will love working with them

 

[Jungle Fever]

I think you may be confusing these with perfume oils which have the scents of essential oils, but not the properties.

Oils such as those bought in the Body Shop are proper essential oils (although quality varies from supplier to supplier - no particular slur on The Body Shop). My own personal view is that unless full instructions/contraindications are given, such oils shouldn't be sold over the counter. However.....

I guess these are really available for home use, but not on clients unless you are qualified, as some of these are contra-indicated. For instance, rosemary shouldn't be used on those with high blood pressure and some are unsafe to use in pregnancy.

So no, they are not necessarily safe. Best to check with your insurer though - you will probably find that you aren't covered.

Lesley

 

[Beci]

Hi Rainbow girl,

Whilst I totally understand where Red Bess and co are coming from, there is currently no regulation regards wether you can or should not use oils when doing massage.

My understanding is that unless you are qualified as an aromatherapist, you should not blend oils, however, there is nothing to stop you using oils in massage.
Whilst I am qualified, I know many people who have not had any challenge in adding "massage with oils" to their insurance.

We learnt about the very basics of 14 oils, blending 3 of these together, and the use of base oils. I would not say that having done this qualifies me any more than it would you.

In fact I will go far as to say that I personally did not find my course very helpful in learning about the oils, and it is only subsequently that my in depth knowledge of over 70 single oils, and an aditional 65 pre-blended oils has evolved.

What I would say though, is read and learn as much as you can about various oils before you use them. Know the properties of the oils, and the history of the oils.

Also read from a variety of books, as many of the authors have plagerised each others work, and taken their evidence from questionable sources, scaremongering around the use of oils applied neat, and used in pregnancy,ingesting oils, etc. (Here the quality of the oil is important, not the type of oil).

I would say that the French texts are probably the most helpful - French doctors can prescribe therapeutic grade essential oils - not something we can do here, but it does add weight to how and why you may choose an oil. (See Dr Jean Valnet - aromatherapie, and any texts by Gatfosse).

Find yourself a good mentor, and enjoy your learning.

 

[DeeDawg]

Re Aromababe's post, I wasn't confusing the perfumed oils and essential oils at the Body Shop. I do know the difference because I'm qualified too. My tutor had looked into the BS essential oils and wasn't happy at all with the quality. She would almost perform a sermon about it most weeks

But above all I was trying to point out that it's far too risky with all the potential contra-indications and possible litigation, given our country's propensity to follow the good old US on these, "Have you been in an accident....?" etc etc adverts.

 

[Dragonfly Girl]

Sorry, if I made an assumption and I do appreciate what your tutor was inferring - actually my tutor had a similar opinion, but I think we should be careful when stating categorically that a certain make of oil should not be used in the normal way.

Lesley

 

[LADY~S]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. Always great feedback from this site

Can i ask then what do people use whilst massaging? Is it ok, to use a Almond Oil?

Thank you all in advance,

Claire

 

[IdiomeFed]

Almond oil is fine as long as they don't have a nut allergy. I tend to use grapeseed as it is also very light and easily absorbed.

Lesley