We all know that divorce is a very stressful period of your life. It’s not quick. It involves a lot of hard decisions, painful negotiations, heartache, and sadness.
The divorce process takes its toll on your mind and body, affecting your overall wellbeing and ability to go about your life healthily and happily. One of the best ways to cope and relieve the tension and anxiety is to massage your body with a scented massage oil. The scents combined with the massage help melt away the tension, release the knots and bring relaxation to the body
Even for those who aren’t going through a divorce, this is a great way to relieve your body from the daily stressors that come with life.
A massage oil is made up of a carrier base oil with a few drops of scented pure essential oil added.
Don’t worry, all these terms will be explained below!
What's A Carrier Oil?
A carrier oil is a base oil that makes up the bulk of the massage oil. Here are some carrier oils you can use –
Extra virgin olive oil – This carrier oil is good for dry skin and reducing inflammation. It contains many healthy fats and antioxidants.
Sweet almond oil – This multi-purpose carrier oil is good for body massage and dry irritated skin.
Coconut oil – This non greasy carrier oil is good for stress relief and contains many nutrients. It’s effective at hydrating and moisturising your skin.
Grape seed oil – This carrier oil is good for delicate skin. It’s an effective moisturiser that is anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties due to its high level of vitamin E.
Avocado oil – This light carrier oil is good for facial massages, eczema, and dry and ageing skin. It moisturises and hydrates the skin whilst relieving inflammation.
Rice bran oil – This non-greasy carrier oil is rich in vitamin E and is good for eczema and sensitive skin. It contains both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Apricot oil – This light carrier oil is good for facial massages due to its nourishing effect on the skin, making it a great option for dry, ageing skin. It also contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Evening primrose oil – This carrier oil is good for dry ageing skin. It’s also effective against skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Hazelnut oil – This carrier oil is good for oily and inflamed skin. It nourishes and hydrates the skin whilst boosting its levels of collagen.
Jojoba oil – This carrier oil is good for general massages, especially facial massages, due to its moisturising effect on the skin. It’s useful for treating inflammation and redness on the skin
Rosehip seed oil – This carrier oil is good for dry, mature, and damaged skin. It’s great for keeping the skin hydrated and nourished whilst boosting its level of collagen.
What's An Essential Oil?
An essential oil is a highly concentrated plant extract containing volatile (easily evaporated) aroma compounds. They’re produced from plant materials, for example – cedarwood oil comes from the wood of a cedar tree, rose oil from flower petals, lemongrass oil from lemongrass leaves, and so on. Essential oils are generally extracted by steam distillation, where hot steam is passed through the plant material, promoting the release of the aromatic molecules as vapour which are then cooled and condensed.
Essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin but instead diluted with a carrier oil and then used on the skin. Here are some oils you can use –
Frankincense essential oil – This oil is good for relaxation, grounding oneself and calmness. It can relieve anxiety, boost the immune system, and lift your mood due to its antidepressant properties.
Geranium essential oil – This oil is good for relaxation, rejuvenation, and calmness of the body, having been used for centuries to heal the body from physical and mental afflictions. It can be effective due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties.
Lavender essential oil – This oil is good for relaxation, pain relief, and boosting your stamina and energy levels. It’s a very widely used oil that can help with both physical and mental ailments, including helping you get a better night’s sleep.
Chamomile essential oil – This is good for relaxation and calmness of the body. It can also help soothe any irritation, swelling or redness on the skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Rosemary essential oil – This oil is good for energising oneself, lifting your mood and reducing pain and stress. It’s also great for those who have oilier skin or are prone to breakouts as it unclogs bacteria from your pores.
Sage essential oil – This oil is good for uplifting oneself, remedying your low moods. It can act as a great moisturiser for the skin, preventing dryness and calming any ailments on the skin, such as redness or inflammation.
Rose essential oil – This oil is good for uplifting oneself, relieving stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation in the body. It’s also great for keeping the skin replenished and moisturised.
Neroli essential oil – This oil is good for bringing relaxation to the body and helping you get a better night’s sleep. It’s also effective against pain and inflammation in the body.
Ylang Ylang essential oil – This oil is good for uplifting oneself by easing any anxiousness in the body. Its antioxidant properties also mean that it’s effective against early ageing of the skin, keeping the skin healthy, young and happy.
Peppermint essential oil – This oil is good for lifting your mood, fighting fatigue and relieving headaches. It’s also effective in soothing joint pain and muscle aches.
Lemon essential oil – This oil is helpful for soothing anxiety and depression. The substance is known to be antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory, meaning that it’s great for boosting your immune system and increasing your overall health.
Lemongrass essential oil – This oil is helpful for soothing stress, anxiety, and depression. It also contains antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it perfect for increasing your body’s overall health.
Orange essential oil – This oil is useful for reducing pain and anxiety in the body. It’s also thought to be effective in helping you get a good night’s sleep due to its soothing effects.
Bergamot essential oil – This oil is helpful for reducing anxiety in the body and lifting your overall mood by triggering the release of ‘happy’ chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin. It’s also a great choice for those finding ways to soothe pain and inflammation.
Cedarwood essential oil – This oil is great for promoting a good night’s sleep and reducing anxiety in the body. It’s also anti-inflammatory, meaning that it’s effective against joint and muscle pain.
Generally, a massage oil mixture is usually 98% carrier oil and 2% essential oil. So when you start using oils, use this approximate ratio –
EXAMPLE – 12 drops of essential oil in 30ml of carrier oil.
Share the massage oil mixes that work for you on our forum and social media! Let us and others know what else you do to relieve your body of stress.
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
