Best Oils for Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage

. bergamot       

. lavender

. eucalyptus     

. orange

. frankincense  

. petitgrain

Best Combinations For Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage

Relaxing massage

7 drops lavender and 4 drops each rose and mimosa in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

Energising massage

6 drops bergamot, 5 drops peppermint and 2 drops of lemon in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

Warming winter rub

6 drops frankincense, 5 drops eucalyptus and 4 drops pine in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

Invigorating summer rub

6 drops orange, 5 drops lemongrass and 4 drops rosemary in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

For backache

6 drops each lavender and eucalyptus and 3 drops’ lemon in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) safflower oil

For tense muscles

8 drops lavender, 5 drops petitgrain and 2 drops basil in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

How to Do Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage?

The best position for a back massage is lying face down on a well-padded floor or firm mattress with a rolled towel or small pillow under the upper chest, so the head and neck are relaxed in the face-down position. Keep the room warm and the light subdued.

Before you begin, warm your hands and warm the aromatherapy massage oil by standing the container in hot water for a couple of minutes. The more times you  repeat each stroke the more relaxing it becomes, so use the instructions here as a guide only for the minimum amount of movements. And feel free to throw in your own special touches.

1., Place your palms flat, with hands on the lower back about 2 inches out from the spine. Slide them up to the top of the back, out over the shoulders and down again to the start. The heaviest stroke is pushing up towards the heart, with a light stroke down. Use it to warm and spread the oil and feel for tension or tender spots in the back. Keep a soothing, regular rhythm going for several minutes, then spread fingers wide on the upward stroke only, pressing in with the tips, for a slightly deeper variation.

2. With palms flat half way up the spine, gently slide your hands apart the length of the-back, so one ends at the base of the spine and the other between the shoulder blades. Repeat several times. Then from the same start position, slide hands diagonally across the torso so one ends on a hip and the other on the opposite shoulder. Repeat, both ways. Each movement should be one long, firm stroke to loosen and stretch muscles, holding skin taught at the end for a few seconds before releasing the tension.

3. Repeat the stroke from step I, but this time, when you get to the top, slide your hands over the shoulders, bending your fingertips down to the collarbones, and on the .downward stroke, pull the shoulder muscle at the base of the neck firmly back. Repeat. Place your hands under the hip, fingers down, and pull upwards from the side of the body towards the spine, one hand after the other in a continuous movement. Work up one side of the torso, across the top of the shoulders and down the other side to the opposite hip.

4. Moving to the upper back, place palms flat on either side of the spine above the waist and push them up to the neck, out around each shoulder and back to the start position. Keep the stroke flowing, then do smaller circles using fingertip rather than palm-pressure around and over each shoulder blade. Then knead the upper back and sides of the neck – place your hands flat, fingers together with thumbs wide, then use your thumbs to push flesh up to the fingers, moving your hands as you go.

5. Moving to the lower back, repeat a few sweeping strokes from step 1. Then place one thumb on either side of the spine about an inch out, and gently push down with the thumb pads for a count of five, then relax, to release the small spinal support muscles. Keep doing this, moving up the back to the top of the neck. Repeat from the bottom, this time making tiny circles with each thumb on either side of the spine up to the neck. Finish by running your fingertips firmly up and down over the same area.

6. Now repeat the smooth, flowing strokes from step 1again, over the entire back. Then use your fingertips to make circular movements from the base of the back up to the neck. Finally, do a raking movement all over the back – bend your fingers so only the pads make contact, then make short, firm stroking movements, pulling towards you. Start raking at the neck and work down to the hips; so one hand follows the other in a continuous flow. Repeat several times, reducing the amount of pressure so you finish with a light, slow movement.

Best Oils for Head Massage

. bergamot        . neroli

. jasmine           . orange

. lavender         . rose

Best Essential Oils Combinations for Aromatherapy Mind Relax Massage

Relaxing massage

3 drops each rose, geranium and lavender in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

Energising massage

3 drops bergamot and 1 drop each of geranium and peppermint in 30ml (1fl oz/6sps) sweet almond oil

For tense muscles

2 drops each petitgrain and lavender and 1 drop basil in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

For a hair tonic

3 drops lavender and 1 drop each rosemary and bay in 30ml (1f 1oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

To go to sleep

 3 drops sandalwood and 2 drops of chamomile in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

For a headache

2 drops each rose and lavender and 1 drop chamomile in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

Mind Relax Aromatherapy Massage

A face, neck and scalp massage will lift a great weight off tired or tense shoulders. Start by sitting comfortably on an upright chair in front of a table, wearing an off-the-shoulder top or a towel wrapped under your arms for warmth. Make sure your aromatherapy oil is also warm, and close to hand.

1. Keeping your back straight, slowly bend your neck to one side as far as is comfortable, so your ear is parallel with your shoulder. Hold the stretch for a count of five and feel it pulling up the side of the neck. Straighten slowly and repeat on the other side. With your head upright, place your left hand palm down on the top of your right arm. With a downward pressure, stroke firmly across the top of the shoulder and up the side of the neck to the ear. Repeat ten times, then change hands and repeat on the other side.

2. Bend your elbows and place your hands palm down back over your shoulders, on either side of the neck, with the heel of your hand on your collarbone and fingers stretching down your back. Press firmly into the shoulder muscle, so it is pinched between your fingers and palm, and at the same time, drop your head backwards. Hold for a count of ten then slowly raise the head and release the hands. Repeat. In the same starting position, drop your head first down to the left side for a count of five, then over and down to the right, while you pinch into the shoulder muscle. Repeat.

3. Bend your neck forward and place your fingertips back over the shoulder muscles as in step 2. Knead the muscle by pressing in with firm fingers and gradually work up each side of the neck from the nape to the skull. Then use the first two fingers of each hand to make small circles from the top of the neck out along the base of the skull to each ear. With your head still bent forward, place your right hand palm down over the nape of your neck and. do a slow, firm, upward­-pulling stroke from the nape up to the crown of the head, with one hand following after the other.

4. Spread your fingertips across the top of your forehead along the hairline from ear to ear. Keeping fingers bent but stiff, press them gently into the scalp and make small, firm circular movements so the scalp itself rotates. Gradually move, inch by inch, back up to the crown of the head. Repeat working from the nape of the neck up to the crown. Then pick up tiny sections of hair close to the root between each thumb and index finger and tug at the hair, quickly and firmly several times. Repeat all over the head to stimulate the circulation and relax the scalp.

5. Lean forward and rest your elbows on a table. Place the heel of each hand over an eye and relax downwards, holding for a count of ten and breathing deeply. Straighten the first three fingers of your right hand and place them across your forehead. Stroke slowly and firmly from the bridge of the nose up between the brows to the hairline. Repeat five times.

Using your first two fingers, gently press in and stroke from your inner to outer brows. Repeat five times. With one hand on either side of the face, do a firm, very slow; palm stroke from the ears, over the temples, forehead and into the hair. Repeat.

6. Using the tips of your first two fingers, make small circles over the whole face, from the jaw, up the cheeks, over the temples and along the hairline to the middle of the forehead. Repeat with a slow, firm, palm stroke. Then, placing the hands with palms over the cheek bones and fingers over the forehead, gently press into the contours of your face and hold for a count of ten. With one palm across your forehead and the other across the back of your neck, press in for a count of ten. With one hand over an ear on either side of your head, press in and hold.

Best Oils for Soothing Foot Massage

. citronella         . lemon

. geranium         . peppermint

. lavender         . rosemary

BEST COMBINATIONS of Essential Oils for Soothing foot Massage

Relaxing massage

3 drops lavender and 2 drops geranium in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

Refreshing massage

2 drops each citrollella and peppermint and 1 drop lemon in 30ml (1f1oz/ 6tsps) sunflower oil

Aromatic massage

2 drops each lavender, rose and geranium in 30ml (1f1oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For aching feet

3 drops eucalyptus and 2 drops chamomile in 30ml (1f 1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For excessive sweating

5 drops lemongrass in 30ml (1f 1oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For fungal infections     

3 drops tea-tree and 2 drops of geranium in 30ml (1fl oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

The foot massage, with its soothing aromatherapy soak beforehand, will make you feel better from toe to top and is guaranteed to put a spring back in your step. Sit in an upright seat with cushions for comfort and finish off the massage by stretching out flat for ten minutes with feet propped higher than your head.

You may use the same essential oils for the footbath and massage, or use a purely therapeutic one for the bath and more sensual oils for the stroking afterwards. Spend as long as you can on each step, with plenty of extra repeats.

1. Start sitting comfortably with a plastic basin or large bowl of hot water on the floor. Make sure towels, essential oils and your aromatherapy massage oil are all to hand. Put four drops of essential oils for every 4 litres (1 gallon) of water in the bowl and soak both feet. After ten minutes, start massaging One foot while it is still damp, so essential oils absorb better, and leave the other foot in the basin. To massage, sit with one leg bent at the knee and cross it so the calf is resting across the thigh of the other leg.

2. With the palms of your hands, sandwich the foot and do a fast, friction rub, using lots of oil and doing a sawing movement back and forwards across the foot. Start with one hand under the arch and the other across the top of the foot. Then move hands up to sandwich the toes and instep. Finally, do a heel rub by placing palms on either Side of the ankle and massaging briskly. This is a good way of boosting the circulation, warming cold feet and relaxing them totally.

3. Do a series of foot stretches to loosen tendons and the deep ache of muscles. Hold each stretch for a count pf ten. Point your toes and flex them up, hold, then down, hold, and turn your foot to the left, hold, and right, hold. Still pointing your toes make large, slow circles in the air to rotate the ankle. Then, with your foot resting up on your opposite; thigh again, place your hand palm down over the toes with the fingers wrapped over the sole. Keeping your foot straight (i.e. at 90 degree angle to leg), slowly push the toes down to flex and stretch them, and hold. Then gently pull them back towards the foot.

4. In the same position, use the tips of your thumb and index finger to make quick pinches for several minutes all over the heel of the foot. Then wrap your fingers around the top of the foot with thumbs across the sole, under the arch. Do deep, flowing thumb strokes, one after the other, from the heel to the instep along the arch of the foot. Then use the thumbs to make small circles all over the sole of the foot, in a light, kneading movement.

5. Firmly rub each toe from base to tip, one by one, between your thumb (on top) and index finger (below) for a couple of minutes each. Then do several deep thumb strokes up the underside of each toe, by wrapping your fingers across the tops of toes, bending your thumb underneath, and using it to do the firm, slow, pushing in movement. Finally, finish of with a fast friction rub over the toes to warm them and increase blood circulation.

6. Use your thumb to knead and rub all around the ankle bone and pinch, using your index finger and thumb, all the way up the tendon at the back of the heel. Repeat the foot stretches from step 3, but this time keep both hands wrapped around your ankle as you point, flex and circle them. Finish off with several full foot-strokes. Place one hand on top of the foot, palm down, the other under the foot, palm up. Start at the toes and with hands working in unison, do a firm, slow pull with hands, following the contours of the foot back up to the ankle.

Best Oils for Aromatherapy Body Energizing Massage

bergamot         

orange

lavender          

peppermint

lemon  

petitgrain

Best Essential Oils Combinations For Aromatherapy Body Energizing Massage

5 drops each petitgrain, orange and bergamot in 60ml (2fl oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

For tight muscles          

5 drops pine, 7 drops lavender and 3 drops eucalyptus in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

For cellulite

4 drops each rosemary and lemon and 9 drops geranium in 60ml (2f 1oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

For winter

7 drops lavender and 4 drops each peppermint and myrrh in 60m l (2 f 1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

For summer

6 drops lavender, 5 drops orange and 4 drops peppermint in 60ml (2 f 1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

For mental alertness

6 drops bergamot and 4 drops peppermint in 60m l (2 f 1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

This massage takes ten minutes first thing in the morning, but brings rewards that last a lifetime. The whole sequence is done standing up, and you only need a chair or the side of a bath or bed to rest your foot on in step 1. Make sure you haveplel1ty of aromatherapy massage oil to hand before you begin.

1. Standing, with one foot up on a chair so the knee is at a right angle, do firm, upward palm strokes with one hand following the other from ankle to knee. Do the front, back and sides of each leg. Straighten the leg to stroke from the knee to thigh top, front, back and sides. Then ,repeat, this time using stiff, bent fingers to rake the legs in an upwards stroke, but have the hands in unison so one is raking the front as the other does the back of the leg. Use the same stroke up both sides of each leg, too.

2. With arms loose at your sides, shake your hands, so they are floppy from the elbow down, as if you’re shaking water off. Stretch straight arms up above your head, out to the sides parallel with shoulders, and downwards to toes. Bend your right arm so the hand is at your shoulder, and using your left hand, palm down, wrap your fingers around the top of the arm and do one firm stroke down the arm to the elbow, then up the forearm from elbow to wrist. Continue the stroke, with the thumb pressing into the palm and fingers wrapped around the back of the hand, right up to the fingertips. Repeat on both arms.

3. Shape your hands into relaxed fists and use them to pummel the tops of the thighs and buttocks by bouncing them off flesh in a rapid, drumming movement. Do a waist stroke starting on your right side, with your right hand over the hip, fingers pointing to the navel and left hand over the waist, fingers pointing to back. Stroke one hand after the other in a firm, rhythmic upwards motion from hip to rib. Do 20 strokes in total, then repeat on the other side of the waist. Finally, do the same rhythmic stroke up the tummy, from groin to ribcage.

4. Place your hands up on each shoulder, with a thumb below and index fingers above the collarbone, then pinch and squeeze the bone, working from the shoulder in towards the chest. With palms down, place one hand back over each shoulder top, then pinch and knead the muscle between the fingertips and heel of each hand. Then wrap one hand palm down across the nape of the neck and as you relax the head slightly backwards, pinch and knead the neck muscles.

5. With arms to your sides, stretch and hold your shoulders, by rounding them forwards (head down), backwards (head back), up towards your ears and down (head straight). Hold each stretch for a count of ten before relaxing. Repeat the shoulders forward and backwards movement, but this time with straight arms out at shoulder height. Then shake your head vigorously as if you are shaking water from your hair with stiff, straight fingers, massage in small circles all over scalp as if you are shampooing your hair.

6. Bend your arms at the elbows and with floppy, relaxed hands, shake them vigorously as if you’re flicking water off them. Then with one hand following the other in a smooth. flowing rhythm, stroke palms down from your brows up the forehead and into your hair for a count of 60. Finish off with a firm head press: place your left hand palm down, on forehead and right hand palm down across the nape of your neck. Push both hands inwards and hold for a count of 15. Relax and repeat.

Best Essential Oils for Aromatherapy Anti-wrinkle Massage

. geranium        

. neroli

. lavender        

. orange

. myrrh

. rose

Best Essential Oils Combinations For Dry Complexions

3 drops rose and 2 drops neroli in 30ml (lfl oz/6 tsps) apricot kernel oil

For oily complexions     ­

2 drops each geranium and lavender and 1 drop bergamot in 30ml (lfl oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

Young skin (under 40)

3 drops geranium and 2 drops orange in 30ml (lfl oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

Mature skin (over 40)

2 drops each neroli and lavender and 1 drop myrrh in 30ml (lfl oz/6 tsps) wheatgerm oil

For summer

2 drops each rose and violet and 1 drop geranium in 30ml (lfl oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For winter

2 drops each myrrh and sandalwood in 30ml (lfl oz/6tsps) wheatgerm oil

Although wrinkles are a sign of a life well-lived, nobody likes to see them appearing on their own face. There are only two things, apart from surgery, that will help keep wrinkles at bay: protecting skin from the sun, and making sure it is well moisturized.

Essential oils do the latter better than any other products, since they have a natural affinity with skin and are absorbed into the body.

1. Place the first two fingers of each hand under each earlobe, press in gently for a count of six, then slide fingers up the side of the face to the temples. Press in gently for a count of six, then release and make small, gentle circles over the temples with your fingertips. Put your little fingers next to one another on the bridge of the nose and, keeping them stiff and splayed; place the others along each brow, so the index fingers are on the temples. Press in gently, hold for a count of six, then press in again and slide your fingers up the brow into the hairline, pulling skin up as you move, and finish with small circular movements pressing into the scalp. Repeat five times.

2. Stretch your neck by bending your head back and holding for a count of six while you open your eyes wide and raise your eyebrows. With head upright, place your index fingers next to one another on the bridge of the nose and stroke upwards, one after the other, between the brows to the forehead. Every sixth stroke, take one finger out firmly along each brow and press into the temple for a count of three; Repeat several times. Then, using the flat of your hand, palm­ stroke up the forehead into the hair, one hand following the other.

3. Place each index finger at the outer eye comer, then move them gradually along the undereye, making gentle inward presses for a count of three until you are pressing in on the tear ducts. This is a very light pressure throughout. Repeat on the top eyelid, along the browbone. Don’t stretch or drag on the skin, rather press in, lift, then press again. Place the heel of each hand over 91e eyes and gently press while you relax and count to 20. Finally, screw your eyes tightly dosed and hold for a count of five. Then open them wide and roll the eyes in slow circles three times.

4. Stretch the neck by bending the head to one side, hold for a count of ten, then over to the other side and hold. With your head straight, use the backs of the fingertips to stroke from the collarbone up to the chin in a rhythmic, flowing movement. Then, with palms facing up, use the first three fingertips of each hand to do a light, outward flick under the chin, in a rapid drumming motion across the entire jaw line from ear to ear. With thumbs and forefingers, lightly pinch along the jawbone from chin out to earlobes. Repeat back to the middle of the chin.

5. Open your mouth wide and with a relaxed jaw, move your chin to the left, hold for a count of five, then to the right and hold for another five. Place the tips of your little fingers on the middle of your bottom lip, press in, hold for a count of five, then repeat, gradually moving out to the comers of the mouth, then up and over the top lip to the centre of the nose. Repeat as a light stroke. Finish by pressing your palm over your mouth and holding for a count of ten.

6. Place the palms of your hands against the sides of your face and stroke with a fast, light touch in an upwards direction to stimulate circulation and bring the colour to your cheeks. Repeat the same stroke, but with a slow, firm stretch upwards. Finish off by pressing the palms of your hands over your face and holding for a count of 20.