Aromatherapy Massage

Aromatherapy massage combines massage with essential oils, the concentrated aromatic liquids drawn from plants. A therapist blends a small amount of one or more oils, such as lavender, sweet orange, or chamomile, into a carrier oil like sweet almond or jojoba, and uses the blend as the massage medium. The aim is relaxation and comfort. The scent is inhaled throughout the session, and the oils touch the skin, so the experience engages both smell and touch.

It is offered by aromatherapists, massage therapists, and nurses in spas, clinics, hospices, and hospitals, where it is sometimes provided as a comfort measure for people with serious illness. Sessions are usually gentle, with light to moderate pressure, and the therapist adjusts the blend and the pressure to your preferences, medical history, and any skin sensitivities. Training and regulation vary by country, so it is worth asking about qualifications and insurance.

Research is mixed and low in quality. Systematic reviews have found it hard to show that aromatherapy massage does more than massage alone or usual care, because touch, scent, setting, and attention all contribute and are hard to separate. A review in palliative care judged the evidence for reducing anxiety and pain, and for improving quality of life, to be inconclusive. It is a complementary comfort practice, not a treatment for any condition, and it suits people who enjoy both massage and scent, as long as they use safe dilution and check first if they are pregnant, have skin conditions, or take medicines.

Massage is one of the oldest forms of care, found in many ancient traditions, and fragrant plant oils have long been used on the skin in cultures around the world. Aromatherapy massage as a modern practice grew out of aromatherapy, a term first printed in 1937 in the French book Aromatherapie by the chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. The French surgeon Jean Valnet later promoted medical use of essential oils after using them as antiseptics on wounded soldiers in the Second World War.

Marguerite Maury (1895 to 1968), an Austrian-born biochemist working in France, is credited by the International Federation of Aromatherapists with introducing aromatherapy massage, using diluted oils applied to the skin for relaxation and rejuvenation, and with helping bring the practice to England through clinics she opened in Paris and England. From the 1960s and 1970s, courses in the United Kingdom, and later associations, schools, and spas elsewhere, taught therapists to blend oils for massage. Aromatherapy massage then spread into hospices, cancer care, and spa settings in Europe, North America, and Australia. There is no single global standard for training or registration, and the rules on essential oils vary by country, so qualifications differ widely between therapists.