Aromatherapy Massage, Explained Without the Perfume

"Aromatherapy massage" is one of the most common items on spa menus in Bangalore, and one of the least clearly defined. Sometimes it means a practitioner trained in aromatherapy choosing a blend after a proper consultation. More often it means a relaxing oil massage with a few drops of fragrance in the bottle, priced a little higher.

Neither is a con, exactly. But it helps to know which one you are paying for, what the scent can realistically add, and when it is better left out.

What aromatherapy massage is

At its simplest, it is massage with a carrier oil to which small amounts of essential oils have been added. Essential oils are concentrated aromatic extracts from plants, usually made by steam distillation or, for citrus peel, by pressing. Familiar ones include lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, rosemary, sandalwood and the citrus oils.

The massage itself is usually gentle and flowing, close to Swedish massage. The difference is meant to be the scent, chosen to calm, lift or "clear the head" depending on who is on the table.

The two versions you will meet

• Consultation-led aromatherapy. A practitioner with specific training asks about your health, mood and preferences, lets you smell a few options, and mixes a blend for you. Dilution and contraindications are taken seriously.
• Menu aromatherapy. You pick from three or four pre-mixed oils named after a mood ("relax", "energise", "detox"), and the massage is otherwise the house relaxation massage.

Both can be pleasant. Only the first is really a distinct practice. If a menu does not say which it is, ask who mixes the oils and whether you can smell them first. A spa that takes aromatherapy seriously will be happy to answer; one that simply adds fragrance usually says so plainly enough.

What the scent can and cannot do

Smell is closely wired to memory and emotion. Anyone who has walked into a room that smells of their grandmother's house knows how quickly a scent can shift your state. Research on aromatherapy is mostly small studies, and some suggest that pleasant scents, lavender in particular, may help people feel calmer or sleep a little better. That is a modest and plausible effect.

What the research struggles to do is separate the scent from everything around it: the dim room, the warm oil, the hour of slow touch, the fact that you are lying down and nobody needs anything from you. Quite possibly, most of what people feel in an aromatherapy massage comes from the massage.

What it cannot do, whatever the menu says:

• "Detox" the body. Your liver and kidneys do that.
• Treat infections, anxiety disorders, depression, hormonal problems or any other medical condition.
• Replace medication or medical advice.

If a scent helps you relax, that is reason enough to enjoy it. It does not need to be a cure.

Safety: natural does not mean gentle

Essential oils are powerful precisely because they are concentrated. Sensible practice looks like this:

• Always diluted. Essential oils go into a carrier oil, never neat onto skin.
• Skin reactions. Some oils, including cinnamon, clove and certain citrus oils, are more likely to irritate or sensitise skin, and reactions can develop after repeated use, not only the first time.
• Sunlight. Some cold-pressed citrus oils, bergamot being the best known, can make skin more likely to burn. Worth remembering under Bangalore's afternoon sun.
• Pregnancy, asthma, epilepsy, young children. Several oils are advised against in these situations. If any apply, check with your doctor before booking anything scented.
• Never swallowed, whatever you read online.

If you have sensitive skin or allergies, read the guide to massage oils and patch-testing too, because the carrier oil matters as much as the fragrance.

When scent is the wrong choice

Plenty of people are better off without it:

• Anyone who gets headaches or nausea from strong fragrance.
• People with asthma or other breathing sensitivity.
• Anyone heading straight back to a meeting, a school pickup or a shared cab who would rather not smell of eucalyptus.
• Anyone for whom a particular scent carries an unwelcome memory.

An unscented oil massage is not a lesser massage. For most people the calming effect comes from slow, continuous, well-judged touch, which is why a good massage changes how you sleep regardless of what the room smells like.

Does RanaRestore offer aromatherapy massage?

No. RanaRestore does not offer aromatherapy massage as a separate service. There is one session: two hours at your home, blending Swedish, deep tissue and head, neck and shoulder work in whatever proportion your body needs that day, after a short consultation about preferences, problem areas and pressure.

When the blended session is a reasonable alternative: if what draws you to aromatherapy massage is the calm, the slowness and the feeling of being looked after, the blended session is built around exactly that, with far more time than most spa slots to settle into it. If you are tired, overwhelmed or sleeping badly, the massage is doing most of the work anyway.

When it is not: if you specifically want a consultation with a trained aromatherapist and a blend made for you, look for a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. And if fragrance bothers you, say so when you book and again at the consultation.

Questions people ask

What is aromatherapy massage?

It is a massage, usually gentle and flowing, using a carrier oil with small amounts of essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus or citrus added for their scent. Some practitioners mix a blend after a consultation; many spas simply offer a choice of pre-mixed oils.

Is aromatherapy massage better than a normal massage?

Not necessarily. Small studies suggest pleasant scents may help some people feel calmer, but it is hard to separate that from the effect of the massage itself. If you enjoy the scent it can add to the experience; if you dislike fragrance, an unscented massage loses very little.

Is aromatherapy massage safe in pregnancy?

Several essential oils are advised against during pregnancy, and any massage in pregnancy should be cleared with your doctor first. Ask your doctor before booking a scented massage, and tell the therapist you are pregnant.

Does RanaRestore offer aromatherapy massage?

No. RanaRestore offers one two-hour session that blends Swedish, deep tissue and head, neck and shoulder work, and does not offer aromatherapy as a separate service. If you want a blend made by a trained aromatherapist, a qualified aromatherapy practitioner is the better choice.