Aromatherapy massage is Swedish massage therapy using massage oil or lotion that contains essential oils (highly concentrated plant oils).
During an aromatherapy massage, you inhale these essential oil molecules or absorb them through your skin. They are thought to promote beneficial changes in your mind and body by affecting the limbic system, a region of the brain known to be involved in emotion.
Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage
Each essential oil used in aromatherapy is said to have different properties. For example, some calm and make you feel relaxed while others energize.
Purported properties of widely used essential oils:
Calming: Chamomile, lavender, and geranium oil
Decongesting: Eucalyptus, pine, and tea tree oil
Energizing: Rosemary oil
Uplifting: Ylang-ylang, clary sage, rose, and neroli oil
Since aromatherapy massage techniques are often the same as those used in Swedish massage (the most common type of massage in the US), people often get it for sore back, neck, and/or shoulder muscles or to ease stress.
Use of therapeutic essential oils in massage is being explored for the following conditions:
Anxiety
Dementia symptoms
Depression
Insomnia
Menstrual pain
Supportive care for people with conditions such as cancer