Carrier Oils + Essential Oils for Massage

For me, a massage with a nice carrier oil and scented with essential oils can mean the difference between a pounding headache and feeling completely relaxed and pain-free without the use of any medication.  For years now, I have had shoulder and neck pain that causes the entire right side of my body to tense up.  This pain and tension can give me a migraine that will render me completely useless until it passes.  Some of this neck pain is because I do not always watch my alignment or stretch regularly enough (although it is much better after reading and watching Katy Bowman from Nutritious Movement and using my Yoga Tune Up for self-massage!), and the other part is that I all too often allow stress to creep into my life and take over my body.

There are also times when I just cannot seem to release, stretch, or relax enough on my own to allow the pain to fade. This is where a massage can literally save me from a weekend stuck in bed sick with a migraine.  While neither my husband or I have any idea of the “proper” way to massage, just the warmth, oils, and caring touch are enough to help eliminate my pain.

Even just a gentle shoulder rub with a wonderful carrier oil and one of my favorite essential oils or essential oil blends will make all of the difference for me, and I would bet it would you too!  This post will provide some of the basics to help you select a carrier oil that it perfect for your skin and situation, as well as provide some ideas for herbal infused oils and essential oil blends.  

Carrier Oil for Massages

While almost any carrier oil can be used for massages, there are some that can be chosen for specific reasons and preferences.  You can select carrier oils for their skin nourishing and therapeutic abilities or just for how they feel on your skin.  For a massage, you may find that different parts of the body are best addressed with carrier oils of certain viscosities.  If you want to get creative, it is easy to look at the properties of each carrier oil in the infographic below and design your own custom blend based on your specific needs and preferences.  While this chart does not list ALL of the potential carrier oils, it does outline the most common and widely available ones. My body butter recipe is the perfect compliment to your massage oils. 

Herbal Infusions for Massage

One of my favorite ways to use carrier oils is after they have been infused with dry herbs.  Each herb can be selected to meet your specific needs and it is simple to fill a jar with your chosen herb and either solar infuse or use a crock pot to gently provide heat and allow the herbs to release their specific properties.  Directions and herb suggestions can be found at the Mountain Rose Herbs Blog.

Essential oils for Massages

Essential oils and essential oil blends can be selected for their scent, the aromatic properties of the scent, or for the healing properties of the essential oils.  There are so many essential oil blending possibilities, so I am going to outline a few conditions and the essential oils to address these conditions.

Please remember that essential oils are strong and just a drop or two goes a long way! It is important to research any safety precautions before using and to follow the recommendations for the amount that can be used in the carrier oil blend. A great place to read some information on the safety of various essential oils is Aroma Web.

Where to buy carrier oil and essential oils

I get my herbs, many of my carrier oils, and even some essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs. 

I love that almost everything is organic and that they offer even tools like bottles and jars to help you create the perfect massage blend!  If you would love the benefits of a massage oil but don’t have the time to create one right now, Mountain Rose Herbs offers a wonderful selection of their own blends!  My other sources for essential oils and carrier oils are Nature’s Gift and Plant Therapy.  Both have excellent reputations for honesty and transparent practices.  

I hope that some of you all can create blends that help you as much as mine have!  It is amazing to know that something as easy as a quick massage with the right oils can eliminate so much of my muscle pain, tension, and migraines! Best of all, I can avoid the use of any painkillers.  I would love to hear if you try any of these oils and what you find that works best for you!  

Take Action!

• Read our infographic and select the carrier oil(s) that are right for you.
• Select essential oils from our infographic, or herbs for a carrier oil infusion here, that best suit your body’s needs.
• Purchase the needed items and create your perfect massage oil!  We love Mountain Rose Herbs for their huge selection of everything you would need to get started including a pre-made version
• We recognize that there is not always someone around to give your tired muscles a massage.  However, there is still the option to do a self-massage with oils or even simply use your essential oils or dry herbs (in the form of a water infusion) directly in a bath!  

Remember…..don’t suffer from overwhelm!  Just take one small bite….one crunch...at a time!

Thanks for reading!