I am a Naturopath and part of that includes aromatherapy massage and another aspect of it is colonic hydrotherapy. In this country, colonics are now acceptable to talk about, even at the dinner table and an average cost for such a treatment is £70 and upwards. Aromatherapy massage can be had in many places from £25 up. Quite a big difference.
When I was in America for several months, obviously, I couldn’t do any colonics as the equipment is not portable but I was able to borrow a friend’s massage table and asked said friend for advice on what to charge. Start at $150 and negotiate down he said. The price was a shock, as was the idea of negotiating down. Apparently, it is common practice for clients to do that so the therapist always start higher and probably ends up at what their normal price would be. Incidentally, colonics were available for $30 and I never did understand why there was such a big discrepancy in the pricing structure. So, deciding to set my price at $130, I set about letting America know I was coming. Very soon, I had a waiting list and when I finally got there, I was turning over 6 to 8 sessions per day. There were a few differences I learned about though.
The Americans I was working on were attracted by what they perceived as “European Aromatherapy” using “English ‘erbs”. The reality is, that my base oils and essential oils come from all over the World and actually, precious little is from the UK.
The other expectation was that a treatment session should be 90 minutes – and that is all massage. Any consultation should not be taken from that time. I adapted my usual massage routine which was 45 minutes (to allow a client to change and be in and out within the hour) to accommodate the new timings and found it very pleasurable to work for longer.
The main thing that was commented on however was that the clients were all not very happy about me using vegetable oils to massage with. They loved the sound of the names; Comfrey, Mullein etc. and they very much wanted the essential oils as well but they didn’t like the feeling of greasiness with the massage. When I asked what they were normally used to, they all said that therapists there tended to use massage lotions. So of I toddle to the local beauty supply store to see what was available. I bought 4 different massage lotions and tried then out on my new clients. They were very happy. I was not.
The ingredients listings on the labels showed the horrors of the contents; Mineral oil, Liquid Paraffin, Silicones, Dimethicone, and an awful lot of water. The feel of the product was not particularly pleasant to work with and it took me a while to adjust but I just couldn’t reconcile the concept of a health / holistic treatment with that gunk in the bottle.
Massage lotions and creams are an emerging concept in the UK. They have been widely used in the USA and in Scandinavian countries for many years but are relatively not so usual in this country. On my last trip to America, I had a look at some of the leading brands and checked out the labels. From a therapy point of view, I can say that they were at best, poor quality, and at worst, positively hazardous. What a strange concept that a client should go to a massage therapist for a treatment that will improve their well being and health to be coated with a lotion that is made from paraffin wax and a well known carcinogen. You can’t always expect a client to know the ingredients, but as a health professional, you have a responsibility to your clients to be well informed and responsible.
So why did the Americans like their massage lotions so much?
Firstly, many clients are put off by the greasy feeling after an oil based massage so only have them on their days off so as not to ruin their office clothes. That limits your market right away. Many therapists only massage with 1 base oil like grapeseed. That is great for training purposes but a good quality blend should never have less than 3 oils and ideally should have 5. That way, you can include a full range of omega 3, 6 and 9 to the clients’ benefit.
On my return to the UK, I set about finding out how to improve matters. I did my research and further training and finally set up Skinbuddy and now teach 1 and 2 day courses at colleges around the country teaching Holistic Practitioners and therapy students how to make a wide range of their own creams, gels, shampoos and of course, massage lotions.
So what are the advantages of a massage lotion? Well perhaps it is easier to see what are the disadvantages of using oil alone?
Whilst most colleges teach their students a number of carrier oils the reality is they tend to use Sweet Almond oil or Grapeseed oil only. Mostly this is due to financial restraints and budgets that have to be adhered to but time and time again, I have seen contact dermatitis develop on therapists’ hands and they always seem to be the ones that are using a lot of Grapeseed oil.
When I was originally trained by one of the acknowledged leaders in the Aromatherapy field, Brenda Coverdale, we learned about 20 base oils as a starting point. Notice the difference in terminology there? Brenda teaches that the oils are carrier oils as they often carry the essential oils in dilution but I hear many students referring to carrier oils as if they were neutral and the only effects come from the essential oils that they carry. The important fact however, is that even without essential oils, the base oils are incredibly effective in a great number of ways. Containing numerous vitamins and minerals, they can help to address nutritional deficiencies in your client. The feel of them is very different on the skin and you can work holistically with the emotional aspects. Were you even aware that base oils had an emotional aspect? When working at a hospice, it is a superb way to connect with your client on a subtle level.
Many of the oils however, whilst being wonderful to hear about were in reality, not easy to use. Castor oil works wonderfully well on the bowel but is far too thick and sticky to use as a massage oil. Vitamin E oil is also very thick and sticky.
This is where massage lotions come into their own. You can formulate a range of massage lotions for all different skin types as well as a wide range of ailments. A variety of different emulsifiers are used as appropriate to the density of the oils but I regularly worked on my patients with a castor oil based cream. I was working in adult Oncology at the Middlesex Hospital in London. Castor oil has the wonderful ability stimulate peristalsis in the ascending colon. Bearing in mind that most of our society seems to be gravity fed when it comes to bowels and elimination (sorry, it’s the colon hydrotherapist side of me getting on a soapbox!) what a wonderful idea to have peristalsis in the ascending colon. Most of the patients I was working on were fairly sedentary due to being ill in hospital and the hospital food was not so appetising and certainly did nothing to encourage nutrition or elimination. Following reflexology treatments with the castor oil cream, many patients reported a greater sense of well being from having shifted their constipation.
That is another advantage of the massage lotions – you don’t always have to massage with them. I use them as foot creams as well as after sun lotions. Anywhere in fact, where you want an oil to hang around for a while and not sink in right away. Many beauty salons use my massage lotions formulae after clients have had their legs waxed. The combination of oils leaves the skin soft and nourished with a subtle sheen and a natural sun factor of 2. They use the same formula but packaged differently for hand massage and as part of a manicure routine. Another makes a light lotion for the clients to use after using sun beds. We added St John’s Wort to that blend to help repair the solar damage. I’m not a great fan of sun beds or spray tans, but people do want them and they do use them so let’s help them with some lotions as well.
Then there is the icing on the cake with the massage lotions. Traditional massage oils can only include fat soluble ingredients by definition. A massage lotion has a fat stage and a water stage when it is made. That water stage means that we can add water soluble ingredients that could never be used with base oils alone. Ingredients like Vitamin C which is now available as stabilised enough to work well in a lotion; allantoin from comfrey roots to assist in healing; aosaine which is a wonderful wrinkle fighter. The list goes on.
There are a number of ingredients available to you to make massage lotions leave the skin feeling superbly pliable, soft and conditioned and the effect lasts for several days. Ingredients like Bisabolol from Roman Chamomile, and Sea Silk are eco friendly and easy to use. The lotions are cheap enough to make that you can give your client the rest of the pot you used on them for use at home. It costs you a matter of pennies but people always like a freebie and it gives the treatment added benefit which gives you the edge over other therapists.
The very fragile oils that are usually high in Omega 3 are quite unstable on their own and are prone to rancidity in a few months as they oxidise. Include them into a massage lotion with some Vitamin E and suddenly they have a 2 year shelf life. Are you getting the idea now?
Also, your clients leave your table non sticky with superbly conditioned skin and that is always remembered even a few days later. Basically, if you are not offering your clients a cream or lotion alternative, you are going to be left behind.
To return to my American clients though, they were happy with not only inferior but in my opinion, harmful products because they didn’t like feeling oily or greasy after a massage. Everyone likes a free gift and you get the edge over other therapists. But following that, many clients want to buy the lotions to take home with them as well. Many clients want the lotions to use at home or after the gym. Not only does your reputation as a masseur get enhanced, but your sales are increased as well. Sounds like a win win situation to me.
Copyright Mike Harmon from Skinbuddy™ 2007
Mike Harmon is a Naturopath trained in Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Iridology, Massage and Colonic Hydrotherapy. He is also trained as a Master Cosmetologist.
A Consultancy Service is available to Spa and Salon owners wishing to have their own range formulated for them.
Regular courses are also available to learn how to make organic and eco friendly products that are of benefit to yourself and your clients.
For further details, please contact Mike Harmon on 020 7884 1175 or go to www.skinbuddy.com
copyright Skinbuddy™/Mike Harmon 2007
