Organic Stuff

In this post I will be profiling Mixaroma Masage Oil.

Mixaroma has massage oils for professionals and the rest of us too. Their professional massage oil is used in many high-end spas and massage therapists, as well as hotels. They also have a line of massage oils for everyday use. 

These come in a variety of scents: Lavender, Citrus, Mint, and Geranium. 

The Lavender is great for an evening or late-night massage as it has calming properties. The Citrus is great for morning massages to get the day going right!

Check out their full line to see all of the uses and suggestions.

Oh and it is also organic, and cruelty-free.

Well first of all this isn’t a joke. Although April Fools day is a great day to pull the wool over someone’s eyes, even if its just for a minute, I think its even more fun to get FREE stuff and discounted goodies. 

This brings me to Mixaroma’s April Fools Day sale, which is over in about 58 hours. You get 20% off all their goodies which include candles, organic soaps, essential oils, massage oils, gift baskets and much more. 

There is also FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50, which is a great value, but even if your order doesnt get to that they offer flat $5 shipping on anything else.

Thinking about 20% and free shipping…hmmm sounds like my weekend will be alot calmer.

The National Association of Nurse Massage Therapist (NANMT), supports nurses who believe that touch therapy is an integral part of a patient’s recovery. Although this form of therapy has been less prevalent since the mid 20th century, there is a long history of the use of touch in healing.

Please support this organization and its aims to increase education and promote the status of practicing nurse massage therapists.

I am going to try to get some massage oil donated to this organization to help them with their wonderful program!

Organic soaps come in all shapes and sizes, with scents as varied as good old peppermint, to juicy fruit cranberry chocolate. What makes them different, other than their scents is the materials they are made from.

Palm, coconut, olive, and palm kernel oils are all popular ingredients in organic bar soaps. Lately, castile soap is becoming very popular with both bar soaps and foaming soaps.

Stay away from fragrance bars. They are cheaper but you also get all the bad stuff that comes with them.

Finally, add a good scented massage oil, and you’ll have the beginnings of a great home spa day.

Massage oils and organic soaps often come in the same scents, especially if you get them from the same company.

Organic soap comes in all shapes and sizes. There are organic soap bars, and organic soap foams. The choice of whether to go with an organic bar, or organic foaming soap is a personal one.

Some people like having a bar of soap in their hands and also the fact that you don’t have to constantly replenish with more soap. Other people like the convenience of a foam, the feel of it, and the fact the it doesn’t make as much of a mess. 

Whichever one you choose, there are organic versions to choose from. There are some soaps that have no scent, and some that come infused with various scents. Scented soap is one of my greatest indulgences. I love the smell of a citrus soap in the morning, a Lavender soap at night, and a Eucalyptus or Tea tree soap when I want my hands to feel clean after doing the dishes or cleaning up a mess at home.

Up next:  Scented organic soaps.

Organic Soap is found at many healthfood stores, and bigger chain stores countrywide.

What makes organic soap better?

Well first of all, most Organic soap is made with organic ingredients. This means that by USDAs standard, it is at least 70% organic. I haven’t seen a 100% organic soap out there, mainly because the process of making soap doesn’t lend itself to making 100% organic products, and if it does, then it would be prohibitively expensive. Hey 70% is better than nothing, and it’s much better than what most soaps are made of. You couldn’t pay me to put that stuff on my skin.

Next up : Organic soap tips – The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Part 3 will be about my top 3 massage oils infused with essential oils.

1.      Lavender essential oil

2.      Peppermint essential oil

3.      Tea Tree essential oil

These three essential oils are all very popular in massage oils. Usually the base oil, whether single or blend (see my previous posts) will be infused with 100% pure essential oils.

This process yields a massage oil that not only has the vitamins and minerals that are part of the massage oil itself, but also the added vitamins, minerals, and special properties of the essential oil as well.

Lavender massage oil will tend to have a calming effect.

Peppermint massage oil will have an energizing effect.

Tea Tree massage oil will invigorate, and also cleanse the skin. (It’s a known antiseptic)

So, if you’d like a certain effect in addition to the vitamins and minerals in the base oil, ask your massage therapist to offer you massage oil with essential oils, next time you visit!

Thanks for all the great comments guys! It really makes my day.

Next up : Organic Soap and why it’s better for your skin.

In my last post, Massage Oil Tips, which I guess is now Part 1, I discussed several questions that I received from my readers here, on twitter, and facebook. 

In this post I’ll be giving some more answers to questions on massage oils. I have a feeling that there will be a part three of Massage Oil Tips so stay tuned!

QUESTIONS

1. Where can I get massage oils, or another variation I got was, where to get massage oil, which to me is basically the same question.

2. Should oils for massage have essential oils in them?

3. Should oils for massage be a blend of several oils or, just one oil?

ANSWERS

I’ll start by answering question 3, because it is somewhat related to a question in my last post. The short answer is that it depends on the person giving the massage and what the massage is supposed to achieve. Blends are usually favored by therapists because the different characteristics of different oils in a  good blend will give a better glide, or traction, or any of a variety of other needs that are individual preferences depending on the therapist. Single oils are used when there are allergies, sensitive skin, or the person getting the massage just likes a certain oil, and the vitamins in it.

Number 2 is somewhat along the same vein. Every essential oil has properties that create a certain mood, or experience. Essential oils have been used as mood enhancers for 100’s if not thousands of years. Lavender is a good calming agent, citrus is a good energizing agent, etc… So I’m of the opinion that if you’re already getting a massage, and usually paying for it, then the oil that is used might as well also enhance your mood in the way that you want.

Number 1, is an easy question to answer for me. There are very few oils that I trust to put on my skin. After all it is the biggest organ in our body and it absorbs things right into our bloodstream. So first I always use an organic oil, and second I like the essential oils in the massage oil, if any, to also be organic. Now some of you might say, but isn’t organic more expensive? Not always, and even if it is, this is one place you should spend the extra money. Do you really want chemicals that cause cancer to go directly into your blood stream? And yes, there are a lot of products out there with cancerous agents in them that the FDA doesn’t regulate. Surprise! The company I trust with my skin is Mixaroma, and you can find their body oils and massage oils online, and also at top hotels, spas, and stores.

Up next, Massage Oil Tips Part 3

I hope this helps! Keep those questions coming.

I’ve gotten some requests for massage oil tips. Here are some questions I’ve received.

1.      How much massage oil should be used?

2.      Is it important to heat massage oil before application?

3.      Do you need different massage oil for different areas of the body?

I’ve received many more questions, and I might have another post soon, but these were the most popular questions so I will try to address them now.

So, the answer to the first question really depends on the area you’re trying to cover, how thick (viscous) the oil is, and the absorption rate. The larger the area, the faster the absorption, and the thinner the oil, the more massage oil is needed.

The second answer depends on your preference. Some therapists swear by having their oil warmed before application. Warmth in general relaxes the muscles. That’s also why some massage therapists use warm towels during treatment.

The third answer also depends on preference. Different essential oils can be used to target areas of the body. For example, dry skin on face, and dry skin on feet can be treated with different massage oil infused with essential oils. Also, face oil used for dry skin on face, needs to have different properties than the oil used on the rest of your body.

I hope this helps!

Keep the questions coming.

I was recently browsing the yahoo questions and answers boards. I frequently visit there because there are a lot of people asking questions about skin care in general and organic skin care as well. I’ve noticed over the last year or so that people are defnitely showing more interest in organic skin care. 

So, yesterady I found a question which was right up my alley. Which is the best organic massage oil? Click on the link if you want to see my answer in Yahoo questions.

Have a great week!