Care oils are all the rage! There are oils for just about everything: face, body, hair, nails, even lashes! They offer all sorts of benefits and can be used to remove make-up, nourish or strengthen. But what about massage oils? Here’s everything you need to know: what they contain, how to massage them in, the lifestyle habits that go with them, how to choose the right one, and the precautions to take if you’d like to make your own.
What is a massage oil?
A massage oil is a care oil with a fine, lightweight texture that makes massage movements easier. The goal:
- Encourage the stimulation of the skin by massage movements
- Care for the areas affected by water retention
- Take care of your figure
Moreover, it is often enriched with natural active ingredients. A massage oil is typically a combination of one or more natural vegetable oils and essential oils.
The classic ingredients in a massage oil are:
- A natural vegetable oil that absorbs quickly and leaves a non-greasy finish, commonly called a “dry oil”, such as jojoba oil, macadamia oil, sesame oil or hazelnut oil.
- Essential oils, such as grapefruit, yuzu, lemon, cedarwood or rosemary.
- Plant extracts, such as ivy, Italian helichrysum, butcher’s broom, red vine or cypress.
- Other extracts, such as seaweed (fucus, kelp), caffeine, bromelain, piperine or ginkgo biloba.
Can you make your own massage oil at home?
Some of these ingredients are easy to get hold of, so it can be tempting to blend your own massage oil at home, using a dry vegetable oil as a base and adding a few essential oils.
A word of caution, though: essential oils are highly concentrated extracts. They must be diluted and aren’t suitable for everyone. Before you start, ask a pharmacist or your GP for advice, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or have sensitive skin. It’s also wise to do a patch test on a small area of skin first. A ready-to-use formula saves you from having to work out the proportions yourself.
GREAT VALUEThe oil that visibly smooths the look of your skin
- Complete formula: 4 powerful actives for a targeted massage of cellulite-prone areas
- Smoother-looking skin: actives designed to complement the palper-rouler technique
- Sensorial massage : rich texture and Monoï scent for a gentle, feel-good ritual
How to apply your massage oil?
Using a massage oil is incredibly simple. Just apply the oil to clean, dry skin, then perform a massage on the targeted area, whether it’s the thighs, buttocks or tummy. The massage is at least as important as the oil itself. It helps the natural active ingredients absorb properly and stimulates the skin. Favour circular motions combined with brisk kneading, smoothing and effleurage movements, working from the bottom of the body upwards. To get the most out of it, ideally use the oil with your massage every day, alongside a balanced lifestyle, namely:
- A balanced and varied diet
- Daily physical activity, at least 30 minutes
- Regular exercise, one to two long sessions per week
- Sufficient, good-quality sleep
- Avoiding stress as far as possible
How to choose your massage oil?
There are many massage oils on the market. Several criteria should guide your choice:
- The vegetable oil used: it’s best to choose oils with a fluid texture that makes massage movements easier while helping the product absorb well.
- The natural character of the massage oil: the cleaner the formula, the better. If the product contains preservatives (which an oil doesn’t necessarily need), mineral oils derived from petrochemicals, silicones or synthetic actives, it’s best avoided. After all, you’ll be applying it daily! It’s worth thinking twice…
- The relevance of the ingredients: it’s the active ingredients that make a massage oil worthwhile. So it’s best to choose an oil rich in actives of natural origin.
Our dry massage oil, the latest addition to our body care oils (cellulite, stretch marks), is a unique combination of natural sunflower vegetable oil with rapid penetration and a dry finish, plus 3 essential oils:
- Atlas Cedarwood Essential Oil.
- Eucalyptus Globulus Essential Oil.
- Spearmint Essential Oil, refreshing, with a hot-cold effect.
Furthermore, our dry massage oil is enriched with vitamin E (tocopherol), an antioxidant. You may also like our article on legs and plants. Applied every day, our oil complements your massage routine on targeted areas. It leaves your skin beautifully silky, fresh and delicately scented. A daily beauty and pleasure ritual you’ll find hard to give up!
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The massage oil that helps prevent stretch marks from appearing*, during pregnancy and beyond
*User test on 21 volunteers over 3 weeks, based on participants' feedback.
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