Enjoy an exquisite aromatherapy massage
Aromatherapy massage is a popular item on a spa’s menu. In this type of treatment, fragrant essential oils are chosen to suit what you have come in for, and the scent becomes part of the treatment. Whether you need to relax, ease muscle tension, or clear out the remnants of a cold, essential oil added to a carrier oil can help alleviate most symptoms. The next time you’re travelling and pop into an upscale spa, opt for an aromatherapy massage for a special spin on the traditional rub-down.
Aromatherapy massage oils such as Lavender, Jasmine, Rose and Ylang Ylang can be combined with a Swedish Massage to aid relaxation. Lemon Grass and Ylang Ylang aromatherapy oils are very relaxing and can also be used with a Deep Tissue Massage to ease swelling and muscle pain. Menthol and Coconut Hemp Oil are used within Deep Tissue Massages to assist in loosening very tight muscles and relieving more intense joint pain. In Bali, nearly all massages include a choice of aromatherapy oils and are called ‘Balinese Massage‘ when offered with Kutus Kutus oil a traditional Balinese oil infused with sixty-nine botanicals, long prized in Indonesia and used across Bali for exactly this kind of massage.
Essential Oil Massage 101
In a simple Swedish or deep tissue massage, the therapist glides over your skin with an oil or cream that has no scent. In an aromatherapy massage, however, the oil also contains an essential oil (or a blend of essential oils) derived from plants. Essential oils penetrate the body through the skin, creating multiple benefits beyond just their nice smell. Different oils suit different moods and moments — some settle you, some lift you, some clear your head — which is why the choice of oil is yours to make.
In an aromatherapy massage, essential oils are mixed with a carrier oil like sweet almond or hemp oil. Therapists will then add a couple drops of popular essential oils—like lavender, jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, or lemon grass—to the mixture they use in your massage. More sophisticated spas create their own custom blends ahead of time—using up to five oils in a mixture and naming their signature oils for their various effects. A relaxing aromatherapy massage might include oil infused with lavender or lemon grass, while menthol and hemp oil may be used to soothe sore muscles.
Choosing Your Scents
At the beginning of your treatment, the therapist will invite you to smell various blends, describing the essential oils each one contains and their effects. To narrow down your preferred blend, consider which scent resonates with you, as well as what effect you want to achieve from your massage. You can choose something that is relaxing, balancing, or invigorating, based on how you want to feel when you’re done.
After you choose the oil, your therapist will leave the room, allowing you to disrobe and lay (usually face down) on the table. An aromatherapy massage usually starts with three deep inhalations of the oil you chose, because that’s the quickest way to get it into the body. These three breaths also help you relax and become present in the moment. Sometimes, therapists will start with a head massage so that you continue to smell the scent as it’s being worked into your body.
Therapeutic-Grade Oils
Essential oils consist of volatile, highly concentrated plant extracts, derived from leaves, bark, roots, seeds, resins, and flowers. Make sure your therapist is using therapeutic-grade essential oils, instead of store-bought varieties. Therapeutic grade oils are higher quality than commercial-grade oils (used in food products or sold in health food stores) and are steam distilled, without the use of chemicals. These oils can also be used in hydrotherapy baths, facials, and body treatments.
Synthetic “essential oils,” on the other hand, will not have the same therapeutic effects. Fragrances that are made from chemicals lack the therapeutic properties of essential oils. Many scented creams have synthetic fragrances in them, so just because it has an “aroma” doesn’t mean it’s an aromatherapy oil. But most spas and independent massage therapists are highly knowledgeable and experienced, so it’s unlikely they’ll use a sub-par product. Still, it’s good to know before you book an expensive treatment.
Aromatherapy Massage Availability & Online Booking
Feel free to select the therapist you would like to provide your Aromatherapy Massage and then choose the date and time to suit you. For maximum flexibility on available dates and times, please choose ‘Any’ therapist.
Our aromatherapy oil menu
Aromatherapy is included as standard with every massage we give, at no extra charge. The only decision is which oil — and it is yours to make. Your therapist will bring the tray; take your time over it, or tell her what you have come in for and let her choose.
- Kutus Kutus — Our signature. A traditional Balinese herbal oil imported from Indonesia, sixty-nine botanicals in a coconut and olive oil base. Deep, warm and resinous, and it changes as the massage goes on. The oil we reach for with Balinese massage.
- Lavender — The classic for winding down. Soft, floral and familiar — choose it when you want to leave calmer than you arrived, or when you are heading home to sleep.
- Menthol — Sharp, clean and cooling on the skin. The one to ask for when your muscles have been worked hard — after training, or a week of carrying tension in your shoulders.
- Lemon Eucalyptus — Bright and clearing, with a fresh camphorous edge. Good when your head feels heavy or your chest feels tight.
- Lemongrass — Citrus and grassy, sharper than lemon itself. Lifts rather than settles — choose it if you have somewhere to be afterwards.
- Bergamot — Citrus with a floral depth, the scent at the heart of Earl Grey. Fresh without being brisk, and one of the most universally liked on the tray.
- Ginger — Warm and spicy, with real heat to it. Suits cold days and cold hands, and sits beautifully alongside a hot stone treatment.
- Rose — Rich, sweet and unmistakably floral. Indulgent rather than practical — the one people choose for an occasion.
- Ylang Ylang — Heady, sweet and tropical. Softer than rose and more exotic, and it lingers.
- Sandalwood — Woody, creamy and quiet. The most grounding scent we carry, and the one that most smells like the room itself.
- Sweet Almond — A light, nearly neutral carrier oil that glides beautifully. Choose it if you would rather have no scent at all, or very little.
- Grapeseed — The lightest carrier we use, absorbing quickly and leaving almost nothing behind. Our choice for clients who dislike an oily finish.
Prefer no scent at all? Say so — a plain carrier oil is always an option, and nobody will think it odd.
Terms of Service
Please note we offer only therapeutic massage. NO REFUNDS for clients requesting other services. Thank you.
All massage bookings are inclusive of 5 minutes before and after for the client to make payment & change clothes. Please be on time as we are often fully booked and we must end your massage on time even if you arrive late.
