Aromatherapy Massage: What the Oils Add, Skin Safety and Evidence

Skin and allergy safety first

Stop the massage and tell the therapist if your skin burns, itches, reddens or swells, or if you have trouble breathing. A swollen face or lips, or breathing trouble, is an emergency (call 911 in the US). [1] Essential oils can cause a skin or allergic reaction, according to Cancer Research UK. [2] A review of the skin-allergy literature found nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy. [3] It adds that most reactions came from pure oils or high-concentration products. [3] Tell your therapist about allergies, asthma, seizures, pregnancy and medicines before the session. Essential oil safety is covered in depth at essential oil safety.

What it is

Cancer Research UK describes aromatherapy massage as massage with essential oils. [4] Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts; see what are essential oils and aromatherapy: practices and what research shows. In practice the oil is usually blended into a carrier oil or lotion, and the massage itself may be any style, from light Swedish-type strokes to something else. See massage types compared.

How the oils are proposed to work

Aromatherapists believe essential oils work because of chemicals in the oil. [2] Two routes are proposed: absorption through the skin, and smell setting off a reaction in the body. [2] These are proposed mechanisms, not established ones. A fair test of "what the oils add" compares massage with oil against the same massage with plain carrier oil, and few trials do that.

What studies found

Cancer Research UK adds that there is no scientific evidence aromatherapy can cure or prevent cancer. [2] Massage cannot be blinded to the person receiving it, and the scent is hard to hide, so expectation and relaxation can drive reported benefits. The Cochrane review notes that only two studies reported adverse events, which were physical distress, rash and general malaise. [5] The other 17 did not report them. [5]

Skin, oils and nuts

Allergic contact dermatitis, a skin reaction to an allergen, can be triggered by substances in products such as cosmetics. [9] The skin-allergy review also notes that massage professionals can develop occupational contact dermatitis. [3] Carrier oils differ: one trial above used sweet almond oil, and almonds are among the tree nuts the NHS lists as common food allergens. [7] [1] A food allergy does not always mean a skin reaction to oil, and we did not find a source on that link, so just ask what oils are used and mention nut allergy.

Who should check first

Cancer Research UK says to tell your doctor and aromatherapist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, trying to become pregnant, or have seizures. [2] It also lists asthma, kidney or liver problems and, separately, medicines and herbal products. [2] It advises checking with a therapist before using oils on children or on sore, inflamed or broken skin. [2] It says repeated lavender or tea tree oil use may affect oestrogen levels, relevant to oestrogen-dependent cancers. [2] For general massage cautions, see massage safety and contraindications and massage and cancer: what to tell your therapist. For lavender see lavender oil.

Training and regulation

Cancer Research UK advises getting advice from a qualified aromatherapist. [2] How aromatherapy is regulated by jurisdiction is not described in the sources we read. Massage therapists in most US states need a license or certification, per NCCIH. [8] We do not list or rate practitioners.