by Jennifer Johnson
Essential oils may be added to a reflexology routine for their many complementary benefits - throughout the entire session or as a finishing touch. Here are some tips to welcome the 'essentials' into to your practice. Soak it up: For your regular oil or carrier oil, if it’s not good enough to enter your body through your mouth, it's not good enough to enter your body through your skin. As a therapist, every time you give a session using oils, your own body will absorb the oils too— several times a day! For this reason, use food grade and organic oils whenever possible.
So Fresh and So Clean: Get in the habit of labeling all your oil dispensers with recipe ingredients and dates to keep track of the oils' shelf lives. (Some oils have special storage instructions.)
The Essentials: If you add essential oils to your reflexology practice, make sure to keep from touching close to both your own eyes and the eyes of your patient (while doing face reflexology). Certain essential oils carry cautionary warnings; make sure you have the proper training if you are creating essential oil recipes or using oils for a particular benefit during reflexology treatments. Always remember to ask your client first about any sensitivities or allergies they may have.
A Little Nutty: Although not an essential oil, nut oils require special care as well.Walnut oil, sweet almond oil, and macadamia nut oil are all valuable as therapeutic oils. (They can also work well in aromatherapy as ‘carrier’ oils.) But it may be better to use a different oil type when working in general practice - many people have nut sensitivities or allergies. (A person who will react to eating nuts will also react to nut oils on the skin.)