Relaxing BPAL Scents

[bella_delirante]

Hi!

 

I'm about to start working as a massage therapist and I've been trying to think of scents that I could use as a room scent. I need something (or things, I like options) that isn't overpowering, has appeal to most people's noses AND is relaxing. Through pestering my friends, BPAL addict and non (ok, does THIS one smell relaxing?) I have discovered that the scents I find relaxing are not the ones that they do. HELP!

 

I would also welcome recs about scents to use in massage lotions (although I'm probably going to use the Panaceas for that). It's fun to think about what scents would make a massage go from heavenly to heaven on earth. I've had a massage with Litha scented lotion and I felt like I was radiating golden light. Wonderful stuff.

[DenMother]

I have found the rose scents to work well and also anything with citrus is very clearing and calming. Hope that helps a bit. Just remember subtle is best, some people have reactions to scent and may have allergies Good luck with your new job, I am in the process of opening a massage business so I will read recommendations here as well.

 

Hugs

 

DM

[halcyon_flight]

Sudha Segara is a nice mellow warm scent. Speaking in terms of use as herbs, lavender is supposed to be calming and citrus is supposed to be uplifting. I've got some lavender/lemon bubble bath that works wonders, so you might check to see if there's a BPAL with those compnents.

[Inanna9]

I lovelovelove lavender, but some people hate it. I would think a good, relaxing room scent might be a light sandalwood of some kind. If you've ever sniffed TAL's Meditation, I think that's the perfect room scent: grounding and serene, but not too heavy. I haven't tried Tushnamatay yet, but I recall hearing that it's similar to that. I could be wrong, though.

 

A couple more that come to mind like that are Namaste and Black Lotus. Good luck!

[icing]

Beaver Moon screams massage bar to me, but it’s not too easy to track down.

 

Snake Oil, O, Jezebel, Green Tree Viper, La Petite Mort, Scherezade, Eos, New Orleans, Phantasm, the Candy Butcher, and TKO might be nice though.

 

What types of notes do you have in mind?

[halcyon_flight]

I might shy away from Tushnamatay and Snake Oil, they might be a bit heavy for the inexperienced sniffer.

[bella_delirante]

Thanks for all the responses so far, keep 'em coming! Good luck to you too DenMother!

 

As notes go . . . I would definetly like some light citrus scents. I want to stay away from heavy florals as they give lots of people (and sometimes me) headaches. Even though I love cinnamon and ginger in my perfumes, I think I want to stay away from those as well b/c of allergies. I also love lavender. Anybody have a good suggestion for a Lavender blend?

 

I would really love something that's warm but not too heavy or super-sweet. Meditation does sound promising, and Sudha Segara's been on my GC wishlist for awhile, so now I have a good excuse to place an order.

 

I do have a bottle of Phantasm, but it smells like lemon pledge to me. Its the scent association more than the scent itself that I don't like, b/c I'd probably love it if I'd never had to dust with it.

 

Even if you can't think of a scent that would have a general appeal, I'm curious as to what scents people feel are relaxing. Some of my relax scents are Dana O'Shea, Blood Rose, Boomslang, and Sri Lanka.

[darklorelei]

Eve and Psyche are really soothing to me.

[tazjia]

Aside from Somnus and Temple of Dreams - both of which I've been using to help me sleep - Paris is very soothing to me. If you like lavender, you might want to check that one out.

[mtlaise]

One technique I've found works really well is to have the client sniff a couple of oils, and ask them which they prefer... check first if they have allergies, but I've found that this allows them to pick a scent they feel is right for their massage that day, even if the list of notes says nothing to them...

 

A couple I always have on hand for massages or warm baths are Tombstone (odd, I know, but this is my all-time favourite relaxing oil), Lolita, Hanging Gardens and Dana O'Shee. Also, several of the Panacea series: TKO, Lustration, Moxie, Succor. I may add Grr or Oof to my list once I receive my first sample imps... Good luck!

[Jessica]

Water of Notre Dame is a really relaxing scent. Lavender and subtle. I would love to be massaged with that oil.

[TroubleDoll]

Pontarlier is herbal heaven!

[Ina Garten Davita]

TKO is my top choice. I would love to have a massage with oil scented with TKO, it's delectable, relaxing and just so very good.

 

Sudha Segara is a wonderful spa-like fragrance, very soothing, very high end smelling.

 

Embalming Fluid, Shanghai and Manhattan are lovely, soothing yet refreshing.

 

I would stay away from anything floral, foody, earthy, heavy or spicy.

[for_the_nonce]

Adding my vote for Sudha Segara.

 

Van Van would also be good. Perhaps Nuclear Winter too... it's minty and refreshing, but also very soft.

[Electra]

I agree with Andra -- I'd stay far, far away from the foody scents. Also, nothing overly sweet. I get massages once a month, and if my therapist used a foody or sweet scent to scent the room or to massage me, I'd either have to ask them to use something else or start looking for a new therapist. Fruity also wouldn't work for me.

 

Light green/herbal scents are nice. Maybe something like Dublin? I also agree that Shanghai is fresh, clean, and inoffensive. So is Sudha Segara.

 

Safari (Panacea blend) is a gorgeous deep, round lavender. For people who like lavender, it would be great. If they didn't like lavender, they might find it a bit much. Quietude is a softer lavender blended with something citrusy (I think maybe lemon balm).

[euterpe414]

Definitely TKO. It is my favorite room scent for bedtime or when I want to relax. Water of Notre Dame is my second favorite scent for these purposes as well. I also love Santa Eularia des Riu . It's a really relaxing herbal/citrus. The florals in it are not heavy when it is used in the oil burner.