Neals' Yard Organic Base Massage Oil

I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the Neals' Yard Remedies Aromatherapy for Stress Management workshop at Millenia Walk last Saturday which I was looking forward to all week. Neals' Yard is a brand which I have recently discovered and fallen in love with, thus I was very much excited.

The session started with a brief introduction to the UK based apothecary store. The first store was founded in 1981 in a lane called Neals' Yard and the very quaint looking convent garden store is still very much in operation today. I will definitely love to visit the original store if I get the chance to visit London. Also, the reason behind their signature blue glass containers is that the blue filters out 97% of harmful UV rays which then acts as a natural preservative and the  glass being inert unlike plastics. will not react with the contents.

The introduction was followed by a very exciting hands on DIY massage oil blending session conducted by Mr Jon Tay, Principal Teacher of International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA UK). Attendees were each given a generous 50ml of Neals' Yard Base Massage Oil and a selection of certified organic Neals' Yard essential oil to create our personalized stress relief massage oil blend.

Certified organic essential oils and base oil

We had expert advice on hand to give personal consultations and was also provided with a few suggested blends for different ailments. The recommendation was 10 drops of pure essential oil to 50ml of base oil.

A few of Mr Jon Tay's suggested blends:

For Positive Thinking: Petitgrain, Peppermint, Mandarin, Pine Needle
For Emotional Exhaustion: Grapefruit, Palmarosa, Clary Sage
For Anxiety: Bergamot, Lavender True, Cedarwood, Frankincense
For Headaches: Basil, Lemon, Chamomile Roman

While there were recommended blends, we were advised to go with what appeals to us personally.  I intend to gift the massage oil to someone I know has frequent migraines hence I wanted to do a headache reliving blend which was uplifting and relaxing at the same time. Hence for my personal blend, I chose a mixture of Basil, Lemon, Grapefruit and Marjoram Sweet (which has relaxing properties) and consulted Mr Jon Tay who gave his go ahead.

My personal blend: Marjoram Sweet, Basil, Lemon, Grapefruit

As basil has quite a distinct and strong character, I added only two drops to my blend. Even so, I felt that it initially overpowered the rest of the scents and was quite jarring. I was advised to add more of the lemon or grapefruit to sweeten the blend and to give it 24hrs for the blend to settle. A world of difference that made. Smelling the blend the next day, it melded together nicely into a soothing herbal, sweet and slightly medicinal fragrance which was perfect for a headache blend. Testing a few drops, the oil comprise of organic almond, sunflower and wheatgerm oil blended easily and absorbed quickly into my skin. Amazingly, unlike most massage oils, this did not leave a trace on my skin after blending but made my skin feel silky smooth on the touch. For a headache reliving remedy I felt that this is great as it will not be a messy product to use for a quick massage of one's temples.

Without blending; after blending no shiny traces remains

Other possible uses of the oil are face and body massage oil or even a facial oil by using a drop or two per application. You can make your personal blend of massage oils, lotions or even balms by purchasing the unscented version from Neals' Yard and customising your favourite blend of essential oils to suit each purpose. The certified organic unscented massage oil comes in the size of 250ml at approximately S$25. This will make a unique and meaningful gift for the upcoming holiday season or a perfect wedding favour for your family and friends.

The finished product