No-oil massage lotion

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grumpy_owl

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I have a dear friend who is a massage therapist and she's looking for a massage lotion, not an oil, that uses magnesium (or Epsom slats, I guess). I've been struggling with this for a year and still can't figure out how to do it. She also likes cinnamon as a scent and by the time I learned that little tidbit I just put my head in my hands.

I assume the lotion would use an oil or oils and/or a butter or butters but not be super greasy, the way massage oils can be. I have been swayed by the general doubt I'm finding online about the efficacy of Epsom salts in doing much of anything to the muscles in a skin-contact medium like a lotion or a tub of water. And cinnamon EO directly on the skin--triple yikes!

Do any of you brilliant crafters have tips for me?
 
You could use esters to make a lotion just as you would oils. I would proceed with caution concerning cinnamon lotion. As for magnesium I don't have a clue about that. For all lotiony things a great source of information is a www.swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com the site intimidates some at first but I really recommend spending the time to figure it out.
 
Magnesium "oil" isn't really oil. It is a concentrated solution of magnesium chloride and water that has an oily appearance. You can make your own or buy it ready made. Tons of how-to resources: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+make+magnesium+oil

Do I question this? Yep, I most definitely do. :roll: But mag oil has a devoted following.

I understand (passing on info from first-hand sources; I have not tried this!) that mag oil can be irritating to the skin. Some people report they can only tolerate it if they apply the "oil" to certain parts of their skin, not all over. So I'm a wee bit skeptical that it is a wise ingredient to use in a massage lotion.

My friend Dianna is a massage therapist. She tells me she will use different types of massage creams, lotions, and oils depending on the type of massage being done and the situation. Guys with a lot of body hair, for example, need to be massaged (according to her preference) with oil. She prefers a cream on most folks for most types of massage. Another important factor is how easily the product can be washed out of linens. Coconut oil, especially fractionated, washes out easily. A product with something like shea or olive would be tough to deal with in the laundry.

After I get a massage from her, my skin does not feel oily at all -- just pleasantly soft and smooth. The ingredients of the cream she uses:
Purified Water, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Organic Sunflower Oil, Octyl Palmitate, Emulsifying Wax N.F., Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Lavender Extract, Organic Chamomile Extract, Organic Calendula Extract, Organic Arnica Extract, Organic White Tea Extract, Sodium Carbomer, Organic Hemp Oil, Tocopherols, Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin

Here is a link to the company's website. Maybe you can get some more ideas about ingredients? http://sacredearthbotanicals.com/

I like the smell of cinnamon too, but the idea of smelling like cinnamon all over my body.... Ugh. Not to mention cinnamon EO can be an irritant and sensitizer. Double ugh. And combine it with mag oil or whatever? That's way over the top for me.
 
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