For the last few weeks I have had the worlds stiffest shoulders and a bit of backache in my lower back, they've ached whenever I have had to lift and move a box at work and even standing to sort the washing out and do some ironing at home has been fairly painful. So after having a nice hot bath, which didn't help with the pain, I decided to look online, then having typed in the problem in the hope of finding a solution, I found the muscles that ached are known as the Trapezius muscles and there are lots of demonstrations as to how to can massage your own shoulders, or I can just enlist the help of the hubby and his hands to massage my shoulder muscles.
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| This diagram is used to show where the Trapezius Muscle is |
Shockingly I had no Lush massage bars to hand, so I had to go looking through my wardrobe where I store a lot of my products and I came across Elemis Spa de-stress massage oil which states the following:
"The pure touch of this deeply relaxing synergy soothes the mind, melts tension and harmonises the body"
Well I know work is pretty stressful right now and we have a lot of projects on the go and I am useless at delegating to someone else to oversee something because I panic if I am not on top of things and know what is going on right down to the smallest piece detail and the long hours are clearly going to be taking their toll. We have also had a mass clear out in the office which has meant spending a few hours moving boxes around, carrying boxes up flights of stairs and back down again, so it is little wonder my shoulders and back hurt.
I am a fan of Elemis Spa products, their quiet time room mist worked a treat when I needed to use that and I am hoping that this will do just the job. How I acquired it I have no idea but it is a 100ml bottle which online would cost you between £25 and £35. The bottle is a lovely deep blue colour; almost a two tone blue in the light and on the front there is silver lettering to let you know what the product is, who makes it and what it is going to do for you. The lid is silver in colour and really stands out due to its pointed shape.
Once it comes to using the product, ensure the person going to massage you has warm hands, there is nothing worse than someone with cold hands attempting to massage you and also ensure they rub the massage oil between their palms, as though using soap, to release any essential oils that are included, allowing them to work as soon as they hit the skin. So as soon as the lid has been removed, pour a few drops into the palm of your hand (or the person massaging you) it looks similar to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and has a similar texture to it. As the process of massaging begins, which according to Elemis you should "massage using long sweeping movements" you can feel the oil on your skin and as it is worked into your shoulders, the aroma comes alive. This massage oil is packed full of essential oils and smells wonderful, as the oil is massaged into your skin you do feel relaxed and it's a really lovely feeling too. The oil absorbs itself into your skin with relative ease and once your massage comes to an end, there is no greasy feel to the skin, no need to panic that sheets or clothing will become stained, though it is always advisable to have a towel close by just incase there is any excess left on hands.
One of the most important features of this massage oil is the ability to relax and de-stress you, hence the name it was given. However to do that it also needs to include some key ingredients. So starting with one of my favourites:
- Lavender Oil, which is really soothing for and on the skin and it is also soothing and calming on the nerves, helps to relieve stress and tension, helps with depression and irritability and in general it is effective for headaches, migraines and for those people who suffer from insomnia.
- Chamomile which in this product helps to relieve back pain and muscle pain in general.
- Sweet Almond Oil which is another of my favourite ingredients and on the skin it is nourishing, calming and soothing but similarly to the first two ingredients it helps to relieve muscular aches.
- Rosewood Oil helps to de-stress your mind and alleviate nervous tension. Melissa comes next and not something I am familiar with, but I have found it is commonly known as Lemon Balm Oil and it is used because it helps bring about a sense of calmness to the mind, some people have said it has an almost sedatory effect on them when used in a massage oil because it is that soothing and calming.
- The final ingredient I am going to mention is Marjoram, which again not an ingredient I have come across a lot but it is particularly useful in a product like this because it is known to be a good muscle relaxant but also has what is referred to as pain killing properties making it useful for problems such as rheumatic pains, muscle spasms, swollen joints and painful muscles.
There are quite a few other ingredients listed and mentioned for this product on the back of the bottle and on the packaging.
I usually rely on a hot bath to try and cure aches and pains like this, but when even that doesn't work; I know I need to try something else. After the massage and even during the massage process I was surprised at how relaxed I became and how noticeable the difference was in my shoulders where the pain had originally started. Not only could I move my shoulders without wincing with a slight discomfort, I could also shrug them without it hurting and they were no longer sore to the touch, unlike with the first few massage movements, it was very painful, but that soon eased and I was almost ready to fall asleep. A few hours after the massage my shoulders were still pain free and I could still move without wincing.
So I am pretty impressed with this massage de-stressing oil because it does what it tells you it will do, it smells really lovely, it relaxes you, it de-stresses, it relieves muscle aches and pains and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth after using along with a nice lingering floral scent.
You can find out more on Elemis and all their products HERE