Beyond the Surface – The Transformative Power of Essential Oils in Massage & Facials

At MindBody Oasis, our treatments are designed to work on a deeper level — blending skilled therapeutic touch with the healing properties of nature to help restore your whole being. Whether you’re easing into a soothing massage or indulging in an holistic facial, we intentionally combine touch, scent, and plant-based ingredients to nourish body, mind and spirit.

And one of the most powerful elements we use to elevate every experience? Aromatherapy.

With carefully chosen essential oils and expertly formulated blends, our treatments offer more than relaxation — they support your well-being through the natural intelligence of plants. It’s not just a massage. It’s not just a facial. It’s a journey into balance, calm, and renewal.

Aromatherapy: More Than Just a Lovely Scent

Smell is our most direct connection to the limbic brain — the seat of emotion and memory. But aromatherapy goes far beyond this emotional impact. The essential oils used in our treatments contain active botanical compounds known for their anti-inflammatory, calming, energising, detoxifying, and skin-renewing effects.

Each oil brings its own therapeutic value:

• Lavender relaxes the nervous system and promotes better sleep

• Frankincense supports skin healing and boosts oxygen flow to the brain

• Rose uplifts the heart and nourishes the skin deeply

• Geranium helps balance hormones and ease anxiety

• Marjoram soothes muscles and calms overactive thoughts

When paired with massage or facial work, these oils do more than smell good — they amplify the therapeutic effects of the treatment, working on a physical and cellular level to restore balance and well-being.

Aromatherapy invites you to come home to yourself — to slow down, breathe deep, and let nature do what she does best: heal. – MindBody Oasis

Massage That Works With You, Not Just On You

In our aromatherapy massages, we use two powerful, plant-rich blends:

• Gya Labs Relaxing Massage Oil, a luxurious formula infused with lavender, ylang ylang, rose geranium, bergamot, and rosewood — designed to relieve muscle tension, calm the mind and leave skin beautifully hydrated.

• Neal’s Yard Aromatic Massage Oil, a grounding and replenishing blend with geranium, lavender and marjoram in a nourishing base of sunflower and almond oil — perfect for calming the body and supporting circulation.

These are not just massage mediums — they are active partners in your wellness journey, helping you release tension, improve circulation, and deeply relax from the inside out.

Facials That Heal From Within

Our holistic facials are elevated through the power of high-grade oils with therapeutic properties — working not only to improve skin tone and texture, but also to calm the nervous system and support emotional balance.

• Facial Reflexology is enhanced using Ziggie Bergman’s Facial Reflexology Oil, a silky blend of organic jojoba, argan, pomegranate and rosehip oils, infused with rose and frankincense — chosen for their skin-regenerating properties and ability to soothe both skin and spirit.

• Zone Face Lift from Ziggie Bergman uses the exquisite Zone Face Lift Elixir, a potent combination of 15 essential oils and plant extracts. This elixir doesn’t just lift the skin — it uplifts the entire energy of the face, supporting emotional release and inner radiance. Learn more about this beautiful blend by reading the earlier blog article The Face and Spirit Lifting Elixir.

These treatments don’t just work on the surface. They engage your whole system — calming the mind, lifting the mood, and encouraging your skin to glow from within.

Aromatherapy Awareness Week — A Perfect Time to Reconnect

We’re proud to mark Aromatherapy Awareness Week, taking place 9th–15th June 2025 — a week dedicated to celebrating the powerful benefits of essential oils and plant-based healing.

This national campaign aims to:

• Raise awareness about how essential oils can support both physical and emotional well-being

• Share reliable, science-based knowledge around safe use

• Inspire more people to integrate aromatherapy into their daily routines

• Celebrate the growing community of holistic practitioners, makers, and advocates

It’s the perfect reminder of what we already know at MindBody Oasis: Nature has the power to heal, and when we invite her in — through scent, through touch, through intention — something shifts.

Essential oils are the soul of the plant — when we breathe them in, we connect to something ancient, intuitive, and wise. – Unknown

🎁 £10 Off Aromatherapy Treatments This Week Only

To celebrate Aromatherapy Awareness Week, we’re offering £10 off all aromatherapy-enhanced treatments when you book by Sunday 15th June (for appointments until 31st July).

Use discount code: AROMA-BLISS when booking online.

Included treatments:

• Aromatherapy Full Body Massage (usually £55 → now £45)

• Aromatherapy Back & Leg Massage (£48 → £38)

• Aromatherapy Back Massage (£35 → £25)

• Facial Reflexology (£46.50 → £36.50)

• Zone Face Lift with or without cupping (£65 or £55 → £55 or £45)

Aromatherapy is more than a nice extra. It’s a therapeutic powerhouse — and it’s waiting for you.

Zone Face Lift isn’t just any ordinary facial; it’s a pilgrimage of inside-out transformation, it’s an odyssey for the soul that my clients cherish as an holistic oasis.

In the cocoon of this therapy, clients literally tell me they “melt into the couch”: their beings enveloped in bliss. It’s an experience that transcends the ordinary, working from within to radiate outward, a seamless fusion of facial reflexology, Gua Sha, crystal therapy, and revitalising essential oils.

Rediscovering Harmony: The Power of Zone Face Lift

Elixir of 15 Essential Oils: The specially formulated, organic Zone Face Lift Elixir is a sensuous concoction of nature’s treasures, which infuse the skin with antioxidants and shield it against time’s passage. It’s a potent blend to ward against premature aging, and represents a vibrant symphony of nutrients and gorgeous fragrances that awaken every fibre and cell of your being.

The Transformative and Unique Journey of Zone Face Lift

Awakening the Spirit: As the therapy commences, a sense of tranquility envelops. The facial reflexology unlocks energies, setting the stage for a harmonious balance between mind, body, and soul.

The Special Properties of the Zone Face Lift Tools

A Gateway to Radiance: Unveiling the Zone Face Lift Experience

An Invitation to Embrace the Spiritual Splendour of Zone Face Lift

Always bliss! – Michelle B

Bliss 😊 in addition to this, plenty of wise words regarding wellbeing. Thank you so much. 💓 – Ruth B

For me, this is the best facial treatment. I feel so much better afterwards – Catherine D

Amazing, 2 a month just isn’t enough. Thank you 🙂 – Lorna G

I received the zone face lift facial by Esther and can honestly say it has been the best one yet! – Kasey T

Other Related Articles:

Botox or Zone Face Lift?

Benefits of Gua-Sha in a Facial

The Wonders of Facial Reflexology

Zone Face Lift – a natural face lift to look up to 10 years younger

The Face and Spirit Lifting Elixir

Gua Sha has recently become a cult beauty trend. Model Kendall Jenner and actresses Emilia Clarke and Gwyneth Paltrow have incorporated Gua Sha as part of their skincare regime. We’ve also seen seen a plethora of YouTubers and Instagrammers championing the Gua Sha revolution.

But Gua Sha has in fact existed as an ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice for many thousands of years. It dates back to the Warring States dynasty period (475-221 BCE). In the Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1644, the procedure was scientifically computed into major medical records.

Gua Sha can be used for both face and body (latter has been around longer). The facial version was first mentioned in the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) and popularised by 1990s practitioners Zhang Ziuqin in China and Shimada Sumiko in Japan. Facial Gua Sha is a much softer, gentler technique. The body version on the other hand can be more vigorous and leave bruises, similar to cupping – check out an earlier article on facial cupping.

Pronounced Gwa Sha, Gua stands for “scrape” and “Sha” translates as redness of the skin. It’s all about rubbing tools in a particular way over the skin to introduce friction and create beneficial results.

The Benefits of Gua Sha

Gua Sha provides a host of benefits, not least of which the following:

• Breaks up energy stagnation in the sub-dermal fascia and promotes healing.
• Releases tension and tightness in the facial muscles and improves muscle recovery.
• Improves skin elasticity and promotes collagen production.
• Enhances skin radiance through stimulating blood flow to the epidermis.
• Reduces puffiness, inflammation and toxins in the skin by dispelling excess lymph fluid and aiding lymphatic flow.
• Can ease out wrinkles.
• Creates more sculpted features.
• Relieves sinus pressure.
• Helps with bruxism (teeth grinding).
• Can relieve headaches, migraines and neck pain.
• Balances the yin and yang energy in the face (those with too much heat/redness in the face have too much yang energy and those with too much yin have a pale or dull skin).
• Sweeps away negative energy.
• Releases pent-up emotions held in the facial tissues.
• Can be very soothing and therapeutic and put you in a meditative state of relaxation. Why not keep a Gua Sha tool near you whilst working at the computer and use this as an excuse to take a breather and relax your face and body? (Remember to apply a massage medium first though – see below).
• As part of an holistic facial treatment it can reduce anxiety, fatigue, stress and insomnia. That’s why the Zone Face Lift treatment I offer my clients (which includes Gua Sha therapy) is very uplifting, not just for the face and body, but for the mind and spirit too.

Contraindications

Gua Sha is not recommended for those suffering from severe acne or rosacea. It’s also contraindicated for sunburn, open wounds on the face, and extremely sensitive skin or areas where there are broken capillaries.

Which Gua Sha Tool to Use?

Traditionally Gua Sha was done with ceramic spoons and blunt coins. Today, Gua Sha tools are flat-shaped stones with a variety of contours or edges, sizes and materials.

The most popular and most widely sold materials are jade green or rose quartz. Although you can use others, such as white jade, green aventurine, amethyst, blue sodalite, bian (obsidian) stone and even stainless steel. Pretty much all have anti-inflammatory properties.

Green or feng jade is noted for its Qi / energy balancing properties, aiding the clearance of negative energy and reducing inflammation. So this stone is good for calming and soothing you.

Rose quartz on the other hand helps to dispel stagnation and awaken the skin. It’s deemed effective for spiritual healing and acne-prone skin.

Here’s a brief note for the other types of stones:

• White jade or Nephrite jade – reduces and prevents fluid retention and puffiness.
• Amethyst – loosens tense muscles, prevents wrinkles, and is anti-inflammatory.
• Green aventurine – eliminates wrinkles, especially frown lines, increases skin turnover.
• Blue sodalite – promotes grounding (elecrically reconnecting to earth) and is harmonising and soothing on an overactive nervous system.
• Bian stone – helps stress management and tension relief. It’s a heavier stone suited for deeper tissue work. Apparently this was the original Gua Sha stone.
• Medical grade stainless steel – prevents bacteria build-up as it’s non-porous, suited as a more eco-friendly, durable option.

However, in my opinion, the type of stone itself is less important than the technique and how often you use the stone.

How to Use the Gua Sha Tool

A Gua Sha tool has both convex and concave edges as well as a V-contour.

I use the convex side to scoop and sweep the contours and muscles in the face. Any scooping or sweeping techniques should always end up on the outside of the face, not moving inwards to the nose or centre of chin or forehead area.

Ziggie Bergman has taught me that you can do a zigzag technique: to go out from the centre-line of the chin or jowl, back in towards the mouth and nose area and then back out towards the temple, scooping up and underneath the zygomatic or cheek bone. With this technique you have to swivel the edge of the tool to maintain the correct angle (see below).

I use the concave side in 2 ways.

One for short, brushing backwards and forwards strokes across narrow areas, such as in the crow’s feet area of the eye and across the frown line (between the inner portions of the eyebrows).

The other as a lymph drainage technique, to stroke down the side of the face from both in front and behind the ear down to the collar bone (but never upwards, only downwards and slightly outwards).

The V-section of the tool is sometimes used to pull from beneath the chin up and along the jawline as well as scooping up under the cheek bone. However, this can cause a little too much friction on the skin and bone, making it uncomfortable. So do this with some caution, if at all.

It’s recommended to repeat the strokes multiple times for each area, either in succession, or perform a sequential routine across multiple areas and repeat the routine several times. The number of times will vary with each individual and their level of sensitivity to friction in the epidermis layer.

The angle at which you hold the edge of the tool to your face should be about 30 to 45 degrees. The pressure should be relatively firm on the fleshy or muscle areas, but lighter across bone areas. Always avoid excess pressure to avoid bruising or breaking capillaries.

It’s always good to put the Gua Sha in a cool place before using (even in a fridge) as this is very soothing on the face, cools down any overheating and reduces redness, puffiness and toxins. It will also help ease any tension headaches and migraines, especially by placing the stone flat onto the forehead

Always apply beforehand a cleanser, moisturiser or facial oil – anything that provides a bit of “slip”, thus preventing excess resistance and friction on the face. I use Ziggie Bergman’s facial reflexology oil or the Zone Face Lift Elixir for my clients. You can purchase these from me as a distributor for her beautiful products.

How often should you practise Gua Sha?

Like any skincare regime, consistency and regularity are key. It’s great to do this daily, am and pm, as you get up and before you go to bed. But if you can’t be that regular, incorporate it into your work breaks or as a wind-down to your working day whenever you feel inclined. Regular Gua Sha can make a significant difference to your complexion, your facial structure and your health, especially if practised daily over a 2-week period. Enjoy!

But best of all is a treatment done by an accomplished facialist, specialised in holistic facials, such as Zone Face Lift. Book your next/first session now to experience the delights of ZFL and Gua Sha.

What is Facial Reflexology and Zone Therapy?

Facial Reflexology focuses on Reflex (pressure) points on the face, which help stimulate the body’s healing mechanisms and help improve circulation and nerve conduction. It encourages the release of toxins from the body via the lymphatic system. Balancing Reflex points in the face connect to and help balance the entire body.

The award-winning Bergman Method is clear and simple to understand; it has been developed over more than 20 years and is based on “Zone Therapy” which most Reflexologists will be familiar with as it forms the basis for modern Reflexology. It was created by Dr William Fitzgerald who studied Native Americans who used pressure point therapy to relieve pain. Dr Fitzgerald charted ten energy zones which start at the crown of the head, five on each side of the face and each side of the body extend down to the toes and fingertips. Zone Therapy uses the whole body including the face.

The Power of Facial Reflexology

Facial Reflexology is currently used to treat or ease common conditions, such as headaches, migraines, sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apneia, sinusitis; and less common ones, such as Bell’s Palsy.

It relieves pain through applying a compression technique to stimulate reflex points in which the thumb or finger applies pressure and also “walks” over a zone in a caterpillar motion by bending and straightening, whilst always maintaining pressure across the area.

The face provides a beautiful and precise tool to read what is going on within the body’s internal organs, central nervous system and neuro-biological systems. The face’s close proximity to the brain and cranial nerves make Facial Reflexology very powerful in impacting the body’s systems.

The Problems with Stress and How Facial Reflexology Helps

Stress is any interference that disturbs your physical, emotional or mental wellbeing, leading to an upset in the body’s natural balance and rhythm. When stressed, the body prepares for fight, freeze or flight. Whilst useful when there is real danger, sustained stress can have negative repercussions for our body.

Facial Reflexology helps rebalance the body and provides an invaluable tool to reduce the effects of stress. Symptoms of stress include anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, digestive ailments, insomnia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, hypoglycaemia, diabetes, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, and memory loss. Severe stress can also negatively affect the menstrual cycle.

Identifying the cause of stress is the first step in managing it effectively. Facial Reflexology helps open up neural pathway, assisting in the control of stress levels. It has an analgesic effect, reducing pain by releasing endorphins (natural painkillers) into the body. Thee Facial Reflexology sequence covers the major areas of the body affected by stress.

As part of the treatment at MindBody Oasis, you will also be given some simple to follow aftercare advice, such as walking in fresh air before an evening meal, giving you some reflex points to work in between treatments that focus on your specific problem areas, having an evening bath or listening to relaxing meditations and music daily.

Special Offer

During Tinnitus Awareness Week (3rd-9th February), take advantage of a half price treatment by booking online using the coupon code FacialReflex50. The offer will be available until the end of February 2020.

Below, before and after image of a client after one session.

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