October 2014

Massage oil. Do you really need it for a good massage? The short answer is: yes, you do.

Oil is what will make your massage exceptional.

With the right consistency oil will help make your hands feel delicious, allowing you to effortlessly contour along your partners muscles helping you find knots and areas of tension using long flowing strokes. Massage oil will make your massage exceptional – the way professional practitioners make it feel so good!

Incorporating massage oil into your back rubs feels amazing for both massagee and massager.

Not to mention, it’s nourishing and conditions your skin. Used correctly it’ll will help foster a deep connection between the two of you.

Here’s everything you need to know before you buy a massage oil.

Oil, Not Lotion.

We use massage oil because lotion absorbs too quickly into the skin. A high grade massage oil, on the other hand, will take longer to sink into your partner’s skin, meaning more hands-on time with them and less mucking around with going back to the bottle.

Lotion is a good option for a small area of the body – for example a hand massage or foot massage are great areas to use a lovely lotion if you have no oil around.

And don’t even think about getting that lube-meets massage oil hybrid that you see on the drugstore shelves. It feels terrible leaving a dry sticky residue on your skin and does nothing for your massage techniques. Ick, ick, ick. Just nope.

Which Massage Oils to Buy

Sweet Almond is Denis’ favourite (the creator of Melt Massage for Couples – read about us). Cold pressed is a must, do not buy if its not cold pressed – this method of extraction retains the nutrients within the oil. Your skin absorbs oil, we want all those nutrients.

Oil is so important to us here at Melt, that Denis has created his own. View Melt’s Naked Oil Here.

We call it our Naked Oil – nothing but 100% Sweet Almond Oil, and ya – it’s cold pressed, no preservatives and no additives.

Denis’ Oil comes with a Free Massage Course – read more about his “Fix Your Massage Mistakes” course here. The beginning of your massage is so important to establish a connection with your partner, it will literally make or break your experience. There’s no need to get it wrong – sign up to his free course to learn how to get it right on your first time.

If You’re Allergic to Nuts

Sweet almond oil shouldn’t irritate the skin, and can be used on all parts of the body. But for some people with nut allergies, it’s recommended to use an alternative.

In this case, we recommend a cold pressed grapeseed oil or apricot oil. This may be a bit harder to find, but again your health food store should have it.

Where to Buy

It’s on Amazon, with over 723 reviews!
Our oil bottle is a MASSIVE 16oz, and it’s cheaper than most 8oz bottle on Amazon

RRP 16oz: $18.95 – sometimes we run a sale:
click here to check if we’re on sale

Included in the price:

Bonus 4oz bottle – this is empty. Fill this little guy up and take him with you on your cheeky weekends away. Or at home. Store the big bottle in the fridge for extra shelf life! You’ll need it, 16oz is a lot for couples and will take over a year for you to consume.
3 caps – options. We all need options… A pump, quick access, and no leak travel cap.
Fix Your Massage Mistakes Course… This is where all the value is – it’s free. It’s totally important.

Essential Oils

Sweet Almond Oil is a carrier oil. A neutral base to use on any skin, with no added scents or essential oils.

Some companies sell pre-blended massage oils, which are essentially a carrier oil – or a combination of a few carrier oils – with a few drops of essential oil thrown in there. Read the bottle, many of these have preservatives and additives that you don’t want on your body.

Essential oils are wonderful additions to massage oils, each with their own unique properties.

You can make your own scented oil by adding a few drops of any pure essential oil to your bottle of carrier oil. Be careful, pure essential oils are potent and can irritate some skins. The smell can also either attract or repulse you, depending on personal preferences.

Make sure both you and your partner are happy with the smell before you start mixing it or massaging with it. Also patch test some of your finalised blend on your skin to make sure it doesn’t irritate.

Quite honestly, we prefer non-scented oils when we’re massaging each other. Plus, that way there’s no essential oils to get in the way if your massage turns into a little somethin’-somethin’ later on (wink, wink)

Some ideal scents for getting you in a romantic massage mood are: sandalwood (woody, exotic, soothing), rose (the quintessential romance fragrance), vanilla (smells good enough to eat, is an aphrodisiac to boot) or ylang ylang (used a lot due to it’s strong aphrodisiac properties but I personally find it really cloying. Thought I’d include it anyway).

How to Store Massage Oil

Your massage oil will last a long time if stored correctly – store in a cool, dark place away from direct light or heat. Dark or opaque containers are also a great idea for storing massage oils.

You’ll know when your oil has gone off – you can smell it immediately. Fresh base / carrier oil has almost no smell.

If you buy Melt’s 16oz Oils – fill up the baby bottle and store the large 16oz bottle in the fridge for longer shelf life. Top up the baby bottle as needed. Clever huh! The best of both worlds – the convenience of a small bottle with the value of bulk oil.

Buy it on Amazon here

Dry Massage

It’s doable, on small surface areas. Such as specific knots, or a head massage.

You wont be able to do long sweeping strokes that feel amazingly relaxing. It takes a lot of practice to make dry massages work in a pleasing way. Denis will only ever do a dry massage if he’s treating a problem for a very short amount of time. 99.9% of his practice incorporates oil.

Massage through clothes follows the dry massage principle. It’s better than nothing, but it will strip away any intimacy and fun that comes with an oil based massage.

Romance isn’t all red roses and stuffed teddy bears. In fact, many would argue that particular ideal of romance is outdated and a bit clichéd these days.

Real romance boils down to a few key points: extreme thoughtfulness, going out of your way to do something selfless and – if you really want to delve headfirst into a romantic experience – a good measure of impracticality.

All that said, there are ways to infuse some romance into your everyday life with very little effort.

Our list here today of romantic things to do for your boyfriend/husband/lover comprises of small gestures that will make him melt. Most of them require very little preparation – we guarantee you can execute more than a handful of these right away (and the great news is, you only need to do one!). Go ahead, sweep him off his feet. Make a mental note to try a new one each week or so to watch him smile.

1. Make him heart-shaped pancakes. Or eggs. Or bacon.
It’s a thoroughly silly way to start his day – his favorite breakfast with a cute romantic twist. What does he love to eat? Go out of your way to get up early and prepare it for him. If it’s pancakes or eggs, simply get yourself a heart-shaped mould you can pop into the frypan (cheap and available online with some advance planning).

If bacon has his heart, arrange the strips into a cute message or shape for him. Don’t forget his choice breakfast beverage – bonus points for picking up an artisan tea, single origin coffee or freshly squeezing the OJ.

2. Send a love note along to work with him
Secretly write a quick little love note and tuck it into his work satchel, his pocket or his wallet for him to find later on. It can be a silly poem (Roses are red/Grass is green/I want you in my bed/If you know what I mean) a funny sentiment (I love you with all my butt. I’d say my heart, but my butt is bigger) or simply something sweet that will make him smile (Thanks for being you, you’re amazing. I’m so lucky you’re my husband. I can’t wait to see you tonight.)

3. Have flowers delivered
Men hardly ever gets bouquets delivered at work. Guess what? They love it just as much as we do. They pretend not to, but trust me. Who wouldn’t feel special to see a gorgeous bunch of blooms turn up and know someone loves them enough to send it? It’s one of the most romantic things to do for a person – crazy impractical, extremely thoughtful and nothing in it for you at all. If flowers really aren’t his thing, send a dozen manly cupcakes (bourbon soaked, perhaps?) or find somewhere that delivers bacon roses!

4. Buy his favourite chocolate bar and a magazine
If you’re at the grocery store, pick up a treat you know he loves and leave it at home for him when he walks in the door. I like to procure my husband’s favorite chocolate bar and place it on top of a car magazine. Maybe it’s a six-pack of an artisan beer and a copy of GQ, maybe it’s a box of cookies and a DIY periodical. Whatever it is, make sure you give him some alone time to take a break and enjoy it.

5. Give him a foot rub in front of the TV
Has he been on his feet all day? Been training hard with his sports team? I bet he’d love a foot rub. The great thing about giving a foot massage is that you can do it in front of his favorite TV show without much fanfare. Wait until he’s had a shower and is nice and clean, then settle yourself on the couch with some massage oil or even a decadent foot cream and treat his toes to a little loving. Alternate between full hand, comforting pressure and getting into the nitty-gritty spots with your thumbs and fingers. Watch his face to get an idea of what he likes – and then do more of it! Don’t forget his calves, he’ll go nuts for it.

6. Set him up to watch the game
Is his team playing? Do a little groundwork and set him up to watch it in style. Pick up some of his team flags, stock up on snacks (peanuts, hot dogs, popcorn, whatever his poison) and consider arranging a delivery of hot wings or pizza for half time. Invite a couple of his buddies over if you think he’ll like that, and then either make yourself scarce or, if you love sports too, sit with him and cheer them on.

7. Dress up for him
Men are visual creatures with specific tastes. When was the last time you donned some sexy lingerie to get his heart racing? Rustle up your lingerie sets or buy yourself something new that you know he’ll like. If you’re not sure, take him shopping with you to get his opinion on what he wants to see you in. Then get home, put it on and strut around the house in it for as long as you can before he can’t contain himself any longer.

8. Whisk him on a fun date night
Text him ahead of time and tell him you’d like to take him on a date tonight. Think of something creative you know he’d love to do – a competitive night at the bowling alley with some fried food, a few rounds of pool at a dive bar or to the video game arcade to be big kids.

9. Three course meal by candlelight
Make a special dinner full of his most-loved dishes and serve it by candlelight for a romantic twist on the regular weeknight dinner at home. If you’re feeling extra amorous, write up a little menu, get out the crystal wine glasses and really set the scene. Don a slinky dress and some lipstick. Serve three courses to the strains of his favourite chilled playlist and enjoy a little night in for two.