by J.D.G.

Created on: April 30, 2010

A relaxing massage is a great way to ease away tension and uplift your spirit.  This is especially true when you pair a soothing massage with a heavenly scented massage oil.  By combining the principles of aromatherapy with a healing touch, you are implementing a practice that has been handed down for centuries as a way to stimulate the senses and take away the cares of the day.  Choose a citrus based massage oil, and you will instantly be on your way to feeling revitalized and rejuvenated!

Even better, make your own citrus scented massage oil.  By making your own massage oil, you will save money, and avoid all of those nasty, toxic chemicals that lurk in some other oils and creams. 

*What you'll need* (trust me, this is an easy recipe!)
- 3/4 cup of any light oil
Grapeseed oil, almond oil, olive oil, apricot oil, or even canola oil will work for this recipe.  Keep in mind, though, that almond, apricot, and olive oil will all impart a bit of their own scent to your finished product. 

- 1 cup of citrus zest
The zest is the colorful peel of the citrus fruit; make sure to wash and dry the citrus fruits you will be using prior to removing the zest.  For this massage oil, you can use the zest of any citrus fruits you have at home - lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit, kumquats, or any combination of citrus fruits.  You can't go wrong with this massage oil recipe, any combination of citrus goodness will produce amazing results!

*Putting it all together*
Step One:
Wash and dry the citrus fruits you will be using.  Peel the zest from the fruits, and place it into a bowl.  At this point, you may as well use the fruits in another recipe, or squeeze the fruits into an icy cold glass of water - no use wasting the rest of the fruit once you have the zest!

Step Two:
Pour the light oil into a small saucepan, and heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil reaches a hot temperature of anywhere from 100-150 degrees Fahrenheit.  The temperature of the oil does not need to be exact, it just needs to be warm enough to draw out the scented oils from the citrus zest.

Step Three:
Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl, over the citrus zest.  Let it sit, undisturbed, for about an hour, until the essential oils are fully released from the citrus zest.  By the end of the hour, your massage oil should have a distinctly citrus scent. 

Step Four:
After it cools, pour the citrus orchard massage oil into a clean, dry container, straining out the citrus zest as you pour.

This recipe will yield about 6 ounces of citrus orchard massage oil that will last a few months when stored in a cool, dry location.

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