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Oil or Lotion on Hot Stone

I attend Everest College we are in are Spa and Wellnes module is it best to use oil or lotion with hot rocks, and what is the best way to clean your rocks

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Bruce Baltz on October 14, 2009 at 3:20pm

Nyema, to answer your question, I have been working with stones for the past 10 years and teaching deep tissue stone massage for the past 8 years. I have found that working with a good quality oil works better than creams or lotions. In my experience, while working with hot stones, creams absorbs much faster into the skin because of it's molecule structure. In addition, I find that oil distributes more evenly when applying directly to the stone. As far as cleaning is concern, I would suggest using a dish washing soap is useful in cutting the oil residues off the stones. I would also suggest that you store the basalt stones in dry salt to pull out any oil from the matrix of the stone that washing alone will not affect.

Permalink Reply by Paula Hulen, CMT on October 15, 2009 at 9:52am

Nyema, I just joined this group and felt compelled to answer your question. I just completed a workshop in Healing Stones and the recommendation is to season your stones with a nurturing oil such as jojoba, grapeseed, or almond oil. I personnally use oil as I get a better glide and it seems to help the stones move more smoothly over the body while doing effleurage. I apply oil to the body part, such as the legs, before I apply the stones, which I have dried off after removing from the water, then apply a bit of oil to the stones as I present them to the client's body.
The best way to clean your stones, well, the way I was taught is first, you must wash and season your stones. Wash in warm soapy water(dishwashing liquid), then let dry. Then oil each stone. You must clean your stones daily when they are used as well as the heating unit, spoon, thermometer. NEVER leave your stones in dirty water!!! After the stones have been washed and dried, store them on a bed of salts, using kosher, Epsom, or sea salt. Don't store your marble stones in salt!!!! Salt will crack the stones. Salt helps to clear and recharge the stones for the next days work. Stones have energy, or frequencies. and the use of salts, sun. moon. water helps to bring back the energy lost when they are doing the work on clients. If you do not care for your stones, the stones will lose their energies and will NOT stay hot/cold for you during your work. I truly wish that I had been taught this method when I began my massage career, but better late than never! All my best to you, Paula

Permalink Reply by Nyema Tolese Randall on October 15, 2009 at 11:00am

Im learning more from this site than school

Permalink Reply by Connie McKim on October 21, 2009 at 1:39pm

Hi Nyema,

I too prefer oil over lotion for hot stone massage. I pretty much use the same technique as Paula where I oil the client, dry the stone of water, then apply a little oil to the stone.

I also clean my stones with dish soap, but did not know about using salts to re-energize and/or remove any residual oils.

I too love this site.

Permalink Reply by Jorge Arnaldo Pabón Acevedo on November 2, 2009 at 8:41pm

Yeah, here I find a lot of different massage therapist with singular techniques. This site it's better than school. It's like have houndred of teachers in one class. :-D

Nyema Tolese Randall said:

Im learning more from this site than school

Permalink Reply by Pat Ward on December 10, 2009 at 10:56pm

Oil. I just posted something about a man with very hairy legs having the hair pulled out with stones because the therapist did not use enough oil. Oil has the best glide on the body and on stones because it is not absorbed into the skin. Lotions and creams tend to get tacky after a few passes and the stones will not glide smoothly after a couple of passes. If you have ever had a bad stone massage where the therapist did not use sufficient oil you will see how tryly bad it can be as the stones stick to your skin. A high quality massage oil is always the best choice for stone massage.

We used tea tree oil to disinfect the stones and then let them air dry before using again.

Permalink Reply by Shanna Schultz on December 11, 2009 at 9:22am

As much as I love the idea of sanitizing the stones with Tea Tree oil, should a breakout or infection occur and the health department become involved, this method would not stand up to the scrutiny of the health department, which could endanger all of our rights to do Stone Massage (if infections were spread, the insurance company could drop coverage for stone massage.)

My teachers have been telling me about some disinfecting products used in hydrotherapy practice, they can be put directly into your roaster and are designed to handle the temperatures that we operate at for doing stone massage. When I started doing stone massage, I was instructed to put Listerine in my roaster water to sanitize, and we know now that this is not safe as Listerine is not designed to be used that way and may loose effectiveness at high temperatures.

I wash my stones after each session with dish soap, then put them in a bleach water rinse to sanitize, then lay them out to dry on my table.

Pat Ward said:

We used tea tree oil to disinfect the stones and then let them air dry before using again.

Permalink Reply by Jenny Ray on December 14, 2009 at 7:55pm

Hi Paula, Great topics...(Kudos Bruce...always right on!)...oil because you need to think about the temperature factor....without the oil you cannot transfer the temperature through conduction. Oil is the conductor...lotion and creams are too think, affect the stone temperature too quickly, do not provide enough glide and can clog skin pores that are highly dilated during Geothermal Therapy...The Geothermal Therapy Association only recommends jojoba.
Many reasons here is the web page where I order mine...http://www.jojobacompany.com/whatisjojoba.htm
great info on this site about jojoba...it is an excellent skin restorative and works perfect with all temperatures of stone...you can add essential oils to it and it never ever goes rancid!...because it is not really and oil...(really go read up on it)....another favorite reason for me, it cleans completely from linens so no rancid oil smell in my linen cupboard...(if you start with clean new sheets, if they are contaminated from old oils like olive or some such stuff...they will never get completely clean even with bleach and borax!)....
about the salt....I'm sure it would help dry out oils as it does when I tan hides...but it won't remove bacteria, so after the dish soap bath and dry give them a good spray of pure alcohol prior to resting them for the night......if there is one speck of oil on the stone after it is dried it probably has a little dead skin cell with bacteria...so be careful...check out other pages in this group for more info on sanitation....
As far as re-charging and energizing in sea salt,... this is great if your stones came from the ocean and you are using natural sea salt..(Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock, which means it has solidified from magma and is the main stone of the ocean floor world wide and is the most common stone on the earth's crust)...
If your stones came from a mine, a river bed, lake bottom or other location they may not be related to sea salt...and none of them can realign the magnetic and electrical frequency inside the stone body until they lay flat on the ground...sea salt does not have the magnetic field of Mother Earth.... want some science for proof?...
The harmonic resonance of stones can be measured... Gold is at 1729 MHz, silver nano particle emits a specific magnetic resonance of 910 terahertz and although Basalt has not been consistently measured (because it is so prevalent around the world and is slightly different at each location, depending on the volcano it came from.....the jury is still out as to the exact number) it has been determined to be in the range of 615-720 terahertz. What this means to you and me is,... we need to set the stones on the land so they can recharge the magnetic field in side the stone body...they cannot be subjected to the artificial electricity in the heating unit under artificial light everyday and not be affected. It is more than the fact they stop collecting heat, they loose the ability to disperse mineral content (think copper for arthritis pain) and loose the ability to resonate when you offer specific piezoelectric effect through taping out the stone songs for pain and congestion relief.
So lots of reasons to get them out on the land..I like full Moon and New Moon and Thunderstorms and rain,...snow is great but hard to find the next morning and frozen to the ground is not fun to gather!!....If you are in the city and afraid someone might take the stones from your yard...place them in a flower pot or bird bath or fountain of running water...just get them outside and on the land if you want full power in them...
sorry so chatty folks, lots to share from gathering info over the last 40+ years...
Jenny Ray
Paula Hulen, CMT said:

Nyema, I just joined this group and felt compelled to answer your question. I just completed a workshop in Healing Stones and the recommendation is to season your stones with a nurturing oil such as jojoba, grapeseed, or almond oil. I personnally use oil as I get a better glide and it seems to help the stones move more smoothly over the body while doing effleurage. I apply oil to the body part, such as the legs, before I apply the stones, which I have dried off after removing from the water, then apply a bit of oil to the stones as I present them to the client's body.
The best way to clean your stones, well, the way I was taught is first, you must wash and season your stones. Wash in warm soapy water(dishwashing liquid), then let dry. Then oil each stone. You must clean your stones daily when they are used as well as the heating unit, spoon, thermometer. NEVER leave your stones in dirty water!!! After the stones have been washed and dried, store them on a bed of salts, using kosher, Epsom, or sea salt. Don't store your marble stones in salt!!!! Salt will crack the stones. Salt helps to clear and recharge the stones for the next days work. Stones have energy, or frequencies. and the use of salts, sun. moon. water helps to bring back the energy lost when they are doing the work on clients. If you do not care for your stones, the stones will lose their energies and will NOT stay hot/cold for you during your work. I truly wish that I had been taught this method when I began my massage career, but better late than never! All my best to you, Paula

Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on December 21, 2009 at 5:47pm

I have tried both lotion and oil, and I like the glide better with the massage oil. We have a special stone cleaner and scrub brush that we have to use to clean the stones.

Permalink Reply by Erica Olson on December 21, 2009 at 6:14pm

I've done oil, but I think my favorite is a few squirts of oil in one hand, add a small dash of cream, and mix. It gives an absolutely gorgeous glide, but clients don't wind up feeling as oil-slicked as with just straight oil.

Permalink Reply by Jenny Ray on December 21, 2009 at 8:23pm

The cool thing about jojoba is that it really is not an oil, but an extract...so no oily gross clogged and sticky feel for the client...it never goes rancid..ever..even after accidentally freezing it in my car!!...so the shelf life is forever, the linens never get stained or rancid...best of all is how it really is great for the skin and cleans up instantly from the stones with a few spritz of alcohol...no smell at all so never interferes with essential oils (in fact some high end oil manufactures use it as a carrier)..I have a few clients that I make special mixes for, and label the bottle for them in my 'Private Stock-Private Label' cupboard...they love it...(a bit of Arnica & Idaho Tansy added for muscle pain...etc...)
Some 'oils' actually glaze the stones and they get so caked up and sticky nothing short of a sand blaster can clean'em up...I know it is costly and is always spooky to try something new...but if you want the best ever glide and above perks give jojoba a shot...I am stubborn as a mule...(hence the name Jenny!)...and don't like change but thank goodness I listened to advice and tried jojoba....I'll never go back to other oils...
anyway..that's my 2 cents worth...
I hope every one gets stoned for the holidays!! (oh come on...you know I mean Geothermal Therapy!!)
Jenny

Permalink Reply by Harry Banek on January 3, 2010 at 11:47am

I originally used massage gel based on the recommendation of the instructor in my hydrostone class. I had been using natural, unrefined shea butter for my reflexology sessions and had occasion to use shea butter for a full body session with hot stones. As a result, I use shea butter exclusively for my bodywork and reflexology sessions. As others have mentioned, I also apply shea butter to the body part, dry the stones, and apply a small amount of shea butter to the hot stones before working the body part. I use a dish washing detergent to clean the stones after use and once a week I heat the stones to boiling in my roaster before using them the following week.