DH wants to give me a nice massage

[silverrr]

DH wants to give me a nice massage. He suggested using baby oil. This is a nice idea, but it would be great if we could find something that smells really nice. What else is out there and where can I get it (that wouldn't be an embarrassing place)? Also, I know this can be messy, how do you protect the bed/floor?

[CompassRose]

Massage therapists don't use baby oil; mineral oil in large quantities is not, in fact, terribly good for your skin. My friend the Massage Goddess uses plain, pure almond oil -- as in, the kind you cook with. Sometimes she adds a drop of real essential oil to it (whatever you liked would work here. Body Shop sells some nice essential oils. Come to think of it, they also sell an unscented massage oil -- but if I remember right, it is also almond oil or maybe grapeseed, only it costs more because it is in the fancy Body Shop bottle).

To protect things, use an old sheet, and maybe an old towel under it.

[colleency]

You could try getting a vanilla or almond oil. I think they might have it at Bath & Body stores. I don't think it's super messy, but you could lay down a large towel, if you're worried.

[Gilgamesh37]

I second (third?) the suggestion to check a Bath and Body Works type place--we have a small locally-owned one where I live where I buy massage oil in BIG bottles, since DBF has a job that keeps him hunched over a lot, so he gets massages probably 3-4 nights a week. I usually buy concentrated oils to scent it--our favorite is an orange-evergreen combination.

It will gunk up your sheets though--every single set of sheets we have for our bed has a big DBF-shaped blorb on them--so a big old towel is the way to go, or just decide you're going to sacrifice one old set of sheets to the cause. Enjoy!

[m4star]

Being a massage therapist, I recommend you use a good quality unscented body lotion then add your own essential oils to customize the scent. Nothing against the Bath&Body Works, Body Shop, and those type places, but being someone with sensitive skin I must warn that sometimes their fragrances, colors, and oils can cause irritation. I also second the recommendation for using old sheets or a towel to protect from spills or spots. If your DH has any questions, you can always PM me.

Enjoy it! :D

[Paula H]

I'm with m4star on this one - way way back when I first was training in massage, I used one of those pretty coloured massage blends from a Body Shop-type chain. My skin was not happy with it. And neither was my nose - synthetic oils instead of real essential oils! Yuck.

Buy a nice plain carrier oil like sweet almond or grapeseed, and buy one or two bottle of an essential oil that you both like if you want it to be scented. And enjoy yourselves!

[DocAgocs]

Be careful with vanilla. Scientific studies have shown that men have greater sexual response with vanilla in the air, so watch it! :D Most massage therapists I know use a product called Biotone. I don't know if it's readily available to the public or not.