Aromatherapy in the Treatment Room

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant extracts, including essential oils, to influence the sensory experience of a space or service. In the treatment room, scent may be incorporated to create a more personalized and enjoyable experience for clients.

They are an expression of the immense power of the natural world interacting with us in multiple ways. The smell of an essential oil can change the way we think and feel, elevating our mood, grounding our confidence, soothing our stress, and stoking our arousal. The scent molecules of essential oils connect the olfactory system to the memory centers of the brain, creating unique smell triggers. For me, the smell of geranium reminds me of an angry old lady shooing me from her yard with a garden hose; helichrysum smells like tequila spilled on a leather jacket; blue chamomile smells like twilight in the humid south. You will smell entirely different things triggered by your individual memory experience.

Essential oils are also used as fragrance ingredients in cosmetic and spa products. Because they are highly concentrated, their selection and use require careful attention to dilution, client sensitivities, allergies, and the area of application.
The use of essential oils has gained popularity over recent decades and is on its way to becoming commonplace in every home. Consumers continue to become more health-conscious, seeking alternatives for healthier lifestyles, and essential oils are a part of that movement. The global market for essential oils in 2024 reached $ 9 billion. A large part of that market is represented by botanical skincare and the spa and wellness industries. This makes aromatherapy education for aestheticians a crucial piece to a successful and thriving practice.
There are several ways aestheticians can incorporate essential oils into their services, all of which can increase client satisfaction leading to client retention and more financial stability. The client experience can cost the aesthetician pennies on the dollar while creating an impactful and even transformative experience for the client. In my own practice, I sold individual essential oils, custom-blended perfumes, medicinal and cosmetic skin oils, and face care serums, as well as custom services highlighting aromatherapy – all of which increased my income as an independent aesthetician. Both clients who were familiar and unfamiliar with aromatherapy became engaged in all these offerings through my enthusiasm for the art of aromatherapy. My clients experienced elevated services in the office as well as enriched home care for wellness and beauty.
Among the most popular applications of aromatherapy for aestheticians in private practice or working in the spa industry is the aromatherapy add-on. This allows the client to receive the service they desire with the added exploration of aromatherapy to enhance their experience. The aromatherapy add-on can be as simple as additional inhalations and scented massage oils or as elaborate as a journey through scent, psyche, and a long-lasting transformation that is carried beyond the treatment room.
There are innumerable options of essential oils to use and applications to use them in. You can choose your client’s experience based on action words picked by your client such as soothing, grounding, or energizing. Alternatively, you can set up an experiential exercise of smell, allowing your client to choose their own essential oils.
Before incorporating essential oils into a service, consult with the client about fragrance sensitivities, allergies, respiratory conditions, pregnancy, medications, and previous reactions. Essential oils should be appropriately diluted in a compatible carrier or professionally formulated product and should not be applied undiluted to the skin. Avoid the eyes and other sensitive areas, and discontinue use immediately if irritation occurs.

The Aromatherapy Add-On: 10 steps to add essential oils to your facial

1. Foot Application

After the client is settled on the table, gently press a few drops of essential oil into the bottoms of their feet. Gloves can be worn for this step to keep hands clean.

Mandarin – Hypnotic, soothes the nerves
Vetiver – Grounding, stabilizes frayed emotions

2. Hello Inhalations

Before draping the client’s head with a headband, add two drops of essential oil to the hands and place the hands above the face for three deep breaths.

Afterwards, deposit the essential oil at the hairline.

Bergamot – Mood-elevating, helps reduce feelings of frustration and anger
Vanilla – Comforting, encouraging feelings of safety

3. Cleanser

Add one drop of essential oil to the first cleanse for deeper skin treatment. Cleanse the face for a minimum of 2 minutes.

Lavender – Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, healing

4. Scalp Massage

After cleansing, apply an exfoliating mask. While the exfoliating mask is on, massage 2 drops of essential oil into the scalp for up to 10 minutes.

Clary Sage – Strengthening, deeply fortifying to combat stress
Rosemary – Stimulating, invigorating, and clearing of mental fog

5. Post Extraction

After exfoliation, perform extractions if needed. Post extractions, place a cold towel over the face that has been soaked in water with 4 drops of essential oil.

German Chamomile – Reduce inflammation and pain
Tea Tree – Broad-spectrum anti-infectant

6. Facial Massage

After extractions and cold towel application, perform a 10-minute facial massage using facial massage oil and 2 drops of essential oil.

Rose – Heart healing, grief, loss, love, romance, anti-inflammatory
Neroli – Anxiolytic, radiant skin

7. Chest, Shoulder, Arm, and Hand Massage

After facial massage, apply treatment mask to the face. While the treatment mask is on, massage the chest, shoulder, arms, and hands for 10 minutes using oil and lotion with a few drops of essential oil added.

Laurel Leaf – Lymphatic immune support
Geranium – Soothing, alleviates stress, and is anti-aging

8. Mask Removal Towel

To remove the treatment mask, soak a towel in cold water with 4 drops of essential oil added.

Jasmine – Relaxing, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing
Atlas Cedar – Strengthening confidence and will

9. Serum/Moisturizer

Post-treatment mask, apply finishing product including mist, serum, moisturizer, eye cream, sunscreen, and lip product. Add one drop of essential oil to serum or moisturizer.

Frankincense – Prevention and treatment of sun damage
Melissa – High antioxidant, balancing to all skin functions

10. Goodbye Inhalations

After finishing the product, undrape the client’s head. Add 2 drops of essential oil to your hands and lattice your hands above the face for 3 deep breaths. Deposit the remainder of the oil in the hair, running hands from root to tip.

Spruce – Stimulating, supports sustained energy
Ylang Ylang – Deeply relaxing

To-Go Aroma
After the facial, add 20 drops of an essential oil to 1 cup of Epsom salt. Choose an essential oilthat the client was particularly drawn to. Advise your client to use ½ cup in a bath 2 times in the next week. This will cost you around $4 and creates an experience of service that extends into their week, creating a lasting experience that leads to client retention.

Another option is to present the client with the top 3 essential oils they were drawn to for purchase and advise them to use the oil in their diffuser, in their bath or shower, or in their skincare routine.

Essential oils should be selected and used according to the client’s needs, sensitivities, and the esthetician’s professional training.

At The School for Botanical and Medical Aesthetics, we are proud to include education in aromatherapy and many more modalities that better prepare our students for a successful career.

Article written by Martin Hansen, who is one of our six full-time instructors and is both an aesthetician and a herbalist, and has been practicing both since 2000. He also used to have his own natural, herbal skincare line called Martin George Skin. He teaches at our Aesthetics school, School of Botanical & Medical Aesthetics, and with our sister herbalism school, Herbalism Roots.

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