My Favorite Massage Cream + Why It's NOT Recommended for Babies

A few of you reached out to me recently asking what kind of massage cream I use, so I thought I'd take a moment to share my favorite one with you. If you've studied with me in person you already know, but for the rest of you, if you're looking for the best one to use, here are my two cents.

The thing about massage cream is that usually when people think about giving massages they turn to oils. Often scented with something soothing like lavender essential oil.

There is nothing wrong with using a massage oil, or even something like coconut oil that you might already have on hand, but the reason I've always worked with a massage cream is because of its unique formulation that allows it to offer glide without forfeiting grip.

Oil alone is often too slippery to allow the practitioner to control and slow down their touch. Which if you've studied with me before you'd know how powerful the slowness of our touch is to both amplifying pleasure and relaxation, as well as affording time for tension in the tissues that we're touching to release. So if you happen to prefer using a massage oil, I recommend using much less than you'd think you need to retain some ability to support your grip over slip.

On the other hand you have regular cream or body lotion which if you've ever used to massage someone you'd notice the need to continuously reapply the cream. Reason being, there is too much water in those formulations so they easily evaporate.

Enter the magic of massage cream, and by the way I have no idea how they do it, because it contains mostly oils, but whether it's the wax or something else, the massage cream I use has that perfect amount of glide with the perfect amount of grip so I can direct the slowness of my touch without needing to continuously reapply.

And before I reveal my favorite, I will just add that part of what I love about it is that it is also unscented. Not only is that helpful from the standpoint that different people will have different tastes and sensitivities when it comes to scents, but specifically in the domain of birth, people are especially sensitive to fragrance. The last thing you need is to be slathered in lavender when suddenly your previously favorite essential oil turns against you in labor and makes you want to throw up.

Without further ado, here is my recommendation. Sacred Earth Vegan Massage Cream. The 8 oz tube will last you a long time. (P.S. I'm not an affiliate, just a fan.)

A note about oils for baby massage:

Using this kind of massage cream is actually NOT recommended for baby massages. A better choice is a single ingredient fruit or vegetable seed oil, such as coconut, jojoba, apricot kernel, almond oil, sesame, etc.

Primarily it is helpful to keep it simple so if baby's skin reacts, the source of the reaction is clear. If there is any reason to suspect skin sensitivity, you can also spot test before using it all over their body.

Also, the main thing to avoid is any kind of petroleum based products on baby's skin, sorry J & J. Plant oil vs mineral oil allows for better breathability for the skin.

While we're on the topic of baby massages, if you or someone you know if looking for a great on-demand baby massage class, we made one that you can find and share here!