Hi! I am a Certified Massage Therapist with 6 years of experience as a therapist and 2 years of experience teaching a course in Beginner's Massage Therapy. I have seen very many products, both online and in stores, advertised as "Massage Oils". Sometimes, these are professional grade products, sometimes they are nothing more than baby oil with some scent added to it. Whether you are a new massage therapy student, a professional looking for different brands or someone who just enjoys trading back rubs with your spouse, no one likes to waste money.

When looking to buy massage oil, quality is key. Here are a few tips:

1. Always buy hypoallergenic, non-scented oils. These are your BASE oils. Sometimes, cheaper oils are filled with stabilizers and chemicals to keep them from going rancid and to ensure a longer shelf life; and these can be irritating. My favorite oil to use jojoba oil. I also recommend unscented oil if you are looking to start a small business. Even if your 2:00pm appointment likes vanilla-scented oil; there is a chance that your 3:30pm appointment may be allergic! So always buy hypoallergenic, unscented.
2. Do not buy massage oils that you cannot first test on your hand. Massage lubricants come in very many forms. Lotions go on easily, but don't have much glide and need to be reapplied often. Creams are much thicker, and don't need to be reapplied as much, but don't have as much glide. Oils tend to have alot of glide, but in some cases (like a deep tissue massage or shiatsu), you don't want glide. Generally speaking, a nice heavy massage oil can be multi-purposely used. Cheaper massage oils are very light and greasy. You don't want this. No one wants a massage that feels like you used baby oil; you need to be able to control your movements. I personally prefer massage cremes. They are generally more expensive, but a little goes a long way. Test a few until you find one that you like the feel of.
3. If possible, buy in bulk, and then buy some small 4oz - 8oz containers. I generally buy professional grade massage oil/ creme/ lotions by the gallon, although they are also sold in 5 gallon cubes. Being a solo-practitioner, the gallon is better suited for my needs.The shelf life for each different product varies, so check the individual labeling. However, you can't obviously try and utilize a gallon bottle of oil with a client on the table, so store your products in a cool, dry place and use small containers. This is also handy if you like to offer aromatherapy. You can fill a few small 8oz bottles with your BASE oil, and then scent one with patchouli, another with rose, another with lavendar, etc. This is more cost efficient, and also more practical, since no one wants to have to cancel appointments because they're out of basic tools!
4. When you have found the brand that you like, the particular lubricant that you prefer and are ready to buy in bulk; check out the company's website. Many times, you can save alot of money from purchasing massage oil directly from the manufacturer. Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to buy HUGE qualtities to be able to buy from a manufacturer. Sure, it's cheaper but not a necessity. The company I go though offers everything from mass qualtities to individual 8oz bottles. Manufacturer websites also tend to provide better customer service. Most offer a few different shipping choices for you. My company just happens to be located maybe 2 hours south of my home. If I opted for 2 day shipping, it would be an extra $20 on my order. However, since I live so close I can get the standard shipping rate and still get my products in the same amount of time. Be thorough when researching your shipping choices, being careless can end up with alot of wasted dollars.
5. Don't buy anything advertised as a "intimate" massage oil.
6. Mentholated cremes can be useful in dealing with a patient with achy, sore muscles. Plus, you can buy in small quantities because so little is needed. I don't personally like mentholated cremes that are advertised as "icy and hot". Muscle pain is usually caused by inflammation, which has 4 main symptoms- Pain, Heat, Redness and Swelling. Using anything that's "hot" will just increase the Heat, Redness and Swelling.... which in turn will increase the Pain. So just use plain mentholated "icy" type cremes, they are easy to find and actually quite inexpensive.

A good quality massage oil can be the difference between an okay massage and an awesome massage. I hope this guide was of some use for you. if so, please take a second and vote. Thank you.