In order for a massage therapy session to be truly effective not only should the movements you do using your hands be carried out correctly, you will also need to apply sufficient amounts of lubricant as well. It is the lubricants used in massage therapy that help the person's skin from becoming sore when it is being rubbed or kneaded. Plus it also allows the massage therapist the chance of being able to apply sufficient amounts of pressure to work on the muscles below the skins surface. Today there are four different types of lubricant you can choose to use for massage therapy and these are shown below.

1. Vegetable Oil
It doesn't matter what kind of vegetable oil it is you use for giving a massage, you can even use the one you have in the kitchen. Although some people may find the odor from this type of massage therapy lubricant a little offensive.

2. Talcum Powder
Unfortunately this is not as good as oils as it is unable to absorb as much friction as lubricating oils or gels can. But if you have someone who does not like the feel of oils or any other kind of lubricant (gels) on their skin then this may be the best option for you to use on them. You can use any type of talcum powder that you want, but preferably a baby type one is best.

3. Lubricants that are Water Based
These are not really effective for using as a lubricant when trying to give someone a massage. Not only are they expensive but generally you will find that they become extremely sticky when they have begun to dry and will in most cases dry very quickly once they have been exposed to the air. However there are some products such as KY liquid (rather than the jelly) or Astroglide which not only dry a lot more slowly, but are also able to absorb much more of the friction caused by the movements of your hands.

4. Massage Oils
If you really are interested in providing someone with a good quality massage then it is advisable that you spend some money on purchasing some good quality massage oils. These you can easily purchase from either a good quality health store or online. These are the best massage therapy lubricants a person can use and you can either get unscented or scented ones if you wish.

It is important that when using any kind of lubricant for massage therapy you apply only a small amount to your hands first. Then very gently rub your hands together as this enables you to warm up the oil before you then gently apply it to the person who you are giving the massage to. Also place some sort of cover underneath the person having the massage to prevent the oils from staining whatever it is they are laying on. It is important that you warm up the lubricants (especially the oils and water based ones) as having something cold applied to your back is much less likely to help you to relax.

Allison Thompson a work from home mum, now living in Spain who has been looking at ways of living a much healthier kind of lifestyle. After years of suffering from problems relating to her back and neck through work as a secretary in the UK she has found that massage therapy helps. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of using massage therapy for yourself then please visit www.massagetherapyhandbook.com.