How to help clients choose essential oils

Sharon Hilditch, co-founder and managing director of aromatherapy brand Crystal Clear Quartz Spa, gives expert advice on how to inform your clients.Essential oils have the ability to trigger emotions and memories, and are therefore very powerful when it comes to daily wellbeing.

Essential oils have the ability to trigger emotions and memories, and are therefore very powerful when it comes to daily wellbeing.

Ask the client to fill out a detailed questionnaire at the outset, giving you as much information as possible about them before determining which essential oils are appropriate for their individual needs and lifestyle. Remember to also cover their goals for the session, and find out about any allergies or sensitivities. 

To help the client understand that aromatherapy oils have a physical and mental effect that’s about more than just a pleasant scent, explain that the oils enter the body via three delivery systems. Through aroma, which goes directly to the brain; by being massaged into the skin, which allows the oils to become absorbed into the bloodstream via the hair follicles; and through the respiratory system as you inhale the aroma. 

Offer clients a scent test, allowing them to choose the oil they prefer for their treatment. People are naturally drawn to the scent that will most help them at a particular time, and allowing customers to smell the oils is also the best way to help them understand how beneficial they can be. 

It’s also a good idea to give clients a homecare plan, showing them that aromatherapy can fit into their lifestyle in a holistic way, and that it’s not just something for a one-off treatment. It could help bring about a lifestyle change for the client, so that they not only have regular treatments with you but also follow simple steps to incorporate aromatherapy into their day-to-day life – for the wellbeing of their mind, body and soul.

Sharon Hilditch is co-founder and managing director of skincare brand Crystal Clear and aromatherapy brand Crystal Clear Quartz Spa, which she developed in partnership with spa consultant Linda Hall. Hilditch and Hall have pooled their industry experience to create a range of spa treatments and rituals centred on wellbeing.