We get asked this more than almost anything else: what does aromatherapy actually do during a massage? The short answer is that it changes how your body settles into the session before your therapist even starts working. It shapes how you breathe, how quickly the outside world drops away, and often how you feel for the rest of your day. At cityWell, customized aromatherapy is not a separate service or an add-on you pay extra for. It is part of every single Massage Therapy session we offer. Before your massage begins, your therapist selects and blends oils from our own cityWell Essentials line based on what you need that day. The aromatherapy becomes part of the whole experience, start to finish, the same way hot stones and warm towels do.
What Is Aromatherapy Massage?
An aromatherapy massage is a massage session that uses essential oils. These are concentrated plant extracts from flowers, herbs, bark, and roots. The oils can be diffused in the treatment room, applied to the skin through massage oil or lotion, or both. Each essential oil has its own scent and character. Lavender tends to calm. Peppermint and eucalyptus tend to clear and wake things up. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), aromatherapy is sometimes incorporated into massage therapy, and research suggests certain scents like lemon may have a positive effect on mood.
At a lot of spas, aromatherapy is listed as a separate massage type you have to pick instead of Swedish or deep tissue. We do not do that at cityWell. Here, customized aromatherapy is woven into every massage session alongside Swedish and deep tissue techniques, hot stones, and warm towels. You never have to choose one over the other.
What Does Aromatherapy Add to the Massage Experience?
Your therapist’s hands do most of the physical work. But scent reaches you faster than touch does. Before anyone starts working on a tight spot in your shoulders, the oils in the room have already begun to shift something. That is not a loose claim. Your sense of smell connects directly to the limbic system, the part of the brain involved in mood and memory. It is why a specific scent can pull you back to a place you have not thought about in years.
In a massage session, that connection means the right blend helps you drop in faster. Guests tell us all the time that they felt like they were “already there” before the massage even started. That is the aromatherapy.
It is also what makes one visit feel completely different from the next. A session with our Restore blend on a stressful Tuesday, all frankincense and sandalwood, pulling you down into something grounded and quiet, will feel nothing like a Saturday morning with Refresh, where the peppermint and eucalyptus clear your head before you have even settled onto the table.
What aromatherapy adds, more than anything, is personalization. Two guests can book the same 75-minute signature massage at cityWell and walk out with completely different experiences, because the scent, the atmosphere, and the physical work were all built around what each person needed that day.
How Does Aromatherapy Work Within a Massage Session?
There are two ways essential oils show up during a massage. The first is through the air. Your therapist may diffuse oils in the treatment room or place a few drops on a warm towel near your face. You breathe them in the entire session. The second is through the skin. Essential oils are diluted into a carrier oil or massage lotion and applied directly as your therapist works through each area. The scent stays with you.
At cityWell, your therapist uses both. Every session includes customized aromatherapy from the cityWell Essentials line that we created. We have five signature blends, each made with organic essential oils:
- Restore (frankincense, sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood) for grounding and meditation
- Relax (lavender, bergamot, geranium, roman chamomile) for calming and soothing
- Release (geranium, palmarosa, rose otto, blood orange) for heart opening and comforting
- Renew (blood orange, bergamot, lemon, lemongrass) for moving or lifting your energy and mood
- Refresh (lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint) for clearing and focusing and invigorating
Before your massage begins, your therapist will ask about your preferences. Are you trying to wind down, or do you need something that wakes up your senses? Do you have any scent sensitivities or allergies? Based on your answers, you get to choose the aromatherapy options that speaks to you on that day.
This happens alongside everything else that makes the session what it is: Swedish and deep tissue techniques to address tension and encourage circulation, hot stones placed along the body to warm the muscles and deepen the work, and warm towels for comfort. The aromatherapy is not layered on top. It is part of the whole thing from the first minute.
What Should You Expect From an Aromatherapy Massage?
If you have never had a massage that includes aromatherapy, here is what it actually looks like when you come in.
You will have a brief conversation with your therapist before anything starts. They will ask about areas of tension, how much pressure you want, and whether you have sensitivities to any scents or ingredients. If you are pregnant, mention that too. Our therapists adjust both the techniques and the oils for prenatal massage.
From there, your therapist prepares the blend and the session begins. You will notice the scent as soon as it enters the room. Some guests describe it as the moment the outside world finally turns off. Your therapist works through each area with a combination of techniques, adjusting pressure and focus based on what they feel and what you told them at the start.
After the session, you do not need to rush out. A lot of our guests spend time in the backyard oasis afterward. There is a hammock, lounge seating, and a fire pit. You can hear the birds. The scent from the oils often stays on your skin for hours, and that is one of the things people mention most when they come back.
Is Aromatherapy a Separate Massage From Swedish or Deep Tissue?
This is one of the most common misconceptions we hear. A lot of spa menus list aromatherapy massage, Swedish massage, and deep tissue massage as three separate options, as if you have to check one box and leave the others behind. That setup never made sense to us. Most people want more than one thing from a session.
Aromatherapy is not a massage technique the way Swedish or deep tissue is. It is a sensory layer that works alongside those techniques. At cityWell, every massage session blends Swedish and deep tissue work, hot stones, warm towels, and customized aromatherapy into one experience. Your therapist adjusts the balance based on your body and your preferences. If you want deeper pressure on your shoulders but a lighter touch on your lower back, you get that. If you want a calming Relax blend but firm, focused work, you get both.
If you are curious about how hot stones fit into your cityWell experience, check out our hot stone guide that covers this in detail.
Book a Massage at cityWell brooklyn
Every massage at cityWell includes customized aromatherapy, hot stones, and warm towels. You do not need to add anything or choose between styles. Book the session, tell your therapist what you need, and let the rest come together around you.
Book Massage Therapy or visit our Massage Therapy page for full details on sessions, pricing, and therapist profiles. You can also call us at 347-294-0100 or email liz@citywellbrooklyn.com.
We are at 496 President Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn. We look forward to seeing you.
Quick Questions About Aromatherapy Massage
What is aromatherapy massage?
A massage session that incorporates essential oils, either diffused in the room, applied through massage oil or lotion, or both. The oils are concentrated plant extracts selected for their scent and properties.
What does aromatherapy massage do?
It adds a sensory dimension to the physical work of massage. At cityWell, your therapist selects from five custom blends (Restore, Relax, Release, Renew, Refresh) to match what your body and mind need that day. The scent helps you settle in faster and makes each session feel distinct.
Can aromatherapy be used with Swedish or deep tissue techniques?
Yes. Aromatherapy works alongside Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone work. At cityWell, all of these are part of every session. You do not have to pick one.
What should I mention if I have scent sensitivities?
Tell your therapist before the session starts. Mention any allergies, scents that bother you, or if you prefer lighter fragrance. They will adjust the blend or skip certain oils entirely.
What should I expect from an aromatherapy massage?
A brief conversation with your therapist about what you need and any sensitivities, followed by a full session where customized essential oils are present from start to finish. The scent often stays with you for hours afterward.