Even in tough economic times, it seems that “green” continues to sell well. These days, if people are going to make a purchase, many want to make sure they are spending their money on a product or service that is planet-friendly all the way around.
Another side of this same coin is a growing desire among consumers to know what kinds of ingredients are in the foods they eat and any other products they ingest or apply to their bodies. This might mean being able to pronounce or recognize every ingredient on the label and knowing that each of these ingredients is safe for human consumption or dermal application.
Professional massage therapists and bodyworkers are wise to take note of and tap the “green” trend, along with the benefits of offering products and services that are known to be safe and even beneficial for clients. As it turns out, massage cream will be one of the most important areas for massage therapists and bodyworkers to focus on when it comes to providing a planet- and health-friendly service.
If you wish to generate strong client appeal and loyalty by providing the greenest possible massage therapy or bodywork session, then you must be confident in the massage creams you choose to use. This means taking to the time to do your homework and find out exactly what is in your massage cream, as well as how these ingredients are grown, processed and manufactured.
For starters, take a look at how your massage cream is packaged, whether it comes shipped in a recycled cardboard box or surrounded by unnecessary packaging materials. Then look at the vessel that holds your massage cream. Find out whether it is made from recycled or planet-friendly materials, whether the container itself can be recycled, whether it contains BPA or any other potentially harmful elements, and whether it is biodegradable.
Next, turn your focus to the ingredients inside this container. If there are certain ones you cannot pronounce or do not recognize, then look them up to figure out exactly what they are and whether they could be harmful to the environment and the health of human beings. You may wish to pass on those chemicals or synthetic ingredients that have not been around long enough for us to know what effect they may have on human health or the health of our environment.
Another aspect to consider is whether or not the company that manufactures your massage cream tests their products on animals. If this is the case, it may be offensive not only to your own personal values, but also to the values of your clients. You may want to be able to assure your clients that no product associated with their massage therapy or bodywork appointment has been tested on animals.
Other details to consider may be where the natural ingredients in your massage cream were grown and how they are harvested. For example, you may not want to purchase a massage cream that contains ingredients grown on land that required the felling of rainforest in order to farm.
—Brandi Schlossberg