What Are the Benefits of a Paraffin Hand Spa?

Last Updated: Mar 22, 2014 | By Lindsey Robinson Sanchez

Paraffin wax can help soften dry hands and soothe achy joints. Photo Credit Comstock
Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Petroleum-based paraffin wax is used in salons and spas to soften and soothe skin, most often on the
hands and feet, and sometimes on arms and legs. Your hands are submerged in the warm liquid wax of a
paraffin hand spa, and the wax then hardens slightly on your skin and is removed after a few minutes.
The paraffin wax helps deep-moisturize and condition the skin on your hands, and your nails and
cuticles.

Moisture Relief

The paraffin wax used in spa treatments acts as an emollient, which helps trap moisture in the skin.
Once the paraffin has been rubbed or peeled away, rough hands and dry cuticles are left soft and
moisturized. Salons often use the wax spa as a soothing pretreatment to a manicure.

Heat Therapy

Paraffin wax is solid at room temperature but melts at temperatures from 116 to 147 degrees
Fahrenheit. The heat from a wax spa also helps temporarily soothe aching joints and increase
circulation, which gives hands a more youthful appearance. The spa's heat has a relaxing effect, helping
calm and relieve stress in the same way a warm bath does. Some paraffin spas include scented oils, such
as lavender and tea tree, for the additional benefit of aromatherapy.

Foot and hand baths

The idea sometimes exists that foot and hand baths
are only used by the elderly and the infirm, yet they
are wonderful tools to perform treatments on
specific areas, and can also be most energizing and
relaxing.
When looking at the philosophy of reflexology, you
will see that the whole body is represented in the
feet, and this might be the reason why so many
people experience a whole range of positive effects
from having a footbath.

To add more zing to your pedicure or manicure, you

can always incorporate a couple of drops of oil
when soaking the feet or the hands.

On this page:

 Preparing a foot or hand bath

 Selecting essential oil for a foot or hand bath
 Benefits of a footbath
 Benefits of a hand bath
 After the foot or hand bath

Foot and hand baths are a great way to prepare

the feet and hands for a massage session, or as a
finale to reflexology or pressure massage.

Preparing a foot or hand bath

They are normally prepared with warm water in a

bowl large enough for the feet or hands, with a little
space free to allow for the water to rise when they
are immersed.

After preparing the bath, mix five drops of your

chosen essential oil with one dessertspoon of apple
cider vinegar and add it to the bath. We find the
apple cider vinegar a great way to help disperse the
oil, and it also has its own therapeutic properties.

Should you prefer not to use the apple cider vinegar,

you could mix the essential oil with some powered
milk, and forming it into a paste before mixing with
the water, as it also helps to disperse the oil.

However, the apple cider vinegar nor the powered

milk is required, and the essential oil can be used
directly into the bath.

If you want to add an extra relaxing dimension to

your footbath, you can place marbles or small
pebbles at the bottom of the bath to run your feet
over.

Electric footbaths are also great, since they have a

massaging action that agitates the water and helps
to aerate it, while zinging up circulation.

Should you be performing a footbath on your own,

and you are still lithe enough, you could rest one
foot on the other knee and do a gentle massage on
each sole, while busy with the footbath.

Selecting essential oil for a foot or hand

bath

Your choice of essential oil can be purely based on

your favorite fragrance, yet essential oils offer a wide
variety of therapeutic properties as well, which may
be a great way to help treat a specific problem.

To have a look at the various oils, and their

corresponding therapeutic properties, please click
here.

Benefits of a footbath

Footbaths are great for helping to relieve rheumatic

pains and aches, excessive perspiration, revive tired
and burning feet (and a tired body) and a great
way to pamper your hard-working, and often
forgotten feet.

Benefits of a hand bath

Although footbaths are far more general than a

hand bath, they also offer a wide variety of benefits
to your often abused hands. A good soak will also
help with rheumatism or arthritic pain, ease cramps
and are also a good way to give your hands some
extra attention.

After the foot or hand bath

After soaking for about 10 - 15 minutes dry

thoroughly and apply a good moisturizing cream, or
a little vegetable oil, such as jojoba oil, and maybe
a touch of the essential oil that you use in the bath.

Headings of links underneath

Use of essential oils | List of essential oils | List of pre-
blended oils
List of carrier oils | Recipes | Essential oil safety
Related articles | Manufacture of oils
Holistic and alternative medicine
Treatment of ailments

Use of essential oils

 Air freshening
 Bathing | Amount of essential oils to use in
bath
 Compresses
 Foot and hand baths
 Hair care | Amount of essential oils to use
 in shampoo
 Jacuzzis
 Massage | Amount of essential oils to use
in massage blend
 Saunas
 Showers
 Sitz bath
 Skin care | Amount of essential oils to use
in creams
 Steam inhalations
 Vaporization

Links to essential oils, carrier oils and specialized

pre-blended oils

ESSENTIAL Rosewood OTHER OILS

OILS Sage Rosehip oil
Allspice Sandalwood Neem oil
Aniseed Spearmint CARRIER OILS
Basil Spikenard Almond oil
Bay Tagetes Aloe vera oil
Benzoin Tangerine Apricot kernel
Bergamot Thyme oil
Black pepper Tea tree Avocado oil
Cajuput Vetiver Calendula oil
Calamus Ylang-ylang Evening
Camomile ESSENTIAL primrose oil
Camphor OILS Grape seed
Caraway NOT SOLD BY oil
Carrot seed US Hazelnut oil
Cassia Angelica Jojoba oil
Cedarwood Baobab oil Macadamia
Chamomile Marula oil oil
Cinnamon Birch Olive oil
Citronella Bitter almond Sesame oil
Clary sage Boldo Walnut oil
Clove Buchu Wheatgerm
Coriander Cardamom oil
Cypress Cumin CARRIER OILS
Dill Elemi NOT SOLD BY
Eucalyptus Mugwort US
Fennel Mustard Pumpkin seed
Frankincense Oregano oil
Geranium Pennyroyal Safflower oil
Ginger Rose otto Sunflower oil
Grapefruit Rue
Helichrysum Sassafras
Hyssop Tansy
Jasmine Tarragon
Juniper Savin
Lavandin Thuja
Lavender Tuberose
Lemon Vanilla
Lemongrass Wintergreen
Lemon Wormseed
verbena Wormwood
Lime Yarrow
Mandarin PRE-BLENDED
Marjoram FORMULAS
Melissa Muscle &
Myrrh Joint
Neroli Relaxation
Niaouli Sensual
Nutmeg Anti-cellulite
Orange Circulation
Palma rosa Hair & Scalp
Patchouli Dry & Mature
Peppermint Skin
Petitgrain Insomnia
Pimento Baby
Pine Vein & Artery
Rose Sunburn
Rose
geranium
Rosemary

Recipes

 Dry shampoo
 Exfoliating facial scrub with oats
 Face packs (face masks)
 Facial creams and lotions
  Facial toners (tonics and astringents)
 Final rinse water
 Hair loss remedies
 Oil treatment for hair
 Perfume and Eau-de-Cologne
 Scalp stimulation lotion
 Shampoo

Safety with essential oils

 Abortifacient essential oils

 Banned essential oils
 Cancer and essential oils
 Cardiac (heart) problems and essential
oils
 Children and the use of essential oils
 Diluting essential oils
 Elderly people and the use of essential oils
 Emmenagogue essential oils
 Epilepsy and essential oils
 Essential oils to avoid when concentration
is required
 High blood pressure and essential oils
 Liver toxicity and essential oils
 Pregnancy and essential oils
 Sensitive skin and essential oils
 Skin irritation caused by essential oils
 Sun sensitivity (phototoxicity)
 Toxic essential oils

Related articles

 About Esoteric Oils

 Allergies, contact dermatitis and essential
oils
 Alopecia, baldness and hair loss help for
 free
 Aroma families and classifying essential oil
fragrances
 Aromatherapy
 Aromatherapy and essential oils
 Blending fragrances
 Botanical material
 Brainwaves, the brain and EEG
 Carrier oils
 Chemistry of essential oils
 Comparison of sizes oz / ml
 Currency converter
 Diabetes and essential oils
 Different massage techniques
 Different massage techniques - free Video
clips
 Doing a skin patch test
 Epilepsy research
 Extraction methods used in the
manufacture of essential oils
 Fatty acids
 Find a reflexologist
 Floral waters
 Fragrance notes
 Glossary
 Help with insomnia
 Herbalism versus Aromatherapy
 History of essential oils
 Information on buying essential oils
 Isoprene units
 Lipids
 Materia Medica - English to Latin
 Materia Medica - Latin to English
 Medical aromatherapy and medicinal
applications of essential oils
 Mood properties of essential oils
 Olfactory bulb, the limbic system and the
influence of odors
 Privacy statement
 Security on the internet
 Shopping cart security
 Specialized pre-blended massage oils
 Storage and buying essential oils
 Sun sensitivity - phototoxicity - and
essential oils
 Therapeutic properties of essential oils
  Treating ailments with essential oils
 What are essential oils
 What is a concrete, resinoid and an
absolute

Manufacture of essential oils

 Distillation
 Water distillation
 Steam distillation
 Hydro diffusion
 Other specialized distillation
 Cohobation
 Rectification
 Water and steam distillation
 Fractional distillation
 Expression
 Sponge expression
 Écuelle à piquer
 Machine abrasion
 Solvent extraction
 Maceration
 Enfleurage
 Solvent
 Hypercritical carbon dioxide
CO2

Holistic and alternative medicine

 Acupuncture
 Alexander technique
 Ayurveda
 Chiropractic
 Dr Bach flower remedies
 Herbal medicine
 Homeopathy
  Hydrotherapy
 Hypnosis
 Iridology
 Macrobiotics
 Massage therapy
 Meditation
 Naturopathy
 Reflexology
 Spiritual healing
 Tai Chi
 Yoga

Treatment of ailments with essential oils

 If you are suffering from any medical

condition please contact your licensed
medical practitioner.
 The treatments listed below relies on
alternative healing with essential oils, and
please note that no clinical trials or results
are available and rests heavily on
anecdotal proof.

Abdominal pain Fever

Abscess Flu
Acne Frostbite
Addictions Gingivitis
Anal fissures Grazes
Athlete's foot Halitosis
Bad breath Hay fever
Bedsores Headaches
Bleeding Heart palpitations
Bleeding gums Heartburn
Blepharitis Hiccups
Blisters High blood pressure
Boils Influenza
Breathing difficulty Insect bites
Bronchitis Insomnia
Bruises Jetlag
Burns Laryngitis
Carbuncles Leg cramps
Catarrh Lumbago
Chapped lips Mouth ulcers
Chilblains Nausea
Circulation Neuralgia
Cold sores Nosebleed
Colds Pneumonia
Conjunctivitis Shock
Constipation Sinusitis
Coughs Sore throat
Cuts Splinter
Diarrhea Sty
Diverticulosis Swollen ankles
Dysmenorrhoea Toothache
Ear infections Varicose veins
Fainting Wounds