Lotions and Potions, Oh My!

August 20, 2020 / Lindsay / Comments Off on Lotions and Potions, Oh My!

I strive to create the highest quality massage experience at my Magnolia studio. That effort includes the lotion I use for a variety of massage modalities. After trial and error (with error too strong a word—nothing was horrible) I’ve found a non-scented lotion that facilities glide for Swedish and relaxation massage, yet is sticky enough for deep tissue, sports and injury massage. According to reviews of the lotion, it’s deeply moisturizing, and includes antioxidants to protect skin against free radicals. It has no oily “after-feel.” I’ll never forget when I received a massage once and I was covered in a certain brand of massage oil that took three soapy showers to remove from my skin and hair. Yuck!

My clients are busy people. They want to be presentable after their massage session, and they definitely don’t have time to add an extra shower into their schedule. Very often they are on their way to work, or to a luncheon meeting if the massage is in the morning. Even if they are receiving a massage in the evening, they still might have an errand or two on the way home. When a new client calls and makes an appointment, I assure them they won’t leave the studio all icky-sticky, but with moisturized skin and a relaxed body. I can avoid messing up your hair, too, unless you’d like a scalp massage.

A few clients do prefer a massage with oil, and I have some on hand. Occasionally some are allergic to the ingredients in the massage lotion, and I have alternatives. Also, I’m trained to massage through clothing, using no lotion at all. Massaging through clothes is common practice in sports massage, on-site massage (in an office, for example) and also in working with disabled or injured people.

I’m not telling the lovely brand of massage lotion I use, because a gal has to have some trade secrets. I will say the inventor of “Biofreeze” deserves a Nobel Peace prize. That weird-looking, pain-relieving blue gel works super-fantastic—it’s not just for athletes anymore

Lindsay Butler, LMT, RF

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Lindsay Butler

Lindsay Butler

The first two decades of her working life, Lindsay was a corporate writer, planner and editor. She understands about meeting goals and deadlines, working long hours at a keyboard, or standing a lot during presentations. Growing up in Vermont, where people are just as active as Washingtonians, she shared in the pattern of “work hard; play hard,” looking forward to the weekends to hike, ski or play tennis. She still resonates with that ethic, but now includes recuperation, wellness and self-care into the mix. She encourages her clients to do the same.

Lindsay says “I discovered bodywork after a sledding injury in my teens and then repetitive stress injuries at work to my neck and shoulders in my twenties and thirties sent me to experts to get help. As much as I loved working in communications, there was a big light bulb for me that went off — bodywork was what I was going to be passionate about – and I still am, only more so!”

Lindsay attended the Brenneke School of Massage, graduating in 1998 with a focus on sports and injury massage, and the Seattle Reflexology Center in Queen Anne, completing its course of study for foot reflexology and addressing foot pain in 2014. She was attuned to Reiki I in 1998 and then Reiki II in 2003. She has taken dozens of post-graduate classes and seminars, always curious about current research and new techniques.

Lindsay considers everyone an athlete because we all are moving our bodies constantly, or if we aren’t, we want to be. Exertion isn’t always big movements or extreme – it can be writing code for hours or hefting a child repeatedly onto a hip. Lindsay does what she loves so that people can continue to do what they love with ease, comfort and strength.