'When used incorrectly, essential oils may cause more harm than good': Wellness spa owner on using essential oils and other #selfcare routines

Self-care is more often talked about than done, and wellness spa Terre Bleue's owner Sally Chin wants to change that. 

A firm believer of the natural benefits of essential oils on one's mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, the 53-year-old shares that she opened Terre Bleue earlier this year so that "Singaporeans can get access to essential oils safely and effectively".

"Essential oils are extremely potent and when used incorrectly, may cause more harm than good," she adds.

But if used properly, they help to "elevate our moods, improve our health, and repair our bodies".

Terre Bleue provides massage treatments with quality essential oils to extract the maximum effects in order to improve customers' physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Sally reveals: "Our essential oils are from Australia, and our oil blends are crafted with precision — the ratio of each oil in the blends are calculated to bring out the maximum effectiveness that these natural extracts can bring. Our devices (the Meridian Electron Energy Device and Energy Index Advisor) aid us in carrying out our massage treatments to bring these essential oil benefits from the surface of your skin, to the tissues, muscles, and right to the bone."

"What we do here is very different from traditional hand massage parlours or other treatment studios, because we use both technology and natural remedies."

Here, Sally shares with AsiaOne her daily self-care routine and how you should perform it too.

What does a day in the life of the owner of Terre Bleue look like?

Sally: My day starts at 8am when I wake up and catch up on any morning news. Afterwards, I take my shower with our spa's Rose Shower Gel and then proceed to engage in 10 minutes of yoga to stretch any stiff muscles. Once yoga is done, I apply some makeup, get dressed, and then prepare breakfast for my family. Usually, I'll prepare eggs and toast, blueberries and pancakes, or simple sandwiches. After breakfast and some cleaning up, I will head out to work at around 10.30am.

At work, I interact with my customers and discuss with them their progress and well-being so that I can curate the best treatment for them. After a day of this, I end work around 8pm and head home for dinner.

After dinner, I will catch up with my family, follow up on any unfinished work for the day, or watch a Netflix movie. I'll take my night shower and then get ready for bed at 11pm, ensuring I get enough rest for the next busy day tomorrow.

How often do you practise self-care, and what do you do?

Sally: My daily routine would be to apply essential oil blends on my body to stimulate and relax the muscles, boost my immune system and calm the nervous system. My favourite is Breathease essential oil blend — it's perfect for the respiratory system. We need to breathe to live, yet many [people] develop a weak respiratory system due to air pollution which in turn weakens our immune system.

Breathease is an essential oil blend of eucalyptus from Australia, tea tree, lemon, peppermint, and palmorosa. It [helps alleviate] stuffy nose, sinusitis, weak lungs, late night coughing, and more. Whenever I use Breathease, my airway opens up and my breathing smoothens. This helps me sleep better at night.

I also like the Cardia Essential oil blend which works well to take care of my blood circulation and varicose veins.

I'll find a day weekly to visit nearby parks or the Flower Dome at Gardens By The Bay (my favourite place) for a leisurely walk, or simply to sit down and enjoy basking in the smells and sounds of nature. Sometimes, I'll also treat myself to massage treatments at my own spa.

How often should people perform self-care routines?

Sally: Everyone should perform self-care routines every single day be it engaging in a favourite pastime, visiting a spa for a massage, or simply staying at home to relax. It is extremely important for people of this modern era to find time and care for themselves, lest they experience burnout in their work or school, or even develop mental illnesses such as depression. With a calm mind, relaxed body and balanced spirit, we can perform and focus much better than if we have disregard for our well-being and working for long periods with no breaks.

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I cannot stress this enough: Singaporeans, the old and the young, often forget how important it is to take care of our well-being. For those who seek to improve their well-being through natural remedies, I highly recommend essential oils. They have been scientifically proven to be able to lift our moods, improve cell regeneration and so much more.

At Terre Bleue, people can visit our spa every once or twice a week for massage treatments. We use patented, safe devices and essential oils to carry out deep energy current massages that can help your body return to its healthy state. Our treatments can help get rid of excess lactic acids and toxins accumulated in the body, improve blood circulation, encourage lymphatic drainage and boost your immune system; and all these are done holistically and naturally. Once your body has recovered, your mind and soul will also follow after and you will definitely feel a lot happier and stress-free!

What does 'self-love' mean to you?

Sally: To me, "self-love" is to have a healthy body that I can move around with freely on my feet. It means to find joy and happiness in between busy work schedules, regardless of whether it is a mere one-hour coffee break in Botanic Gardens, a two-hour movie in the theatre, or a short 30-minute walk in the park with my dog. "Self-love" is making these small, short moments count.

What is your personal mantra?

Sally: "Change starts with awareness."

This quote is my mantra because I resonate deeply with its meaning. To be open to change gives us an opportunity for growth and learning to become a better person. To be self-aware is to focus on ourselves and our own well-being.

We cannot change what we are unable to see. If we are unable to see our weaknesses, our poor habits or our ailments, we will not know when to correct ourselves or how urgent it is to bring about that positive change.

When we are in tune with our bodies and minds and our health is in check, the more self-aware of our needs we become. For instance, if we're feeling stressed, we know it's time to take a break. If we're falling sick often, we know it's time to start exercising, improving our eating habits and keeping to our sleep schedules.

Without self-awareness, we will never change; stuck in a cycle of bad habits and poor lifestyle that will cause harm to our health and even to those around us. Hence, it is of paramount importance to remind ourselves to be more self-aware, because being self-aware is, in itself, a form of self-care as well.

Terre Bleue is a wellness and healing spa with over 10 years of presence in the beauty and health industry in Southeast Asia. With 18 outlets operating across Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand, the brand welcomes its first-ever Singapore outlet at Great World. Terre Bleue uses cutting-edge technology as well as proprietary East and West-based wellness spa knowledge to provide a holistic treatment programme catered to your body’s needs.