Getting a massage with lavender or sage aromatherapy oil might sound nice and relaxing to you—but think of the massage therapist who spends every day with her hands in that goo. A group of dermatologists asked massage therapists how their hands were taking it.

What the researchers wanted to know: How common is skin inflammation among massage therapists and does the risk relate to aromatherapy products?

What they did: The researchers mailed questionnaires to all 618 Philadelphia-area members of a massage therapists' organization, and 292 filled them out. They answered questions about eczema and rash on their hands, and whether they'd had specific symptoms such as redness, oozing, hives, and itching. About half of them used oils, lotions, or creams with aromatherapy products.

What they found: Over 15 percent of the massage therapists had hand dermatitis in the last year, which is probably higher than normal; previous studies have estimated that less than 10 percent of the general population has dermatitis on their hands each year. Massage therapists who used aromatherapy products were 31/2 more likely to have dermatitis than those who didn't.

What the study means to you: Just something to keep in mind: plant essential oils can give you an allergic reaction.

Caveats: This is a small study in one part of the country, and the massage therapists weren't directly tested with oils or examined by doctors. But it's still useful information.

Find out more: Information about allergic contact dermatitis from the American Academy of Dermatology

Some quick instructions on giving yourself a face and hand massage

Read the article: Crawford, G.H., et al. "Use of Aromatherapy Products and Increased Risk of Hand Dermatitis in Massage Therapists." Archives of Dermatology. August 2004, Vol. 140, pp. 991–996.

Abstract online: http://archderm.ama-assn.org