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The maalish ritual

Maalish is an oil massage you do at home, with your own hands, without hurrying. In many South Asian families it’s an everyday thing: a small bowl of fragrant oil, a towel, and a moment you take for yourself or for someone you love.

This guide brings together everything you need to start. If maalish is new to you, begin with what is maalish.

Before you start

  • Do a patch test. Put a drop of oil on the inside of your forearm and wait 24 hours. No reaction? You’re good to go.
  • Don’t use it on broken or irritated skin, or near your eyes. Our oil contains mustard, garlic and clove, so if you’re sensitive to any of them, don’t use it.
  • Set up the space. An old dark towel, a warm room, your phone in another room.
  • Warm the oil gently, never in the microwave: see how to warm massage oil.

The basic movements

  1. Pour a few drops into your palm and rub your hands together.
  2. Start with your feet, move up to your calves, then your hands and forearms.
  3. Use long, slow strokes with gentle pressure. Make small circles around your ankles and wrists.
  4. Finish with your shoulders and the back of your neck. Keep away from your eyes.
  5. Leave the oil for a few minutes, then wipe off any excess with the towel.

For a full routine, minute by minute, follow our 10-minute oil self-massage.

Our step-by-step guides

Where the ritual comes from

Maalish belongs to a long tradition of oil massage in South Asia. Ayurvedic texts describe a similar practice called abhyanga. We explain the difference in abhyanga and maalish, and we introduce the ingredients in our oil in garlic, ajwain, clove and hing.

Maalish sells a massage oil. We make no health claims.

The oil

Our traditional maalish oil is infused in small batches in Montreal and bottled in 100 mL. It ships anywhere in Canada.

External use only. Patch test first. Sold for adults.