Why Ghee Massages Are Good For You

While there are countless health benefits of ghee as part of our diet, ghee also has amazing benefits for our skin and for pain. I was introduced to ghee as a massage oil at the Ayurvedic hospital in Gujarat. It was actually Panchgavya ghee (a mix of desi cow ghee, curd, milk, urine, and gobar). This ghee had significant healing qualities.

Is ghee good for massage?

Unlike other oils that require deep penetration into the skin, pure ghee is actually considered the ideal substance for massaging oneself.

Our body absorbs approximately 60% of what we coat on our skin. It’s no wonder that the richness of ghee is felt when doing a massage given that it strengthens and nourishes our body.

Check out some other advantages of ghee massage below:

Ghee Massage Benefits

1. Promotes hydration and cleansing

From newborns to the end of life, ghee provides a level of soothing and comfort that cannot be replicated by other oils. It cleanses our systems from the outside and also permits hydration throughout the body, making us less likely to fall ill or recover that much quicken if we do get sick.

2. Rubbing ghee on feet for instant relief

Massaging the bottom of your feet with ghee and a copper bowl was one of the tricks I learned at the hospital. I was shocked to see my feet turn pitch black but despite the ridiculously hot and humid weather, I felt my body cooling down instantly. It was almost as though that the ghee was literally ridding my body of the toxins that had built up heat in my system, putting me off my routine and balance.

3. For a relieving Ayurvedic foot massage at night

Applying ghee on feet is a part of an Ayurvedic tradition of foot massage, called “Padabhyanga”. There are many benefits of applying ghee on feet at night such as: 

• Relief from stress and anxiety
• Enhanced foot health by preventing cracks and nourishing the skin
• Improvement in sleep quality
• Helps in relief from an aggravated Vata dosha

Why is ghee used in Ayurveda?

Apart from massage, there are many other benefits of ghee as per Ayurvedic text, Sushruta Samhita, such as:

• Pacifies aggravated Vata and Pitta dosha 
• Lubricates tissues and promotes flexibility
• Aids digestion and promotes healthy microbes in the gut
• Enhances Ojas or “life energy”

While I’d highly recommend desi cow ghee compared to others, overall ghee offers similar benefits. But having used a variety of ghee over the years, nothing compares to pure desi cow ghee when it comes to consumption in our meals or as the ghee of choice for massages.

-Amit Vaidya

Amit Vaidya is the best-selling author of the memoir Holy Cancer and the upcoming Food Is Medicine cookbook series. He is the in-house health & wellness expert for Kapiva Ayurveda, advocating for the empowerment of all individuals to be in the driver’s seat of their own lives. He chronicles his life on Instagram under the handle @live4todayamit.