Massages are one of the most relaxing things in the world. When done with a lover, they can become one of the most sensual. If you rub skin against skin dry it causes friction. While a massage may still feel good, an added lubricant eases this friction up and allows for a better experience. Using oils for massages, like the Shunga Exotic Massage Oil, has the added benefit of softening skin.

While these oils are intended for use with a partner, you could also use them as an after bath oil. This helps lock in moisture and hydrate skin after a bath or shower. Their best use is the intended one - as a massage oil. You could always perform the massage by yourself. I'd imagine that would be difficult and not as pleasurable.

There are so many scents to choose from you're bound to find one you like. The current offerings are orange, rose, lavender, peach, strawberries and champagne, apple, fruit, vanilla, and floral. I have this in the vanilla and lavender.

You should be sure to check the ingredient list before buying or using this for any potential allergies or sensitivities. If you have any concerns, do a patch test on your skin before applying it all over.

Shunga oils are just what they sounds like - oils. The consistency reminds me most of a vegetable oil. It's a thinner oil that will run around in your hand. When I went to take the tilted picture for this review, it took less than one second for the oil to go from the center of my palm down to the bottom of my hand. It ran and quick!



This thinner quality is a plus in my opinion. I always think of thicker things as being sticky. Since I hate sticky, this seemed to work better for me. It does leave behind a heavy oil residue. This could possibly be construed as greasy. It's not sticky though and that's what will have me running to the shower.

It comes out of the bottle very easily due to the thin consistency. In fact, you may end up with more than you intended. The best way to use this is to pour it into the hand and then apply to the area you're massaging. When you just apply it directly to skin it wants to run all over the place. Once it's evened out that's no longer an issue.

The vanilla smells exactly like a warm vanilla. Not like a vanilla scented candle or body spray. It smells like a warmer, sweeter version of the scent you get if you use vanilla essence (from the little baking bottles). I've always liked the smell of vanilla cakes and vanilla beans. I usually hate vanilla scented things because many smell too fake. This one smells like real vanilla.

The lavender smells like a lavender essential oil. It is not like an artificial lavender scent. It's the same scent you get if you buy a small vial of lavender oil. Lavender is known for its relaxation abilities and is often used in aromatherapy.

Both scents are strong enough to fill the room but not strong enough for me to be able to smell them during the massage. When I use these my head is usually buried in a pillow. I supposed they would have to be very strongly scented to make it through that. My husband says he could smell it strongly the whole time. The scent does hang around on the skin for an hour or two after application.

I did not taste this. It is not an edible massage oil and I would not recommend ingesting it.

My only real experience with massages had been professional ones. After being sent an oil for testing and liking the idea of a massage from my husband, I purchased the Sunga oils. I find that these are comparable in performance to what has been used in the professional massages I've received.

The oil applies easily. If you apply it in your hand first it doesn't get all over. It slides onto the skin with ease providing a nice amount of lubrication for the massage. It feels heavier than a lotion but lighter than a thick oil.

We rarely have to use a second application of this oil. One application has lasted up to 20 minutes (the most my husband can last before his fingers cramp). It never seems to get tacky or sticky even when rubbing it in for extended periods. It takes a while to absorb into the skin. Even after a 20 minute massage the oil was still heavy enough on my back that I could wipe my finger and pull up oil. It takes about an hour and a half for the oil to fully absorb. If you put clothes on before this happens, the clothing will stick to the oil.

If you want to wash this off, soap and water will be your best bet. Since it's made of oil water will repel against it. This makes it hard to get off with water alone.

I loved how I didn't feel sticky at all either during use or after. It is very noticeable on the skin even after rubbing it in. If you can't stand any oils or lotions on your skin, this might not work for you. For me, the oil feel was much easier to deal with than a sticky feel. I didn't even feel like I had to go wash this off afterward. I didn't notice any staining of sheets or clothing from where my skin touched them with the oil.

I really like that we didn't have to keep reapplying this. It outlasted my husband's massage even! It would be great for long massages where you don't want to have to keep putting on more and more oil.

While the scent is perfect in strength if you just apply it, I wish there was some way to get it to travel through the pillow so I could smell this during use. I think the only way for that to happen would be to make this super strong smelling. That would be no good either because then I'd get a migraine when I sat up.

It would be best if this left NO residue, but that's asking a lot for an oil. Oil is just going to leave a residue. Even if we rubbed it in until absorbed completely there would still be some residue. I tested this on my arm and no matter how well I rubbed it in I could still feel it.

There is no external packaging to this oil. It's just the bottle it comes in. The front says "Shunga Exotic Art" at the top and "Erotic Massage Oil Sensation" with the scent name at the bottom. The back has two sentences about what the product is in multiple languages. It also has the ingredient listing.

You get 8 fl. oz. of product in the bottle.

If you travel with this I would recommend keeping it in a plastic bag in case of leaks.

The ingredients are:

Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocado Oil, Safflower Oil, Vitamin E, Ylang Ylang, Fragrance, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Salicate, Coumarin, D-Limonene, Geraniol, Lyral, Famesol, Lilial, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Cironellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone

Amyl Cinnamal - A pale yellow liquid. It smells similar to jasmine. It occurs naturally in some plants but is usually synthesized. Used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Benzyl Alcohol - A pleasant smelling colorless liquid. It is an organic compound produced naturally by many plants. It can also be made synthetically. It is used as a solvent and preservative. It can cause contact allergy, itching, burning, or hives in some users. It is a known neurotoxin.

Cinnamyl Alcohol - An organic compound found in cinnamon leaves. It forms into a crystalline solid and smells like hyacinth. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Citral - Can be found in many plants. Used as a fragrance ingredient. It smells like lemons. It is often used to give a citrus fragrance. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Eugenol - A clear or pale yellow liquid. It can be extracted from things such as bay leaf, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and basil. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is also used in clove cigarettes. It is hepatotoxic and may cause damage to the liver if ingested. It can cause contact dermatitis if used externally. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Isoeugenol - A substituted phenol. It can be found in ylang-ylang. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a human immune system toxicant. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Benzyl Salicate - The ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. Known human immune system toxicant. Can cause contact dermatitis. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Coumarin - Found in many plants. It smells sweet and is used as a fragrance ingredient. Moderately toxic if ingested. It is a possible allergen for some people.

D-Limonene - A hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. It smells of oranges and is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Geraniol - Found in many essential oils. It smells like roses. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Lyral - It is made synthetically. It is a fragrance ingredient. It can cause skin irritation in some users. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Famesol - Found in many essential oils. Used as a fragrance ingredient.

Lilial - A chemical compound. Synthetically created fragrance ingredient. It can cause contact dermatitis. It can be an allergen for some people.

Linalool - A terpene alcohol. Found in flowers and spices. It can also be made synthetically. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people. It is a possible skin irritant for some people.

Benzyl Benzoate - The ester of benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid. It is used in fragrances to improve the stability of the main ingredients. It is also a fragrance ingredient itself. It can cause contact dermatitis. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Cironellol - Found in plants. It is a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible toxicant and may cause irritation for some users.

Hexyl Cinnamal - Can occur naturally or be made synthetically. Used as a fragrance ingredient. It is a possible allergen for some people.

Alpha Isomethyl Ionone - A pale liquid made synthetically. It is used as a fragrance ingredient. It can cause irritation for some users.

Double and triple check the ingredients on this one since a lot are possible allergens. I wouldn't recommend this if you have any type of skin issues (eczema, etc.). If you're looking for something for a short massage this may be too long lasting for you. Enough won't absorb in a small period of time. If you're looking for something that will last without having to keep reapplying, this is a great product. The two scents I have are dead on. I can't speak for the others. Also keep in mind that your skin will have oil residue on it after use. If you don't like that a massage lotion might work better.

I love this stuff! Granted, I don't have a ton of products to compare it to. I do have a lot of lotions that make me feel greasy or sensual edible products that make me sticky. This does neither of those things. I can go straight from massage to sex without a shower in between. My skin feels softer afterward, too. My husband agrees on this oil. He doesn't feel like he has to rush to wash his hands after applying it on me. He likes the vanilla scent and says it's just the right amount of strength.

I do wish it had less possibly irritating ingredients. I like to use oils or moisturizers on my son (age three) after his baths. They help keep his eczema flares down. Since this has so many ingredients that could irritate rather than soothe his condition, I can't use this on everyone.