HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire an aromatherapist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no register for aromatherapists. Here are the checks, the questions about oils and health, and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an aromatherapist in five steps

  1. Ask about aromatherapy trainingA named qualification, the awarding body and the insurer.
  2. Tell them about your healthPregnancy, epilepsy, asthma, allergies, skin conditions and medicines.
  3. Ask which oils and whyAnd how they are diluted for your skin.
  4. Agree length and priceIncluding whether a take-home blend is extra.
  5. Follow the aftercareSome citrus oils make skin sensitive to sun.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No statutory register or licence applies to aromatherapists as people in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the title is not protected. Some aromatherapists join accredited voluntary registers; that is a choice, not regulation. What the law does protect is health titles: an aromatherapist may not call themselves a physiotherapist unless they are on the HCPC Register.

Ask the aromatherapist for the qualification, who awarded it and when, and check with that body.

Special treatment licence (London)

In Greater London (not the City of London) the borough licenses premises used for massage with a Special Treatments Licence, under Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991 where the borough has adopted it; members of some practitioner bodies are exempt. Outside London, the council licences in England cover skin piercing and acupuncture, not massage.

In London, ask the aromatherapist whether the premises hold a special treatment licence or which exemption applies; a mobile therapist working in your home is a question for the borough. gov.uk →

Insurance

No register sets an insurance requirement for an aromatherapist, so ask. Public liability insurance covers injury or damage; professional indemnity covers harm from the treatment itself.

Ask the aromatherapist for the insurer's name and the policy dates.

Trader status and cancellation terms

An aromatherapist in business is a trader, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 duty of reasonable care and skill applies. The 14-day cancellation right does not cover services related to leisure activities booked for a specific date (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28), so the therapist's own cancellation terms usually decide.

Read the cancellation and late-arrival terms before you book, and keep the confirmation.

VAT

Aromatherapy massage is standard-rated at 20%: aromatherapists are not on a statutory register, so the health exemption cannot apply. An aromatherapist whose VAT taxable turnover pass £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line; one below it charges none.

Ask for the VAT number if VAT appears, and check it is added once, on its own line. gov.uk →

“What aromatherapy training do you hold?”

A good answer: A named aromatherapy qualification, the awarding body, and how much covered essential oil safety.

“Which essential oils will you use for me, and at what dilution?”

A good answer: Oils chosen for you, diluted in a carrier oil, with the aromatherapist explaining why.

“Are any oils unsuitable with my health?”

A good answer: Questions on pregnancy, epilepsy, asthma, allergies and medicines before blending.

“Do you patch test?”

A good answer: A patch test or careful choice of oils if you have sensitive skin.

“Is the blend included, or extra to take home?”

A good answer: A price for any take-home aromatherapy blend.

“What should I avoid afterwards?”

A good answer: Sun on skin after citrus oils, and how long to leave the oils on.

“In London, are the premises licensed for massage?”

A good answer: The borough's special treatment licence, or the exemption.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends a mobile booking — the aromatherapist you chose or another therapist, employed or subcontracted
  • Session length and consultation time
  • The blend — included, or a take-home bottle priced
  • Mobile travel charge
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% shown as its own line — the health exemption does not cover aromatherapy, and a therapist under the £90,000 threshold adds nothing
  • Cancellation rules
  • Package expiry

Walk away if

  • No questions about pregnancy, epilepsy or allergies
  • Undiluted essential oils on skin
  • Claims essential oils cure illness
  • No insurance to name
  • Unlicensed London premises
  • Pressure to buy oils or packages
LOW
£50
TYPICAL
£65
HIGH
£90

What an aromatherapist costs: £50–£90 per session

Aromatherapy massage is priced by session length; take-home blends and spa access are extra. Aromatherapy Massage price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Aromatherapists near you, with the badges that matter shown

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  1. ConsultationHealth, medicines, allergies and the scents you like.
  2. BlendingEssential oils chosen and diluted in a carrier oil.
  3. MassageGentle, flowing massage using the blend.
  4. RestA few minutes to relax.
  5. AftercareHow long to leave the oils on, and sun advice.

Essential oil
A concentrated plant oil, always diluted for massage.
Carrier oil
The base oil the essential oils are mixed into.
Dilution
How much essential oil is in the blend.
Phototoxic
Oils, such as some citrus, that make skin sensitive to sunlight.
Patch test
A small skin test for a reaction.
Special Treatments Licence
London's borough licence for massage premises.

AFTER

When the job is done

Note the oils usedKeep the list in case of a reaction and for next time.
Follow sun and shower adviceAs the aromatherapist explained.
Watch for a reactionRedness or itching that does not settle is a reason to call and to see a pharmacist.
Share how it wentA short review of the aromatherapist — punctuality, care, value — is what others read. Use the make-it-right step first if anything needs putting right.

STEP 1Tell the aromatherapist in writingKeep it to the date, what happened and the remedy you want. The duty of reasonable care and skill in section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 binds any aromatherapist in business, and if the massage missed it, section 54 entitles you to have it put right free or to pay less.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen a booked aromatherapist gets under four stars, you choose whether they see the problem first, and we follow it up with them. Then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, or the boroughNo regulator covers an aromatherapist. If London premises are operating without a special treatment licence, tell the borough's licensing team; otherwise refer an aromatherapist who will not engage to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales (0808 223 1144 in Welsh), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsA claim against an aromatherapist for money back can go to court without a solicitor — £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an aromatherapist: questions people ask

No. No statutory register or licence applies to aromatherapists in any UK nation. London massage premises usually need a borough special treatment licence.

Tell the aromatherapist; some oils are avoided in pregnancy, and you may be advised to ask your midwife first.

Ask for the qualification and awarding body and check with that body; ask about insurance.

£50 to £90 a session, typically around £65. Custom blends, spa settings and London addresses push the price up. The aromatherapy massage price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above for prices from aromatherapists near you.

At 20% if the aromatherapist is VAT-registered; it is outside the health exemption.

Wash the area, tell the aromatherapist in writing, and see a pharmacist or GP. A therapist in business owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: Massage TherapistHow to hire: Swedish MassageHow to hire: Hot Stone MassageHow to hire: Pregnancy MassageHow to hire: ReflexologistHow to hire: Holistic TherapistHow to hire: Reiki PractitionerHow to hire: Deep Tissue MassageAll 701 hiring guides →

Aromatherapists near you

Aromatherapists in LondonAromatherapists in ManchesterAromatherapists in BirminghamAromatherapists in GlasgowAromatherapists in BelfastAll aromatherapists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales; Special Treatments Licence in London)
  2. London Local Authorities Act 1991, Part II — special treatment licences
  3. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — exceptions to the right to cancel
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  9. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.5 Services that are not exempt from VAT (taxable at the standard rate)
  10. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register