How UK Massage Therapists Are Really Surviving the Heatwave!

The recent heatwaves across the UK have made treating clients more challenging than most of us signed up for. Treatment rooms are heating up, therapists are working harder, and everyone is trying to keep both themselves and their clients comfortable.

So rather than guessing what works, we asked our Massage Therapists Stronger Together community one simple question:

"How are you actually managing working in this heat? Fans, ice packs, cooling products, cancelling everything? Tell us what's working and what's not."

The response was incredible - real therapists sharing honest, practical tips from the treatment room floor. Here's what they told us.

First, We Asked: Are You Still Seeing Clients?

Before we got into tips, we wanted to know the reality on the ground. We ran a quick poll across our Instagram stories and the results were telling.

Still fully booked - 8%

Managing but it's tough - 42%

Rescheduled a few clients - 25%

The diary's empty and I'm not sorry - 25%

So the majority are pushing through, but it's clearly not easy. Here's how they're doing it.

1. Portable Air Conditioning: Worth Every Penny

Unsurprisingly, portable air conditioning came up again and again as the single most effective solution, though with a practical twist that's worth knowing.

Sarah Mathews shared:

"I have a portable air conditioner unit that I put on between clients. It's a bit loud so I turn it off when they come in if they don't want it on. Saying that, some of my regular clients now wear hearing aids so can't hear it when they take them out!"

Sarah also shared a clever DIY cooling spray she makes herself - lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils in distilled water. She spritzes it on her legs and feet, then puts a cold damp flannel that she's chilled in the fridge on the back of her neck between clients.

Key takeaway: Cool the room down between appointments rather than trying to battle the heat while you're actually treating. Your clients will thank you and so will your energy levels by the end of the day.

2. Cold Therapy: Not Just for Clients

Several therapists mentioned using cold therapy on themselves just as much as on their clients and it's a genuinely smart approach when you're physically working in the heat.

Louisa Kelly Andrews shared:

"Cold stones for me, fan and in one location I am lucky to have central air flow through the building which keeps it at a manageable temp. The other location - electrolytes and cool water over my wrists when I can."

Running cool water over your wrists is a quick and surprisingly effective way to bring your core temperature down fast. The blood vessels there are close to the surface, so it works almost immediately.

Angela Close Clark also shared this brilliant tip in the group, one that works for both therapists and clients at home:

If you're looking to offer clients a genuinely cooling treatment experience, it's also worth considering cold stone massage. The Massage Warehouse 15-Piece Cold Marble Stone Set is designed specifically for this. Marble naturally stays cooler for longer than regular stones, making it ideal for summer treatments. Cold stones can help reduce inflammation, ease tension and leave clients feeling genuinely refreshed rather than just less sweaty. 

3. Changing Working Hours

One of the most practical and popular strategies was simply shifting the diary.

Helen Coleman shared:

"Just shifting everyone earlier if I can and using a fan. I worked Saturday morning which I don't usually, but it's so much nicer in my room in the morning that it felt worth it."

This came up repeatedly in our Facebook group too, therapists moving clients to early mornings or evenings and avoiding the brutal mid-afternoon heat entirely. If you have the flexibility to do this, it seems to be one of the most effective things you can do without spending a penny.

4. Cooling Products in Treatments

We asked specifically what cooling products therapists are using during treatments, and the answers were wonderfully varied.

From our Instagram stories:

"I'm keeping my Gua Sha tools in a cool bag to put on clients' temples and foreheads AND 2 fans."

"Frozen damp towel around the back of my neck. Bliss!"

"Air flow, cold face cloths."

"Ice gloves, cold face cloths, cooling eye masks, cooling and menthol essential oils."

On the cooling products front, a growing number of therapists are switching to cooling topicals as a way to add a genuinely therapeutic cooling element to their treatments, not just comfort, but real physiological benefit.

One therapist in our community, Jennifer, told us she's been using NAQI Menthol Lotion throughout the summer and hasn't looked back:

"The menthol gives clients that instant cooling sensation the moment it touches their skin. In this heat it's become the first thing I reach for; clients absolutely love it. It also means I'm offering something that feels a bit more special in summer rather than just the same treatment in a hotter room."

NAQI also do a cool lotion designed to cool the skin naturally and reduce the sensation of heat - brilliant for sports massage clients who are training through the summer. 

Another favourite is Songbird Cooling Balm - a soothing, cooling balm with a light, clean texture that works well in summer when heavier oils can feel uncomfortable on warm skin. 

And for therapists working with sports clients or anyone recovering from summer activity, Pepperfit Zest- a natural massage oil with a fresh, cooling effect - has been a popular choice. 

5. The Rescheduling Question

This one sparked a really interesting discussion in the group. One therapist asked:

"With the recent hot weather, and another heatwave apparently on the way, I'm considering putting a disclaimer on my website and email to my clients that if the temperature is from 25/26°C or above any massage treatments will be deferred to a later date. Is that unreasonable? I work from home."

Responses were thoughtful and divided; some therapists continue regardless, others feel strongly that there's a temperature at which it's simply not fair on the client.

Anne-Marie Rose shared:

"I rescheduled people in the last heatwave and to be honest it's not going to be easy this coming week. The attic room is unbearably hot and it isn't fair for clients to have to have a treatment in such a hot room. 2 x fans don't cool it down enough, even though blinds are down, the sun faces the room mid afternoon so it still overheats."

She also offered a really useful rewording for anyone considering a similar policy on their website:

"Please note, if the room temperature is likely to get to a temperature where I feel massage may be uncomfortable for my clients, I may defer any massage treatments to a later date. It is important to me to be able to provide a safe and effective session for my clients. Thank you for your understanding."

That's a professional, client-first way to handle it and honestly, clients will respect you for it.

Ultimately, every clinic is different. An attic room in July is a completely different situation to a basement studio with stone floors. The most important thing is that both therapist and client are safe and comfortable enough for the treatment to be genuinely beneficial.

6. Hydration - The One That Almost Everyone Mentioned

Almost every response touched on hydration in some form - water, electrolytes, cold drinks on standby. It sounds obvious, but it's easy to forget when you're focused on clients back to back.

Louisa mentioned electrolytes specifically, and she's not wrong - if you're working physically in the heat, plain water alone doesn't always cut it. A few therapists mentioned having electrolyte drinks or even just a pinch of salt in their water during particularly long days.

Keep a cold drink within reach between every client. Non-negotiable.

7. The Small Things That Made a Big Difference

A rapid-fire round of the smaller changes therapists mentioned that added up to a real difference:

- Opening windows the night before to let cool air in before clients arrive

- Blackout blinds or curtains on sun-facing windows

- Keeping towels or flannels in the fridge between clients

- Switching to lighter, more breathable clothing and uniforms

- Scheduling proper gaps between clients rather than back-to-back all day

- Keeping a small personal fan pointing at yourself during treatments

- Gua Sha tools stored in a cool bag for a quick cooling face treatment addition

- Cold eye masks offered to clients as a complimentary add-on

One Thing Was Clear From All of This

There isn't one perfect solution.

Every therapist has adapted differently depending on their treatment room, their location, their client base and the treatments they offer. What works brilliantly for a ground floor clinic with good airflow might be completely useless for an attic room facing south at 3pm.

But the community wisdom here is genuinely valuable and the willingness of therapists to share honestly, including the difficult decisions like rescheduling clients, is exactly what makes this community worth being part of.

Hopefully something above gives you a new idea to try during the next spell of hot weather. Because if this summer is anything to go by, it won't be the last.

Over to you...

How are you keeping yourself and your clients comfortable this summer? Drop your tips in the comments, we'd love to keep adding to this.

Products therapists found helpful during the heatwave:

NAQI Cooling & Menthol Lotion

Songbird Cooling Balm

Pepperfit Zest Natural Massage Oil

15-Piece Cold Marble Stone Set

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