Recently as I was leaving the Macy department store, a man unknown to me struck up a conversation about the weather, he asked if thought this was the end of the winter? And I replied emphatically, yes I believe so; he then replied I sure hope so, because I want to see shorts and legs. Naively, at first I didn’t get what he was saying. He was saying he is ready for winter to be over with, because he wants to see women in shorts, showing their legs, and bearing skin. Once it dawned on me, what he was expressing, I then realized it is time to start getting ready for summer!
With winter just about over, now is the time to focus on getting our bodies’ beach ready. Body treatments are an age old tradition dating back to ancient Egypt. Spa history suggests that the Egyptians were the first to discover the potential of water and essential oils for therapeutic purposes. The Egyptians believed in order to reach a higher spirituality; they had to be clean and beautiful.
There are various types of spa body treatments available to treat body specific needs such as: body acne, hyperpigmentation, keratosis pilaris, eczema and cellulite. In addition to, body treatments offer therapeutic and cosmetic benefits of detoxifying the body, removing excess toxins and fluid from tissues, restoring vital minerals to the body, reducing joint pain associated with arthritis, and rheumatism, tightens and tone skin and provides temporary weight loss.
Spa body treatments top the list of treatments that offer cosmetic and therapeutic benefits for the whole body.
Many spa clients are often confused between the body polish, body scrub and body wrap treatment.
Body Treatments: polishes, scrubs, wraps, what you need to know?
- Body polish is a treatment for the skin, similar to a facial for the body. A body polish is used for removing dry dead skin cells and can be done with a variety of ingredients such as apricot seeds kernel, salt, sugar, walnut shells, coffee grounds, these are usually blended with a carrier oil and an essential oil. This treatment can be performed as a single service or offered as the first step in a body wrap treatment or an add-on service to a massage.
- Body scrubs is a treatment in which the skin is exfoliated, cleansed and rinsed at the same time. This treatment removes dead skin cells using an invigorating sea salt, or a sugar based product, which is gently rubbed onto the skin, leaving the skin hydrated, softer and smoother. The scrub may use salt, which is then called a salt scrub. A sugar scrub is an excellent choice for clients with sensitive skin. It is one of the gentlest of the body scrub types. The client is asked to lie flat on his or her stomach and the massage table is covered with plastic, a pair of disposable underwear is offered and a folded towel may be used to cover the breast. A mixture of salt and oil or sugar and oil is applied to the back first. The skin care professional will have you turn over and exfoliate the other side. Once the skin care professional is finished, you are then showered off and a moisturizing body lotion is applied.
- Body wraps are a spa treatment designed to hydrate, flush toxins out the body, tone, relax and soothe the muscles. Diets that is high in salt and sugar, build-up fluid in the body and this fluid can accumulate in excess within the cells, which can appear as bloating and cellulite. The first step is to prepare the skin by exfoliating with the use of a sea salt or sugar scrub blend. Secondly, a therapeutic solution is applied to the skin, such as algae, chocolate, clay, mud, herbs, oil, paraffin and you are then sealed with a layer of cellophane so that the therapeutic solution can penetrate the skin. Thirdly, you are wrapped in a thermal blanket for twenty minutes. The heat from the thermal blanket causes the body to sweat, which allows the pores to open and toxins are then flushed from the body. Lastly, you are unwrapped and showered off, followed by a hydrating body lotion. Drink plenty of water before and after the wrap treatment to avoid dehydration. A special note, client should avoid shaving 24 hours before treatment. Also, sunbathing should be avoided, as well as alcohol and heavy meals before treatment.
Clients with the following conditons should avoid body wrap treatments:
- those with high blood pressure
- heart conditions
- claustrophobia
- hypertension
- diabetes
- eczema
- psoriasis
If a spa body scrub treatment is not in your budget, you can make your own fabulous body scrub at home. By mixing coconut oil as your base, with brown sugar, coffee grounds or salt and then add a few drop of your favorite essential oil, place in a container, and step in the shower, apply mixture, rinse off thoroughly, and wow!
Look at that body; now you are ready for the beach!
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