Spas
Spas
Natural Beauty by Rosanna Mignacca Today’s spas lead you on a natural journey to bliss and beauty. More often than not, Mother Nature is the source of the most innovative and beneficial treatments and the inspiration for the most relaxing settings. Here’s a sampling of what nature has to offer in Aruba’s best spas.
Beach beauty
An exfoliating scrub is a great pre lude to a massage. It prepares your skin to absorb all the benefits of the essential oils used in your treatment. If your skin is normal to oily, a Caribbean sea salt scrub followed by a mineral water rinse will leave it softer and smoother, not to mention that it’ll be perfectly prepped for tanning. Drier or more delicate skin types will benefit from a naturally nourishing exfoliation to slough away dead cells; tro pical fruits like pineapples, mangoes, and papayas are often used in this instance because of the beneficial enzymes and anti oxidants they contain. Here’s the rub
There are so many massages to choose from, and one of the most popular types these days is the hot stone massage; every one should try it at least once. Stones are treated with seawater and/or herbal infusions and then heated. The hot stones are initially placed on muscles and then 50 Nights
used by the massage therapist to perform deep tissue manipulations. This type of massage promotes intense relaxation and opens up energy pathways. Sometimes cool, treated stones are used alternately with the hot stones, along with various es sential oils. Just one session can help you to relax, release muscle tension, and lift your spirits. Some devotees of hot stone massage claim it can even ease depression. A lava shell massage is a variation on the hot stone massage where the thera pist lightly massages with heated lava shells. Minerals, algae, salt water, and essential oils – from relaxing lavender, rose, and clary sage to energizing ginger, grapefruit, and ylang ylang – are com bined inside the heated shell. The mix ture produces a chemical reaction that creates additional heat for about one hour. The shells used are usually tigerstriped clamshells. Previously they were discarded after the clams were eaten, but now they are being recycled, making the lava shell massage eco-friendly, too!
It’s a wrap
Wraps are fabulous for a smoother, firmer you, thanks in part to the natural elements they employ. In a body wrap treatment, your torso, legs, arms, and neck are enveloped in elastic cloths that have been pre-soaked with special ingredients. The cloths create a thermal blanket that promotes gentle sweating to help eliminate toxins and fluids between body tissues resulting in smoother skin. A green wrap uses live spirulina algae from the sea to impart essential vitamins, minerals, and protein and thus encourage slimming. An organic coffee wrap, rich in caffeine, helps rid the body of excess fluids, smooth ing even the dimpled look of cellulite. Cool it
Too much fun in the sun? A facial and body treatment enriched with cucumber, aloe, and cactus will calm the burn. The cooling properties of cucumber and the healing powers of aloe, combined with cactus milk’s ability to nourish and E
Photos left to right by Phil Date, Shutterstock, and Anna Subbotina. Facing page photo by Shutterstock
Photo by
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Spas provide much-needed moisture, leave sunparched skin deliciously supple and com fortable. Other facial treatments contain goat’s milk, honey, and sugarcane... not to be missed for their pampering pleasures and unique beauty benefits! Flower power
To make your hair shine, your scalp breathe, and some even dare to say, your hair grow, try a hibiscus hair treatment. The petals of the lovely hibiscus flower, which is native to Aruba, are crushed and added to coconut oil, creating a natural, fragrant mixture. This aromatic cocktail is massaged into your scalp and hair and then a warm, moist towel is wrapped around your head. Left on for 30 minutes, it is removed and followed by a coconutenriched shampoo and hibiscus-scented water rinse. Your hair is left silky, shiny, and divinely fragrant.
Au naturel
Finally, forget high-tech. The simpli city of nature has long been the theme when it comes to the décor and ambience of the island’s spas. On Aruba, breath taking views of the ocean with its lulling sights, sounds, and scents are given top billing in many spas. Natural, unbleached cottons combine with the rich luster of hardwoods like teak and acacia to create soothing surroundings. Tropical gardens are another favorite locale for the relax ing and beautifying rituals you’ll always remember. K
Relax and Indulge A day at the spa is a perfect way to really feel like you’re on vacation. Welcome to the world of refined pampering in Aruba’s exceptional spas.
INTERMEZZO DAY SPA Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts
L.G. Smith Blvd 55-B • Tel: 583-1100 Holiday Inn
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 230 • Tel: 586-4684 The Mill Resort & Suites
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 330 • Tel: 586-3286 AQUA NAILS & SPA MASSAGE Palm Beach Plaza
Westin Beauty Salon, Westin Resort & Casino
Tel: 586-4431 aquanails_spa@hotmail.com
All Intermezzo Day Spa locations
BODY & SOUL SPA AND FITNESS CENTER Tierra del Sol Resort, Spa and Country Club
LARIMAR SPA Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa
Malmokweg z/n • Tel: 586-4861 www.tierradelsol.com/spa ETNIKA SPA Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 77 • Tel: 586-0613 Tropicana Resort & Casino
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 248 • Tel: 587-2548
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 77 • Tel: 586-9480 www.arubaspa.com
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 81 • Tel: 526-6053 www.LarimarSpaAruba.com MANDARA SPA Aruba Marriott Resort Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club
Tel: 520-6750 www.mandaraspa.com
Both Etnika Spa locations
etnika.aruba@gmail.com
OKEANOS SPA Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino
INDULGENCE BY THE SEA Divi Aruba All Inclusive
L.G. Smith Blvd 82 • Tel: 583-6000 ext. 6406 www.renaissancearubaspa.com
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 41 • Tel: 525-5298 Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive
Tel: 525-5291 Both Indulgence by the Sea locations
www.spaaruba.com 52 Nights
SPA DEL SOL ARUBA Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa
J.E. Irausquin Blvd 55 • Tel: 582-6145 www.spadelsol.com Photos by Shutterstock