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
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