Spa experience for the uninitiated maybe a little forbidding – gooey stuff, no clothes and big bucks… But what to really expect out of spas? Swati Gupta from Bodycraft Spa & Salon says ‘Spas are now more about scrubs, soaks, jacuzzis and saunas than just the typical body massage.’ Apart from these services, day spas also offer massages, facials, pedicures and hair spas. Those with salons of course offer regular beauty treatments as well.  But as far as a spa package goes, it usually includes a body scrub, massage and a body wrap.

Scrubs that can exfoliate and body polish are as innovative and exotic depending on which part of the world you come from. Apple, banana, papaya, wheat germ, oatmeal, cinnamon, papaya, tomato, rose petals, honey, coffee and even chocolate are used in combination with other ingredients to bring back lustre to the skin. Sea minerals and Dead Sea mud are particularly popular in the body polishing routine. High magnesium, bromine and sodium contents in the Dead Sea mud are said to have curative effects on acne and other such skin diseases.

In massages, there are enough styles that will warrant your return experiences to be completely different fro
m the previous ones. A list of massages available in spas across the city looks like this: Thai, Swedish, Javanese, Hawaiian, mineral massage, aroma oil massage and of course traditional Ayurvedic massages. Swedish massage uses oil (even cold cream) to knead muscles and stroke the skin in long gliding motions. Thai massage requires the masseur to use their hands and even feet to manipulate your body to stretch. For some styles the masseurs or in spa speak, therapists have to use the gentlest of gentle pressure as in the case of Jet Lag massage which induces sleep. And in styles like the Thai or Ayurvedic massages, therapists apply kneading action to ease out aches. There are massages for expecting mothers who prefer to lie on their sides rather than backs. Then there is the stone therapy where highly polished warm stones are used to massage the body. These are then placed on the pressure points for relieving tension and aches from the body. Sports massages are offered for sports related muscle aches. But the favourite is easily foot reflexology which is superbly relaxing and short enough for a quick dash into the spa during lunch hour.

Body wraps

Body wraps are not for the fidgety or the claustrophobic. It requires you to be totally still, often in the confining cocoon of sheets, towels or plastic.  Body wrap is also the fun part, especially when you are wrapped in something delicious such as chocolate. Or maybe Jasmine green tea mask, almonds and dates wrap or tangerine body wrap if you do not fancy looking like a candy. Body soaks is the bit where they let you soak in an exotic concoction strewn with flower petals. The concoction can be mineral water from springs or a milk bath along with other natural ingredients.

Most spas fashion themselves according to the genre they belong to. There are destination spas where you may spend the weekend like the Golden Palms Hotel and Spa or the Angsana Spa. Day spas like The 5th Element Spa or SPA.ce offer a quick spa anytime at your convenience. These spas are especially convenient for those pressed for time. Lifestyle spas or spa real estates are the new trend in the city wherein the spa is offered as part of the overall facility like the Oasis Club at Prestige Ozone in Whitefield. Holistic spas offer a slew of activities such as meditation, yoga and so on.

Dr Mathai of Soukya Health and Healing Sanctuary, chooses the term ‘healing sanctuary’ over ‘spa’ since according to him, “in his centre there are resident doctors who first check the wellness of the person before recommending any particular treatment.” Offered in Soukya are acupressure, acupuncture, aromatherapy, naturopathy and more. The VLCC chain in the city offers spas with emphasis on detoxification and weight loss.
Today spas are known for their unique selling points.  If the USP of a spa is its specially trained therapist for another, it is the decor and setting — a make or break point for many a spa.