Body treatments are essentially a facial for your whole body and leave your skin feeling velvety smooth and soft. The idea behind a body treatment is that it is just as important to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin on your body as it is the skin of your face. This wellness procedure is good for your body no matter what time of year, but it can especially be helpful in the winter as it moisturizes skin when it is typically dry and flaky.
Body Scrubs
The most popular body treatment is a body scrub, sometimes called a body polish, salt glow or sea-salt scrub. This is an exfoliating treatment that takes place on a massage table covered with a sheet and a large, thin piece of plastic. You will either be asked to remove all your clothing or may be given disposable underwear to cover parts of your body.
As you lay on your stomach, the massage therapist rubs a mixture of sea salt, oil, and aromatics (like lemon) into your skin. This exfoliates the skin and leaves it feeling fresh and soft.
Once your whole body is scrubbed, which takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes, you shower it all off without soap, leaving a nice coating of oil. It's an invigorating treatment, and it's a good idea to get your scrub before your message if you choose to have both.
Various essential oils or scrub materials are used. You might get an orange blossom/peppermint salt glow or a cucumber salt glow, or a body scrubs done with coffee grounds, finely ground pecan shells or Napa Valley grape seeds. Sometimes a hydrating lotion is applied afterward.
Body Masks and Wraps
A body mask and body wrap often takes place after a scrub. After rinsing off the salt and returning to the treatment table, the aesthetician will slather you with mud, algae, or seaweed and wrap you in a thermal blanket. This is a "detoxifying" treatment that stimulates your metabolic system, speeding its ability to carry away waste products. If the product is a cream or lotion, it's a "hydrating" treatment
A body wrap can also be a wrapping treatment used to treat cellulite. It sometimes has a diuretic effect that aids in temporary weight reduction.
What to Do After a Body Treatment
Your skin may be a bit tender after a body treatment—especially if it involved a deep body scrub. However, it is perfectly fine to shower after a body treatment as long as you remember to lather your body with soap, then gently rub your washcloth or loofa in circles to remove any dead skin or leftover lotion.
Benefits of Body Treatments
Body treatments may help prevent wrinkles, decrease cellulite, and slow physical signs of aging, leaving your skin looking fresher and younger. Seaweed, salt, mud, charcoal, and mineral wraps are also excellent ingredients to exfoliate your skin and remove toxins. As with other spa services, body treatments help with your mental health too as they reduce stress, soothe tired muscles, and relax both your body and mind.
