Body Care Rituals

What comes to your mind when you say body care? Stages such as peeling, scrubbing, mask, massage and moisturizing? Contrary to popular belief, body treatments, which make up an important part of spa menus, offer a much wider range of possibilities.

While its effects are not just physical, it affects the person on a mental, spiritual and emotional level as well. So, what are body care rituals that are applied in the spa area? 

Massages

Massage variety is crucially important in spa applications. 60% of the guests in spa centers put massages among their choices of the body care rituals in spa centers. A menu that contains are 5 to 7 different massage types it accepted to be a comprehensive one and these massages usually adopt 3 main techniques: 

Oil Techniques 

Oil massage techniques are therapies that aim at stimulating the soft tissue, that are calming and at the same time increasing mobility. Massages applied using oil, hydrate the skin more than some water-based techniques. When aromatherapy is applied with herbal oils and healing herbs to the whole body on a regular basis, it will make the person feel much more vital and refreshed. Natural oils such as cinnamon, lavender, ginger and almond help increase blood circulation. 

Dry Techniques 

Dry massages that are applied on the specific energy points and meridians of our body, work on the anatomy as well. Among the most popular massage applications in the world are Thai, reflexology, finger pressure massage also known as Shiatsu, Tui Na, which improves the flow of life energy, and Chi Nei Tsang, which helps the body regenerate from the inside. A comprehensive spa menu must include at least one of these techniques. 

Mechanical 

This type is a massage type that uses the help of electronics or tools based on force applications. Electro acupuncture and pressotherapy are among the most popular applications and the mechanical massage applications are usually applied on the soft tissue and acupuncture areas. 

Hydrothermal Therapies 

Hydrothermal body care applied using hot and cold water is considered one of the basic elements of spa and covers 7 main categories:

1) Inhalation 

We can describe this category as breathing in the air enriched with herbal or essential aromas that are confined at a certain temperature. Steam therapy cleanses the body from within, improves breathing, and provides physical relaxation.

2) Thalassotherapy

This therapy type is applied with sea water, sea salt and micro-seaweed, also known as the alga. Thalassotherapy can also be combined with underwater massages and can be applied in a fatigue situation, circulation problems and rejuvenating situations. 

3) Chronotherapy

This therapy is applied using natural mineral water, hot spring waters and mud. It can be applied internally and externally. Water can be sprayed or drunk with a special device. In this way, it can be taken in by inhalation or applied completely externally to the body.

4) Balneotherapy 

It is a bath therapy that uses mineral water that includes elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate and bicarbonate at a certain temperature. It is especially used in pain management and the aim is to realize the treatment using waters with certain properties. 

5) Hydromassages

Hydrotherapy baths, Scotch Hose therapy applied using a jet of water with jacuzzi and hoses, the Vichy bath a varying shower type applied with hot-cold water and brush strokes, and Asian style Watsu are among the main water massages.

6) Floatation

Floatation cabins are usually for one person and the inside is filled with warm, salt water. Using the buoyant force of water the body floats easily. Water, heat and special bath salts create a relaxing effect on the joints and muscles. It is a method especially applied to prevent stress.

7) Rasul & Hammam

Rasul bath comes from the Arabs who improved the Roman bath culture. It combines water, heat, mud and a calm atmosphere. This promotes blood circulation and the removal of toxins from the body. At hammams the air temperature is between 40-45°C and the humidity is around 100% in a warm, marble-stoned atmosphere. Sweating, which occurs due to high humidity, stimulates metabolic movements.

Other Cares

In addition to massages and hydrothermal treatments, spas also offer types of care applied to the whole body such as peeling, body wraps, weight loss and tanning/lightening.

Body Peeling 

It is a method to cleanse the body of dead skin by abrading it with massage. During the application, the materials used to scrub off the dead skin include different granules. These can be herbal based, sugary, salty, coffee-grained or spicy. There should be a seperate care routine that is suitable for sensitive skin. 

Body Wrap 

It is the body wrapping method with certain components based on various reasons. It can be used for many different reasons such as skin detox, weight loss, relaxation, healing, cleansing, nutrition, stimulation and anti-inflammatory purposes. Bandaging, which includes aromatherapy, has a relieving effect when applied with mud, accelerates circulation with hot essential oils, softens the skin and provides regeneration when done with fruit extracts. Vitamin E and Aloe Vera are frequently used ingredients in the body wrap method.

Weight Loss 

It includes body care products that are focused on weight loss. Among the therapies included in this type are; therapies applied to the subcutaneous tissue using ultrasound waves or vacuum rollers, electrotherapy which stimulates muscles with faradic current by placing pads on certain parts of the body, pressotherapy, which is a lymphatic drainage method applied to remove excess water and detoxify the body and infrared applications such as heat and ray treatments applied to accelerate metabolism and to detox. 

Tanning/Lightening

These are treatments that include sprays and natural ways of tanning the skin and lightening methods. These do not include applications such as solariums. 

You too can experience spa applications in order to achieve a healthier body and to relax and give your body the care rituals it needs. Keep following Spatopia for more guiding content on the spa culture.