Sweet and Sour

And straight out of an episode of Fear Factor are the snake massages and the leech therapies,recently endorsed by Demi Moore on The Late Show with David Letterman. But here’s what takes the cake: Butt facials elegantly titled as Sweet Cheeks Derriere Facials designed to make your butts as soft as a baby’s. Here’s our list of desi exotica.

Frozen Stem Cell Facials: Everyone wants a piece of the stem cell pie. The latest stem cell frenzy is the frozen facial. The secret ingredient? Tropoelastin,a chemical from embryonic stem cells which is suffused with anti-ageing properties. “We’re importing readymade stem cells from Spain,” says Nisha Javeri of Myra,Mumbai where the treatment is available. “There is no better way to improve the potency and longevity of DNA than with stem cells.” The best part is that the stem cell facial is ideal for most skin types and can hydrate,restore,tighten and firm skin.

Hot Lava Shell Massage: For those of you who were bad at Chemistry in school,the magic properties of this treatment is due to a big bang that happens inside the lava shells when the mixture of minerals and algae with salt water and essential oils causes a chemical reaction that generates therapeutic heat for one or two hours. The treatment is usually priced at Rs 4,800 and lasts an hour.

Caviar and Red Wine treatment at Skin Essentials: Did you know that caviar is a source of marine DNA,a key element to skin cell regeneration? Products with marine DNA base are basically hydrators thus reducing the superficial lines and wrinkles and improving the skin’s appearance. The treatment uses a combination of other ingredients like gold,honey and immucel.

Fish Exfoliation Therapy: When The Godfather popularised the phrase,‘Go lie with the fish,’ we didn’t think they meant it so literally. In this therapy,Garra Rufa or Doctor Fish are brought all the way from the hot springs of Turkey where their unique dietary habits were discovered to smoothen human skin and give a healthy glow. The foot therapy is priced at Rs 600 for 45 minutes. The treatment is popular in Hong Kong and Singapore and the challenge is to create suitable conditions for the Doctor Fish. The water has to be kept at 30 degree Celsius,it has to be alkaline and periodically cleaned. One can lounge with feet in the fish spa while the Doctor fish nibble away the scaly dead skin on the feet to give clean,healthy and smooth feet.