Wrapped & pampered

The history of this trend began with the simple oil massages. Then came in aroma therapies,gold facials,body wraps and chocolate spas. The latter created quite an intriguing frenzy. Out of curiosity or just love for the mix of cocoa and butter,women lavished themselves with this chocolate therapy.

And now,though its popularity hasn’t dwindled,its space has been cramped by other exotic and unusual spas trickling in. Most of the spas on the new menu seem to come from the sea. Whether it’s the Caviar,Seaweed or the Fish Pedicure Spa,they are all there!

The Westin Heavenly Spa has a range of out-of-the-ordinary spas,the Rollerssage and Caviar Facial topping that list. The former is a Swedish massage that employs semi-precious stones to radiate heat to relieve tight muscles. Sweta Tyagi,spa and recreation manager at Westin,explains,“The stones used have metaphysical and healing properties. For example,Hematite is good for circulation,Tiger Eye is for optimism and insight,the love stone Rose Quartz resolves hurt and anger,and the Sodalite helps the digestive system.” This unique treatment has upped the number of appointments being penciled in. “It’s therapeutic. Guests can select the stones they want,and even keep them as a memory of the treatment,” Tyagi informs. While this 60/90-minute spa experience completely de-stresses and relaxes,the Caviar Spa helps keep wrinkles at bay. Angelina Jolie is practically endorsing it by never missing a session. Here too,expats and locals alike are choosing to perk up their skin with this rich treatment.

That this spa is essentially for mature skin is reiterated by Rakhee Khan,owner,Skinessence Garden Spa. “We can’t use raw caviar,so we apply a mash containing caviar. For the treatment to show results,one can opt for six,eight or twelve sittings. The session can go up to two hours and is priced at Rs 4000-5000,” she says.

A spa treatment straight out of the weedy sea is the Seaweed Body Wrap,available at Tequila Spa and Westin Heavenly Spa. As Tyagi dives into the details,one can’t help but step into its entrapment. She says,“After salt exfoliation,seaweed clay is applied to the whole body. You are then wrapped in a thermal blanket to provide heat to enhance the detoxification process.” This treatment can also drive away those fine lines or hints of wrinkles appearing on your face,and can help with cellulite,sagging skin,stretch marks,and even those unwanted extra inches!

Another salt-based spa is the Salt,Sugar and Green Apple Massage. Khan says,“It gets rid of skin toxins. We also have the Mummy Wrap,which is a blend of rosemary,aloe vera and some of my own concoctions. Ideal for a de-tan.”

An addition to the pampering spree in the city is Sandy’s Dr Fish Spa at Kalyaninagar. All you have to do here is dip your feet into the tank,sit back and let the Dr Fish nibble away the dead skin on your feet. Owner Sandy Pahwa says,“We have 200 fish in one tank and they gently remove the dirt on your feet. After the 20-minute and 40-minute sessions,your feet will feel extremely soft. The process does feel ticklish at first but then once you notice the effect,you are bound to come back for more sittings!”

Swimming back to land,a delicious treatment is the wine spa. Khan shares,“This tempting red wine massage cleans and opens up pores and whitens and brightens the skin.”

Even the Moroccan Body Wrap at Heavenly Spa,which uses silica,magnesium,iron,calcium,potassium,and sodium-rich clay from Morocco,moisturises and mineralises the skin.