the Best Spa Treatments

By: Laura Evans

There isn't anything quite like the luxurious pampering of going to spas. Spa treatments can not only improve your health and appearance, but they can be incredibly relaxing.

Spa Facial Treatments
Facials are designed to clean and moisturize your skin. In addition, facials also remove the rough, dead skin that is on the surface of your face. The result is a soft, glowing appearance.

At its simplest, a facial consists of cleansing the skin, a steam bath and a facial massage. The next step up would be to use hypoallergenic moisturizers on your skin.

From here, spa facial treatments can get more interesting. You can choose from paraffin facials, where a paraffin mask is applied to your face to help seal in special treatments such as rejuvenating creams. In addition, the paraffin itself helps to soften your skin. An aromatherapy facial uses special oils to heal the skin, promote skin growth and relax you at the same time. A collagen facial includes applying a masque over freeze dried collagen to protect your face against harmful environmental factors and the aging process.

Spa Skin Treatments
Skin treatments can make your body glow. One type of skin treatment is a body scrub. Body scrubs, using gentle abrasives such as salt, remove the dead surface skin, resulting in a softer body with increased circulation. The salt may include other ingredients such as rosemary, seaweed or lavender.

Another skin treatment option is body wraps. Your body will be slathered with mud, creams or liquids and then you will be wrapped tightly in a blanket for a period of time that averages between 20 and 40 minutes.

Other Spa Beauty Treatments
One of the most popular treatments at spas is a massage. You have several types of massages from which to choose. Swedish massage techniques include massaging muscles against underlying muscles and bones. In addition, the masseuse applies pressure in the direction that your blood flows to your heart. The result is an increased flow of oxygen.

Shiatsu is another popular type of massage. This technique, which was developed in Japan, uses fingers and thumbs to apply pressure to muscles. In addition, a masseuse might use his or her elbows, palms, knees or feet while massaging.

When you go to spas, look for package deals. You not only will be able to enjoy more spa treatments, you will also get more bang for your buck.