Herbal Baths at the Spa or at Home

Wed. July 16, 2003 12:00 AM by Rodney Washington

An herbal bath is a wonderful way to relax and reconnect with you after a hard day, a long plane trip or just a great way to treat yourself. There truly is an art to bathing and in today's harried world we live in where showers are the norm taking the time to luxuriate in a nice bath may seem like an indulgence that your schedule rarely permits.

We'll feature in this article some of the best herbal baths available in today's most popular spas; also you'll learn how you can create a great spa herbal bath for yourself at home.

The following is a round up of spas that offer the best herbal bathing experiences:

Burke Williams Spa - West Hollywood, Ca (323) 822.9007 Offers a variety of herbal baths ranging from herbal, seaweed, milk or Fango Mud, all baths are $35 and are available only as a add-on service with another spa treatment or massage. Your water is set to temperature and fragrant oils are added to the water. A spa attendant will provide with cool cucumber or citrus water to drink and a cool compress with chilled cucumber slices for your eyes and forehead.

Four Seasons Resort - Jimbarran Bay, Bali, Indonesia 62 (361) 701010 Rain Shower treatment begins with a Sea Salt Scrub followed by the soothing experience of a gentle rainfall, to create a meditative and deeply relaxing sense of overall well being. Continue with an Aroma Massage with Bali Sunset Oil, followed by a soak in a lavender bath with flowers from our Spa Garden. Finish with a Lavender Lotion moisturizer.

Aqua Day Spa - Santa Monica, Ca (310) 899.6222 Kräuter Kur 80m Price: $170.00 Fragrant chamomile is swirled over the body in a gentle scrub which cleanses, buffs, and readies the skin to absorb the benefits of the Kräuter bath - a potent herbal remedy of pine, wildflower, melissa, or chamomile. Rehydrated and refreshed, you're in the perfect state for an application of luxurious lavender oil.

Mandarin Oriental Miami - Miami, FL (305) 913.8332 Marine Hydrotherapy bath (25mins), Price: $65 your aromatherapy bath (treated with salt and essential oils) takes place in a private suite where you can totally relax and concentrate in the multi-jet bath. We recommend precluding this treatment with a massage

Olas Spa at the Caribe Hilton - San Juan, Puerto Rico (787) 977.5500 As an elixir of eternal youth, this milk and almond hydrotherapy tub treatment leaves muscles relaxed and skin totally hydrated and soft, pure to the touch. 55 min. /$125

Aventura Spa Palace - Km 72, Carretera Cancun Cancun, Mexico (800) 635-1836 or (305) 374-6882 Balneotherapy for men (50 mins) $98 Hydrating treatment for the entire body leaving the skin smooth and moisturized. This treatment begins with a complete exfoliation, which is followed by an invigorating bath enriched with essential oils made from mandarin, pecan, musk, lime and lemon. A rich-hydrating cream tops off this treatment.

Tips on How to Prepare your own Spa Style Herbal Bath at Home:

1. Make certain that you have at least an hour of uninterrupted time.

2. Gather your favorite scented candles. We recommend Essential-Stuff's; their Wicked line of candles try Cucumber/Lime is heavenly.

3. Keep plenty of fresh clean towels handy. You'll want them to keep you warm after your bath. A fluffy robe is preferable.

4. Draw your bath water to temperature that's comfortable for you not scalding but hot enough to induce deep relaxation.

5. Music always enhances the mood and sets the stage for a relaxing bathing experience.

6. You can use almost anything in your bath water from natural essential oils like Lavender which has a great calming effect to Rose, Lemongrass or Orange essential oils, just to name a few.

If you suffer from dry skin try adding a little sweet almond oil to the water it offers a great after bath moisturizing effect. You can also use any number of off the shelf bathing products that come prepared with herbal properties of essential and moisturizing oils and body butters.

We recommend our bath bombs from our spa line of products, is all you need to turn any ordinary bath into a luxurious herbal bathing experience.

We hope these tips will help make the most out of your bathing experience.

Excerpted from the web site SpaFitnessTraveler.com by Rodney L. Washington (Here & There Travel Publishing)
 

MORE CONTENT AFTER THESE SPONSORS