Spa Treatments Defined: Salt Glow

Recently I went to Bath and Body Works during the semi-annual sale and stocked up on body exfoliants. I bought sugar and salt glows. Yum! Now you can do these at home as I will but it is nice to have the salt glows done at a local spa. It is so nice to be pampered. If you cannot afford or have the time to get to a spa, then the do-it-yourself at home version is just as nice with a partner.

So...what exactly is a salt glow? A salt glow (also known as a salt scrub or sea salt scrub) is just about the most popular offering at most spas. It would be my first choice. Who does not want skin that feels like velvet? It is the ultimate in exfoliation. A salt glow also hydrates your skin because the salt is combined with aromatic oils like lavender or citrus.

If you go to a spa to have this done, you most likely will be on a massage table in a room with a shower. The technician will do the exfoliation one one side of your body first and then you will turn over so that the other side will be done. Once she is done, you will rinse off in a shower. It could be a regular shower or a vichy shower. Either way, just rinse. Do not soap up as that will wash away the beneficial oils that have just been worked into your skin.

I have one tip: All therapists have different pressures as they massage. Some can really work you over. The salt used in the salt glow is course so, if your skin is sensitive, be sure to speak up and let the massager know. You don't want to leave red and irritated. That defeats the whole purpose. On that note...let me go get out my new salt glow. I am going to get skin like velvet in the next 30 minutes!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~

Chinese Massage at the Mall

Have you ever stopped at the kiosk at the mall that has been set up for a Chinese massage. I did about 2 weeks ago. It was my first time. I always thought the people who did stop there were brave to face being touched by strangers in public. It looked a little odd to me. The one thing I did often wonder was now good the massage was. Was it any good to get a massage in a crowded mall? Was the person that good giving it that you could be transfromed to a place of relaxation in the mall?

Well, about 2 weeks ago I was stressed beyond belief and on a whim as I walked by I stopped at the massage place. What did I have to loose but a little stress? I might be out $20 at the most. I took a chance. There was a woman and a man there that day. I wanted to woman. She motioned to me as she was working on another customer. I assumed she woudl do me. But NOOOOO! The man got finished first. I watched him as well and he was not playing around with his massage. It looked like it would hurt. Plus he was massaging the man's butt. With his elbow!! Strange man masssaging my butt in the mall? NO!

Well, he called me over and he began. He was not playing around. For 30 minutes he gave me a full body massage in the mall, butt included. He used his elbow. Odd! The most hurtful part of the massage was my fingers. Whenhe massaged my hands, he squeezed my fingers and pulled all the blood to the tips. That hurt for 30 minutes after the massage was over.

How was it? It was wonderful. I felt transformed when it was over and that feeling lasted for the rest of the day. I felt loose and relaxed and totally worked over. It was good. Now I recommend mall massages to all I know. I plan to go again. I have an open spot set aside next week!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
~~Unknown~~