Other Things You Should Know About Body Polishes

Other Things You Should Know About Body Polishes

• Some spas do body polishes in a room without a shower and remove the exfoliant with steamed towels.
• You can get a body polish on its own, but often it's the first step in a body wrap , often a seaweed or mud wrap.
• You can also combine a body polish with a massage. Get the body polish first because it is stimulating, whereas the massage calms you down. Some spas have signature treatments that combine both body polish and massage.
• Salt and other exfoliants can be abrasive, and some therapists have a heavier hand than others. Individuals also differ in their skin sensitivity. If it feels too harsh, speak up

What Happens During a Body Polish?

What Happens During a Body Polish?

A body polish usually takes place in a wet room, which has a tile floor and a drain. The therapist may offer you disposable underwear, the leave the room. You will start face-down on a massage table covered with a towel, a sheet or a thin piece of plastic, or on a special wet table that has a Vichy shower overhead. In that case you won't have to get up to be rinsed off.

The therapist will return and start by gently rubbing the exfoliant on your back, the backs of your arms, and the backs of your legs and feet. You are draped with a towel or sheet, so only the part she is working on is exposed. Then you turn over and she does the other side.

When the therapist is finished, you usually step into a shower to rinse off. Be sure to rinse thoroughly so you don't take little granules back to the table. And don't use shower gel -- it's good to keep the oil and aromatics on your skin. If the spa is doing the treatment on a special wet table, the therapist will either rinse you off with a hand-held shower, or turn on a Vichy shower.

If you step into the shower, the therapist will put clean sheets on the treatment table while you're showering and step out of the room again. You dry off and lie face-down on the treatment table underneath a sheet or towel. Then the therapist returns and applies body lotion or oil.

Body Polish: What Is A Body Polish?

Lay Back, Relax and Enjoy the Scrub

A body polish is a popular body treatment that exfoliates and hydrates your skin, leaving it smooth and soft.

A body polish is primarily a treatment for the skin -- sort of like a facial for the body. It should not be confused with a massage,

A body polish can be done with any number of materials -- salt, sugar, coffee grounds, rice bran, pecan hulls -- usually mixed with some kind of massage oil and aromatic like essential oils. If the polish uses salt, it might be called a salt scrub, salt glow or sea salt scrub. The exfoliation is usually followed by a shower and an application of body lotion

Things To Watch Out For With a Body Wrap

Things To Watch Out For With a Body Wrap

* Don’t expect a body wrap to be a massage. You can get both treatments – body wrap and massage -- or look for signature treatments that include scrub, body wrap and massage.

* If you have claustrophobia, this may not be the right treatment for you.

* You might be left alone during the treatment. If that bothers you, ask before you book the service.

What Happens During A Body Wrap?

What Happens During A Body Wrap?

Often a body wrap begins with exfoliation through dry brushing or a salt scrub. You lie down on whatever you will eventually be wrapped in – often plastic or mylar, but sometimes towels or sheets.

I think it’s best when a massage therapist does the body wrap, because they naturally incorporate massage techniques as they apply the product. An esthetician, on the other hand, is not trained in massage. She is simply applying product to the skin.

Once the product is on, you’re wrapped to stay warm, usually for 20 minutes. Oftentimes the therapist leaves the room, but sometimes they stay and give you a scalp massage (much better, in my opinion!)

When the time is up, you’re unwrapped and the body mask has to come off. This is why they often take place in wet rooms, equipped with a shower, wet table, or Vichy shower. You might either jump in a shower or the therapist will rinse you off with a handheld shower or a special Vichy shower that feels absolutely fabulous. It’s like taking a shower lying down. Then you dry off, and there’s usually an application of lotion to moisturize your skin.

What are the Benefits of a Body Wrap?

What are the Benefits of a Body Wrap?

Body wraps that use algae, seaweed, mud or clay are detox treatments that help rid the body of toxins through metabolic stimulation. *

Body wraps using shea butter and rich lotions are hydrating treatments geared towards softening the skin.

Sensual Massage

Sensual Massage by Kaile Dutton and Jodi St. Onge

A sensual massage can be an effective tool in foreplay, where the gentle massaging of the body activates the senses. The massage soothes and relaxes your mate, creating a stronger connection for deeper intimacy. Before getting started, it is essential to create ambiance, an important part of the stimulation process. Dim the lighting, light candles, play soothing music, and burn incense.