THE SALTY AND SWEET
SOLUTION TO GLOWING SKIN
I was sorting my drawer recently and I chanced upon a few of
my old photos. There was a picture of me wearing shorts while on a family
vacation, me wearing a sleeveless top with my college friends and another
half-body shot of me in a tube blouse smiling and looking radiant.
I looked at myself in the mirror and saw someone entirely
different. What happened to the girl in the picture? She gained a few pounds,
added a few lines to her face and her skin lost its luster. I ran a nail on my
arm and it left a white line. I did the same to my leg and the telltale sign of
dry skin was evident. The glow I had before was gone. Age, motherhood and added
responsibilities made me focus on other things except taking care of myself. My
skin was no longer as supple and flawless as it used to be. I realized I don’t
even wear clothes that show-off my legs and arms anymore.
I researched online and found that the best solution to
dull, dry skin was exfoliation. There are a lot of options but, according to
the website I was browsing, Dead Sea Salt is the best alternative because it is
coarser due to bigger granules. It has a much lower sodium content compared to
regular sea salt and it contains minerals that nourish the skin. It is known to
renew the skin by removing dead skin cells. As a result, it smoothens and
softens the skin while reducing the appearance of wrinkles since salt helps the
skin retain water keeping it moisturized. It was time to head back to Body Tune
Spa.
Scrubbing Off the Grime
It was a welcome relief to step inside the spa once again. The
massage therapist recommended that I have a steam bath first to open my pores.
I was asked to remove my clothes in the massage room and to wear loose shorts
and a towel instead. Once inside the steam room, I was given a refreshing glass
of iced tea and water to sip while being steamed for 15 minutes. Soon, I saw
tiny beads of sweat escaping my pores that gradually became large enough to start
dripping until I was soaked in sweat. After a few minutes, I was ushered inside
the massage room to start the treatment.
I put on a shower cap and was asked to lie face down on the
massage bed. I noticed that the salt was mixed with oil for easier application.
The therapist applied the solution in a circular movement kneading my skin from
my nape down to the soles of my foot. Later, I was asked to turn around so she
can do the same to the other side. She asked me if I was comfortable with the
pressure of the rough salt against my skin. I told her to lessen the pressure
while she was applying the treatment. It felt good in some areas but for some,
like my lower legs, it felt a little too coarse. We soon realized that, given
my skin type (I have thin, sensitive skin), a relaxing scrub with smaller
granules like the Granular 2-in-1 Scrub, Seaweed European Body Polish or the
Oatmeal Nourishing Buff would have been more suitable. Nevertheless, it felt
wonderful when my arms, back and belly were scrubbed. There’s nothing like a
thorough exfoliation!
Wrapped in Golden Syrup
I took a refreshing bath afterwards then I went back to the
room to be soaked in honey. Honey is a natural moisturizer. It has the ability
to absorb and retain moisture keeping the skin hydrated and fresh. It is also
an ideal cleansing agent because it absorbs impurities from the pores of the
skin. The warm honey was a welcome treat after the coarse scrubbing. The
therapist poured the liquid on my body while spreading it to cover all the
areas. Next, she used the plastic cover, draped on top of the massage bed, as a
wrap to cover my body from the neck down. The wrap was done to open my pores
and to allow my body to totally absorb the lubricating properties of honey.
Then she left me to soak in the moisture, giving me time to take a quick yet
restful nap.
Smooth as Silk
The therapist woke me after 15 minutes and removed the body
wrap. I didn’t realize that I was sweating underneath it and the intense
moisture made my skin slippery. After that relaxing wrap, I went back to the
shower room. I was given a liquid soap and face towel to help me scrub-off the
excess honey. I felt the difference in my skin right away! It was so much
smoother and softer. After toweling off, I lightly scraped my nail on my skin and
was satisfied when it didn’t leave any lines. Stepping out of the shower, I
felt so clean and moisturized!
Once I entered the massage room and wore my clothes, my
attending therapist handed me a small wooden tray with two hot face towels and
a cup of tea. It was a fitting end to a totally relaxing and rejuvenating
treatment.
All that pampering made me sleepy but when I got home I had
to do one last thing before I call it a day. I looked at myself in the mirror
and I smiled because the person looking back at me resembled the radiant
looking girl in the photos. I got my glow and my groove back! Tomorrow I will
remember to look for my short skirt and sleeveless top. For now, I’m off to Neverland…
