Salty and Sweet Solution to Glowing Skin

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…