About Spa Massage & Treatments 

A variety of Spa Massage Treatments in a collage.

Spa massage is popular. Whether you make an appointment at a local day spa or take a vacation at a destination spa, you usually have a range of options.

Popular techniques include Swedish, deep tissue, lomi-lomi, hot stone, or Thai massage. Plus, many spas offer their own uniquely designed massage treatments. You can even get a chocolate spa massage.

Spa Treatments

In addition to massage, spas offer other treatments to help you relax and feel good, including:

  • Facials. Options may range from lymphatic facial massage or cupping to microdermabrasion.
  • Salt scrubs use sea salts to exfoliate and cleanse the skin, improving its appearance.
  • Mud wraps are another body treatment that many spas offer. The wraps can cover your whole body, or you can just get a mud facial. Mud wraps purify, polish, hydrate, and smooth the skin. The treatment may include skin exfoliation before the wrap and a moisturizer for the skin after the wrap.
  • Herbal body wraps relax and may detoxify your body, helping to get rid of excess fluid. Steamed towels infused with herbal blends or essential oils are wrapped around all or parts of your body.
  • Hot tubs, steam rooms, and saunas.

For spa-goers, the International Spa Association (ISPA) maintains a list of frequently asked questions.

If you want to create spa treatments at home, see the following books:

You might also enjoy Organic Spa Magazine.

For massage therapists who want to learn more about spas and spa treatments, the following books are helpful:

If you want to read about the spa business, there's the magazine Spa Business.

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