What's So Hot About Body Scrubs?

"Receive a salt glow treatment and start looking and feeling great today," declares the advertisement. "Enjoy silky soft skin from our body scrub," states another. So what is special about these spa treatments? Depending upon what you are trying to achieve - everything.

What is a Body Scrub?

A body scrub entails using a granular substance mixed with a specific liquid with essential oils which will cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate by removing dead skin cells and moisturizing the skin. The primary base of the body scrub is usually Dead Sea salt, Epson salt, sugar, or baking soda generally mixed with massage oil, essential oils, honey, milk or milk-like product. Some spas or massage therapists will call their version of a body scrub a "salt glow" since the primary base of the scrub is a type of granular salt or combination of salts.

This scrub is then used on the body to improve circulation, stimulate the metabolic system, increases the body's ability to carry waste products for elimination, and assist with skin care issues. It also gives the skin a very healthy, vibrant look and a silky softness that is divine!

Preparing for the Scrub

The same medical precautions for massage are applied to a body scrub as it will have a similar affect to the body. It is highly recommended that if you have high blood pressure, that you not receive a scrub that has salt in the product as it could raise your blood pressure, or if you are a diabetic, a honey and sugar scrub since it could raise your blood sugar.

Scrubbing product variations could be made so that you will still be able to experience a body scrub. If you are in doubt about the body scrub product used, ask the massage therapist or spa coordinator regarding their particular body scrub and if it will be accommodating for you.

In preparing for your treatment, you will not want to shave any areas, such as your legs, on the day of your treatment. Otherwise, you may experience a stinging sensation to these areas when the product is applied.

Getting Scrubbed

In general terms, a basic body scrub can either be done in a wet room where the table used is designed to get wet or in a dry room where you generally get your massage. The type of equipment will depend upon the spa or massage therapist.

You will need to completely undress for a body scrub. However, your personal dignity will be protected by either disposable undergarments or the therapist will use towels or sheet placement to cover the areas not worked. You may be lying either on a sheet, towel, or a thin piece of plastic.

After the scrub, the therapist will either gently remove the remaining, unabsorbed scrub from the areas treated or direct you to a shower where you will be able to rinse off. You will not want to actually shower with soap since it will remove the oil residue from the scrub and ruin the treatment. Then you will return to the treatment room that has been prepared by the therapist to begin the portion of the treatment designed to moisturize your skin with a cream.

Enjoying your Scrub

You will notice after your receive your body scrub the difference in your skin. To preserve the 'glow' for awhile, you will need to refrain from activities that affect your skin such as go swimming at the beach directly after the treatment since the sand and sunlight will change your skin's exfoliation and hydration effects.

Also check with the massage therapist or spa coordinator concerning the after affects (if any) of the essential oils used in the body scrubs; such as restricting your sun exposure after your treatment to reduce light sensitivity and/or sunburn.

There are literally hundreds of body scrub products that are used by spas and massage therapists providing body scrubs treatments. Experiment, if you will, by receiving a body scrub at different establishments and then decide on your favorite.

If you have never received a body scrub before, I hope that you try it. It is an experience in pampering that is hard to duplicate, especially if you follow your body scrub with a therapeutic massage.

Enjoy!

Massage & Weight Loss

There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?

Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or loose weight.

Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.

Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight:

1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.

2. Massage improves your muscles’ range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.

Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.

Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.

3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.

Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.

4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.

5. In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. According to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.

6. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.

So there you have it. Massage has a lot of benefits that can indirectly and possibly even directly aid you in achieving your weight loss goals.

Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and loosing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.

If you haven’t had a massage lately, what are you waiting for? Get on the phone and make yourself a booking. If you haven’t had a massage before, just remember to have your massage done by a qualified massage therapist.

And remember, have fun!

Hair Loss Prevention

A thorough massage is necessary to improve the blood circulation of the scalp. By massaging the scalp the hair follicles are stimulated and the texture of the hair is also enhanced. Massaging activates the nerves and a sense of calmness in the mind ensues. This therapy is useful for people who have routine stress.

Everyday, spend about 5-10 minutes massaging your hair with your fingers. Move your fingers circularly all over the head starting from the temporal parts to the occipital area. Apply the necessary pressure to the areas. Even Yoga exercises such as the headstand are recommended for proper circulation to all the parts, especially the hair follicles to stimulate growth.

There are various types of massaging techniques, which can be followed. Indonesian style is best suited for relieving mental tension and improving the quality of the hair. The massaging steps are given below in detail:

1) Stand with your feet apart and start breathing in and out

2) Bend from the waist till the level of your head falls below the waist area.

3) Bring your feet close to each other and start rubbing your scalp with your knuckles all over your head for about half a minute.

4) Slowly start bringing your body to the normal level and continue rubbing on the scalp.

Be careful that when you are massaging your scalp, do not massage roughly. The hair fibers may split causing you pain and damage to the hair. So massage gently and thoroughly.