When people said ‘You look good enough to eat,’ they probably never meant it as literally as they could today. As spas snaffle dessert menus from luxury restaurants, offering everything from milk and coffee to mango and freshly grated coconut, there never has been a time when food was celebrated the way it is now. Here’s whetting your appetite with a few edible therapies.
Tamarind, Mint and Coconut Body Polish at Kaya Kalp — The Royal Spa, ITC Grand Chola, Chennai (Rs. 3,000++/ 40 minutes)
With ingredients similar to that of an exotic chutney to accompany those fluffy idlis , this natural and supremely edible blend is said to help remove dead skin cells, thanks to its formulation that’s packed with powerful nutrients to promote healthy skin. The spa also has on its menu a Pomegranate Sugar Scrub (Rs. 3,000++/ 40min) and a Mung Bean Exfoliation (Rs. 3,000++s/ 40min).
Gold Body Therapy with Cane Sugar at Iridium Spa, St. Regis, Mumbai (Price on request/ 90 minutes)
Gold when combined with another great love — sugar — transforms into an ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties that help repair skin. This ultra-decadent treatment involves an invigorating exfoliation using a gold - sugar scrub, made using fair-trade cane sugar to refine the texture of the skin by eliminating dead cells. The final touch is a massage with fragrant oil enriched with gold particles. Indulgent, much.
The Signature Coffee Therapy at Oma Spa, The Serai, Bandipur (Rs. 8,500++/ 3.5 hours)
The three-part Oma Signature Therapy is your very own personal journey into the therapeutic world of caffeine. Apparently, the wonder substance operates in three ways when applied to the skin — it is an antioxidant, a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor (it narrows blood vessels) that helps in reducing puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. While the massage uses nourishing oils blended with aromatic coffee extracts, the body scrub and facial that follow use coffee beans that are grown on the resort’s estate.
Spice Scrub and Sand Massage at Rait Spa, Suryagarh, Jaisalmer (Rs. 7,000++/ 2 hours)
Paying homage to the spa’s name, the second part of the treatment involves hand-held heated potlis (bundles) of Jaisalmer sand that help relieve stiff muscles. However, what comes before this hour-long massage is a fragrant, exfoliating scrub using warming spices like cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon that meld together to create a marinate of sorts that produce heat. It is that heat, they claim, that helps the body to naturally release toxins, thereby ‘coaxing’ it to return to its natural rhythms and enabling better metabolism.
Walnut and Asparagus Body Scrub at Shillim Spa, The Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa, Shillim (Rs 4,500++/ 55 minutes)
This body-firming spa scrub experience uses walnut paste mixed with the Ayurvedic herb gotu kola ( Centella asiatica ). Both elements, known for their medicinal properties, help in body-firming and skin exfoliation. The cumulative stimulating and astringent effect is said to remove excess water. The scrub is followed by an asparagus body mask that further helps firm up the skin. An ultra-hydrating Apricot Facial (Rs. 4,500++/ 55 minutes) is also available.
Mango and Kiwi Scrub at Antahpura Spa, Park Hyatt, Chennai(Rs. 3,800++/ 45 minutes)
Relying on the vast and rich ancient Indian wellness heritage, ranging from Tamil herbo-mineral healing to Chettinad therapies, the spa menu here aims at a holistic approach to restoring the equilibrium within the mind and body. And one of the most popular and dare-we-say yummiest of all therapies on offer is this virtual fruit salad of a scrub that harnesses the goodness of both fruits in one luxurious ritual. Thanks to its acidic nature, mango is the perfect ingredient to help remove dead skin and improve one’s complexion. Kiwi is the answer to your irritated skin’s needs, and promotes cell regeneration.
Rani Padmavati Milk Bath at The Spa, The Leela, Goa(Price on request/ 60 minutes)
Offering a variety of luxurious hydrotherapy baths that relax and strengthen the body, boost the immune system and increase metabolism, this spa has a very decadent ace up its sleeve. Harking back to the era of our very own Cleopatra, Rani Padmavati, the spa gives you a milk bath. Not just a great source of lactic acid, a natural alpha-hydroxy-acid (AHA) that gently exfoliates the top layer of dull, dead skin cells, erasing blemishes and revealing a softer, clearer complexion, milk is also packed with vitamins A and D, protein and calcium — all of which are easily absorbed by the skin leaving it ‘royally’ pampered and loved.
Kalpa Anubhava Coconut Indulgence at The Elevation Spa, The Tamara, Coorg (Rs. 6,250/ 2 hours)
This über-indulgent, two-hour session begins with a freshly grated coconut and sugar scrub followed by a relaxing massage using cold-pressed coconut and cucumber oil. The ritual is said to stimulate the nerves and blood vessels beneath the skin, while calming muscle tension. Designed to re-activate circulation and the flow of energy, it ends with a continuous stream of warmed oil poured onto your head. A wild rice body scrub called the Aranya Shaili Anubhava (Rs. 6,250/ 2 hrs) and the Signature Coffee Therapy (Rs. 4,375/ 60 min), using the coffee beans grown and processed on the Tamara estate are also part of the edible spa menu here.
Raul Dias is a Mumbai-based food and travel writer who is an ardent devotee of the peripatetic way of life.
