Handmade Spa [antikvár]

' We want to encourage you to recreate the spa experience at home, using recipes you have made yourself and tailored to your own particular needs ^ ntroduction There's nothing better than the feeUng of calm, relaxation and rejuvenation brought on by a luxurious, therapeutic spa session. From a simple pedicure, facial or massage at a high-street salon, to a state-of-the-art treatment featuring the latest therapies at a five-star spa hotel - all use a wide variety of products, ingredients and applications, and are designed to promote a feeling of health and well-being. THE HISTORY OF THE SPA Spa therapies are not a new trend and, like the use of essential oils and fragrance, can be traced back centuries. The Ancient Greeks were one of the first documented, around 500BC, as using water from natural springs for therapeutic purposes, a practice embellished by the Romans with the creation of their incredibly ornate thermal baths at the sites of mineral and thermal springs. These were valued so highly that they were eventually built across the Roman Empire. As a result, thermal baths came to feature in the cultures of many countries around the world, and as the bathhouses developed, so too did the rituals surrounding them, to include massage and treatments based around steam and heat. These treatments were also enhanced by the use of essendal oils and herbal teas. In the Ottoman Empire, the hammam, or Turkish bath, took their inspiration from Ancient Rome. These bathhouses were open to everyone and served as a communal meeting place. A vigorous exfohating scrub combined with steam was followed with a body wash and massage. Some of these spas still exist today In Istanbul and Marrakesh, stunning, ornate buildings have survived, and provide the authentic Turkish bath experience for both locals and tourists alike. In Nordic countries, the spa tradition was based on extremes of hot and cold to boost the circulation. A sauna, featuring intense heat and steam, relaxed the body. Then a scrub with honey and sea salt was followed by lighdy beating the skin with birch and eucalyptus twigs, and finally a dip in a plunge pool of cold water really kick-started the circulation, resulting in a sensation of exhilaration and well-being. The spas of today are luxurious and bespoke, as increasingly people seek out experiences to help them relax, restore and rebalance the mind and body. Yet many of the old traditions continue, with the use of exfohating, steam and massage treatments found in even the most ultra-modern, luxury spas, indicating that the ideas and influences of the past are still going strong. THE HOME SPA In Handmade Spa we want to encourage you to recreate the spa experience at home, using recipes you have made yourself and tailored to your own particular needs, so you can enjoy that feeling of well-being, relaxation and luxury as often and as easily as you wish. Our passion is to create natural recipes and therapies using simple, easy-to-obtain ingredients, which can be 6 INTRODUCTION