Embracing the body beautiful

There are spa treatments that are designed purely to be relaxing; there are other spa treatments that are definitely more results based. But when you’re really lucky, you stumble across the holy grail of treatments – one that manages to combine relaxation and results in a way that makes you wonder why you’d ever opt for only one of the former ever again. At Open Spa – the luxury wellness centre in Ibiza Gran Hotel – that treatment is the Belleza Corporal Pure Detox Wrap Experience, using luxurious, natural Anne Semonin products. Detox is a word that is bandied about frequently in Ibiza. People drink detox juices and follow detox diets, they embark on weekend or weeklong detox retreats and then of course, there are those people who go home needing a detox after spending time on the island’s famous party scene. So it’s no surprise to find a spa treatment catering to fans of detoxing – however this 80-minute all-over experience is not akin to any suffering or hard work. Quite simply, all you have to do is lie back and relax as you let your therapist and her carefully selected mix of products do the rest.

As with all treatments at the luxurious Open Spa, your experience begins from the minute you slip into that big fluffy white robe and take a seat in the low-lit relaxation space, where you’re given some valuable moments to start to embrace the relaxation process before being led down a beautifully fragrant corridor to your spacious and chic treatment room. After a quick walk-through of the treatment you’re about to undergo, de-robing is next and you can settle onto the massage bed between the cool, soft sheets. First up comes a stimulating sea salt full body scrub – a process that gets your blood circulating and sloughs away any dead skin cells, ready to reveal the fresh flowing skin beneath. The fresh, zingy scent of peppermint and lemongrass starts to fill the room as the therapists works her way in long, rhythmic, even strokes all over your body – from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes (some people find the scrub a little tickly in this region). Flip from front to back and the process is repeated, leaving your skin with a tingly, warm sensation while your mind starts to drift away.

The next stage of the treatment is the star of the show, so to speak, and although you’re lying on a bed with your eyes closed and covered with a soft towel, it’s almost impossible not to wonder what your body looks like at this moment. You see, the Anne Semonin Spirulina body mask is a thick, gloopy camouflage green mixture that almost looks a little like mud. On the skin however, the mask has beautifully cooling properties that instantly sink into your freshly buffed skin, and as the therapist applies it gently all over your body, the sensation is so relaxing it sends many people to sleep. Chock full of powerful marine ingredients – including the superfood Spirulina and green algae – the mask has been designed to purify the skin, draw out any toxins, restore moisture and elasticity and ultimately, reduce inches. It makes you wonder – why would anybody drink Spirulina if you can slather it all over your body like this instead? Joking aside, once you’ve been suitably covered in the mask and look more like some kind of creature from the deep sea, your therapist wraps you snugly in sheets that help activate the ingredients and then gets to work on a deeply relaxing foot massage while the products get to work on a cellular level.

Once you’re done, the shower (conveniently inside the treatment room) awaits and it’s here where you can see the thick, gloopy Spirulina mix slip away easily from your skin to reveal the softest, smoothest skin beneath. Emerging from the shower is almost like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon – you feel refreshed, energised and embracing the body beautiful. And yet, the treatment is still not over… The final stage of the Belleza Corporal Pure Detox Wrap Experience is an all-over, localised body massage designed to improve circulation and reduce any inflammation in the tissue. The silky smooth Anne Semonin body oils used during this final stage of the treatment again fill the room with the rich scent of essential oils and leave your skin feeling like butter. As you slip back into your robe and return to the warmth of the relaxation room for a herbal tea before returning to reality, you feel as if you’ve been restored the skin you were in on the day you were born.