If you think spa is not for men, then it’s a good time for reality check. There’s a flood of reports in India that suggest how Indian men are getting better in taking care of their skin and wellness. For there is a reason why men’s beauty products are on rise and they are endorsed by the best faces of Bollywood. The masculinity is now being redefined as the new-age men want to feel good about their body and looks.
Most importantly, when depression and stress have become quintessential elements of modern life, spas and wellness centers play a pivotal role. “As of today, most men are beauty conscious and they indulge in beauty regimes. Earlier they were restricted to only massages, haircuts and shaves but they have gradually explored and graduated to manicures, pedicures, body exfoliation, body masks and facials,” says Westin’s spa manager Jagpreet Kaur. According to a leading magazine’s survey, 35 per cent of spa goers are male and this figure will surely rise in coming years.
This summer, city’s spas are brimming with special treatments for men. Be it skin therapies, facials or stress-busting techniques, there’s a lot that men can explore. To have a reality check, we visited Westin’s Heavenly Spa that has introduced special indulgences for men. There are VitaMan’s special facials besides traditional body therapies. Walking into their massage room opens gates to heaven, quite literally. The dimly-lit space echoes elegance and regeneration through its peaceful setup and serene instrumental music. To begin with, we opt for the VitaMan de-stress face treatment. The beauty practitioner welcomes you warmly and guides you into a comfort zone.
Before applying facial ingredients, they give you a relaxing massage on shoulders, neck and upper jaw pressing the right points for good 15 minutes. Especially designed for men, this massage offers an effective, intense stretching technique using a light wax, concentrating on the upper body parts to release tension. “This is an excellent treatment for men who work with computers or to simply reduce the stress of daily life,” says Kaur.
The massage is followed by a facial treatment that uses protective and restorative extracts such as grasslily, lemon myrtle, blue cypress oil, kakadu plum and wild rosella flower. The strawberry aroma from the creme tickles your senses. Kakadu plum is the richest natural source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and an essential nutrient to help slow the ageing process. “Vitamin C is essential for the formation of proline, an amino acid that is required to make collagen. Plus lemon myrtle contains 90-98 per cent citral, which gives it a unique lemony aroma. Apart from being a wonderful mood lifter and calmer, it’s the most antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal of the Australian essential oils,” says Kaur.
Blue cypress oil is also a calming oil. It is used for a holistic effect. It calms the mind and relaxes taut muscles. Each product in their range contains specific combinations of active natural plant, fruit or herbal extracts and when possible, these are sourced directly from growers and communities who harvest without the use of harmful chemical fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic herbicides.
Nothing can beat the freshness of fruits and when they are skillfully applied on your body, you instantly feel nature’s divinity showering blessings on your soul. Their coconut therapy uses fresh tender coconut as a scrub, this scrub moisturises and exfoliates the skin gently. This is followed by papaya and banana wrap that is rich in enzymes, minerals and vitamins. This treatment leaves the skin supple and visibly brighter.
The papaya paste gives you a cooling sensation but the therapist is prompt to wrap you in layers of sheets and adjust room temperature. The body lotion is followed by shower that keeps your skin moist throughout the day.