Body Scrub
A type of beauty treatment in which the skin is cleansed and exfoliated.
Body Wrap (also Herbal Wrap)
Treatment in which strips of cloth are soaked in herbal teas and cocooned around the body.
Dead Sea Mud Treatment
Application of mineral-rich mud from the Dead Sea in Israel. Used to detoxify skin and body and to ease painful symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis.
Dry Brushing
Procedure using a natural-bristle brush to remove dead skin and impurities while stimulating circulation. This is one of many exfoliating techniques used prior to mud and seaweed body masks.
Fango
FAN-go Italian for “mud.” Treatment in which mineralized mud, mixed with oil or water, is applied to the body as a heat pack to detoxify skin, stimulate circulation, and soothe muscles.
Hammam (also Turkish Bath)
hah-MAHM Traditional Middle Eastern bathhouse. Modern versions involve a series of steam rooms of increasingly elevated temperature, wherein bathing rituals often include a scrub, a massage, a cold shower, or time in a relaxation area.
Herbal Wrap
Treatment using strips of cloth soaked in a heated herbal solution to wrap around the body. It is used for relaxation and said to eliminate impurities and detoxify.
Infrared Sauna
A type of sauna that uses light to create heat - sometimes called far-infrared - "far" describes where the infrared waves fall on the light spectrum.
Loofah Scrub
Exfoliation with a sponge made of the fibrous skeleton of the loofah, a vegetable from the gourd family. Loofah is used extensively in Europe and Asia because of its effectiveness in removing dry skin and stimulating circulation.
Moor Mud
Mud harvested from a moor or peat marsh that is rich in proteins, organic matter, and minerals. Used as a body or facial treatment to hydrate and exfoliate the skin and in a bath to ease aches and pains.
Parafango
Volcanic mud is mixed with paraffin wax to alleviate aches and pains caused by such illnesses as rheumatism and arthritis.
Paraffin Treatment
Typically applied during manicures and pedicures which uses a soft wax called paraffin. Hands and feet are submerged in the wax, wrapped in plastic and left to soak for 15-30 minutes. Warm Paraffin wax can be effective in soothing and softening calluses on hands and feet and healing dry cracked skin, especially on heels.
Rassoul (also Rhassoul)
rah-SOOL Traditional Arabic cleansing ritual in which the body is coated in mineral-rich Moroccan mud that exfoliates and draws out impurities. Followed by relaxation in a steam room and rinsing mud off in a warm shower.
Repaichage
Full-body treatment that uses a combination of clay, herbs, seaweed, and mud to deal with the differing cleansing and moisturizing needs of different parts of your body and face.
Salt Glow
Body treatment in which skin is rubbed with coarse salt, sometimes in combination with fragrant oils, to exfoliate and stimulate circulation.
Sauna
An enclosed, heated room designed to promote sweating and boost circulation, relax muscles, and release toxins. Often followed by a shower or a dip in a pool to cool off. The Finnish sauna, which is heated by hot rocks, is the most common; other cultures have similar concepts, including Native American temazcals, Turkish hammams, and Roman laconiums and caldariums.
Seaweed Wrap
Body treatment using concentrated seawater and seaweed that contains nutrients including minerals, rare trace elements, vitamins, and proteins. Said by proponents to detoxify, increase circulation, and improve appearance of cellulite.
Turkish bath (also Hammam)
Bathing procedure that involves going through a series of steam rooms of increasing elevated temperature, followed by a rubdown, soap scrub and massage, finished off with a cold shower.