To offset the chill of winter, take tips from the Brits: hot baths, layered “jumpers,” and perfectly brewed cups of tea. A steaming mug, perhaps with a touch of honey, relaxes and revives as it warms us from within, arming us against drafts, sleet, and snow.
Tea stimulates the immune system as it chases away the cold. It also delivers a dose of antioxidants. Brews of many varieties black, green, red, white, even herbal — have been found to fight free-radical damage and protect the body from aging.
Tasty Brew with Beautiful Results
As nutritional researchers continue to learn more about the life-extending benefits of tea, estheticians have begun to observe that topical preparations containing tea have skin-soothing benefits. As spa directors incorporate teas into innovative therapies, tea has moved out of spas’ relaxation lounges and into the treatment rooms.
The ESPA Spa at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago is located on a picturesque street at the southern tip of Lake Michigan. With bitter winds whipping off the lake, the spa is accustomed to helping its guests battle the winter chill. Each treatment at the spa begins with a “tea ritual,” designed to warm the body, calm the mind, and offer the guest a chance to state her needs and preferences. Especially popular is the Eye Lift, a welcome treat for those suffering from eye strain and computer headaches. This treatment incorporates firming and hydrating skincare products that are rich in green tea, seaweed extract and vitamin C all antioxidant ingredients that counteract the signs of aging while protecting the skin from environmental damage.
To highlight the pleasures of tea, the Peninsula Spa has also devised a wintertime promotion called “Tea and Me Time,” combining a one-hour reflexology treatment with a traditional tea service. “We wanted to offer our guests a great way to relax, perhaps after shopping expeditions, so we paired a warming and nourishing tea service with a reflexology session, which rejuvenates the whole body,” says Spa Director Melissa Jansma.
In Manhattan’s White Tea Spa, models from nearby agencies frequently request the White Tea Facial, an especially relaxing treatment that clarifies the complexion. After the skin is exfoliated with a grainy mixture of white tea and pomegranate, a white tea serum is gently applied in smooth strokes. A steam follows, and extractions are gently performed. The esthetician uses products from the Eminence Organics line, which she customizes for each guest’s needs. She is especially partial to products containing naseberry, a healing plant whose potency exceeds that of aloe.
One reason the White Tea Facial is so popular is because it includes a lengthy massage of the hands, feet, face, and back. By treatment’s end, the body is relaxed, the mind is in balance, and the skin is glowing and pure.
“Many of our guests are in the beauty business, and have to work hard to prevent break-outs and stressed skin,” says Spa Director Evly Pacheco. “The White Tea Facial is as relaxing as it is clarifying for the skin, and leaves our guests with an enviable glow.”
Nearly everyone who has visited India has enjoyed the sweet and spicy cups of chai tea, which punctuate the rhythms of the day. Many of the herbs used to flavor chai tea are also used in Ayurveda, the medicine of ancient India. According to Ayurveda, body types can be characterized by energies called “doshas.” Ayurvedic practices teach that optimum health can be achieved when the doshas are in balance, and healing therapies are customized for each individual’s dosha.
At Spa Ojai at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, the Ayurvedic Detox Body Treatment, which includes a scrub, a wrap, and a massage, not only incorporates the topical use of herbs and essential oils for dosha balancing, it also adds the dietary benefit of a dosha-specific herbal tea at the end of the treatment.
After observing the guest and asking her questions about her temperament and lifestyle, the therapist determines which type of tea might benefit her the most. The Vata blend calms and relaxes with ingredients such as clove, ginger root, orange peel, and licorice. Pitta tea comforts with linden blossoms, spearmint leaves, rose buds, and chamomile. For an energy boost, the Kapha tea stimulates with cinnamon bark, cardamom, fennel seed, and black pepper.
Even when tea isn’t a featured spa therapy, it is almost invariably served in the spa lounge. At the Caudalie Spa in New York City, guests at the French Paradox lounge (which also serves a variety of fine wines) can sip a brew made with red vine, cinnamon, orange zest, black current, and blueberry. This slimming, antioxidant tea smells slightly sweet, with a warm, cinnamon taste that chases away the chill.
Whether you prefer to sample your leafy brew on the therapist’s table, in a spa’s relaxation lounge, or at home, nothing is more comforting and soothing, grounding and warming. Whether red, white, black, or green, tea offers the perfect antidote to the winter blues.
SPA RECIPE: CHAMOMILE-GRAPE FACIAL
Courtesy of Regine Berthelot, head aesthetician at Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at The Plaza Hotel, New York City.
2 tbs. oatmeal
4 (large) whole green or red grapes
1 chamomile tea bag
1 tsp. honey
Grape seed oil (optional)
1 face towel
Mix the oatmeal with water and use this gentle scrub to cleanse the face. Rinse.
Cut grapes in half and hold one half in each hand. Starting at the middle of the forehead, move them in slow circular movements from the center to the sides of the face, on the forehead, around the eyes, the cheeks, the chin, neck, and even on the lips. Once complete, press the juices from the grapes into the skin with pressure on the whole face. The natural fruit acid will gently exfoliate and the sugar will help to hold the moisture.
Steam the face over a bowl of chamomile tea to open the pores and soothe the skin.
Apply a spoonful of honey on the face and massage onto the skin, for a healing and nourishing effect. Remove with a hot towel. Optional – Apply a few drops of grape seed oil to hydrate and protect the skin with the polyphenols.
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