There’s possibly no better place to indulge in traditional Arabian beauty treatments than in the desert. With that in mind, I made the 40-minute drive from Dubai Marina to Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. Off the beaten track, the luxury, low-rise venue is of Arabian fort design and nothing short of an oasis.
After passing sun-dappled courtyards and camels resting on the dunes, I arrived at Satori spa. The spa treatment I opted for was the Blissful Desert Rose Experience – long at three hours but, as I found out, completely worth it.
It began with an invigorating body exfoliation with finely ground olive pits blended with rosewater. The sensation was far more comfortable that it sounds, with the therapist relieving aching bones and tension with neuromuscular techniques, while using lymphatic drainage to encourage circulation.
I was then ushered to a private Middle Eastern steam room, whose mosaics soon disappeared as I was enveloped in a fragrant mist for 10 minutes to open the skin’s pores. A shower of organic sea kelp came next, before I headed back to the treatment room for a desert rose-oil massage, which left my skin feeling nourished and delicately scented. Fortifying frankincense was then wafted under my nose before a relaxing scalp massage and an essential-oil foot reflexology almost sent me to sleep. While prescriptive facials were available as part of the package, I instead plumped for the trio of what turned out to be skin-changing cosmetics on offer to take away.
In keeping with the Arabian theme, the cosmetics comprised a superfine Dead Sea scrub, whose almond shell granules left my skin soft and glowing for days. The star of the show, however, turned out to be the facial mask with its main components of natural black mud, aloe vera, olive oil and honey. And completing the line-up was the Bloom moisturising cream from Jordan made from sea salts and minerals.
Original article by Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane
Continue reading at The National:
From Hijama to camel-soap: The UAE’s traditional Arabian beauty treatments
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