Our Top Spa Trends For 2020

Today’s resorts and day spas have an impressive lineup of treatments to choose from beyond simple facials and massage, but if you’re looking for something different, there’s plenty of new experiences available to try out on your next holiday. Here’s our top pick of what’s trending across Australia now. 

High Tech Facials

Facials have come a long way from cleansing, blackhead removal, and enjoying a 20-minute face mask. Today’s high tech facials are more than just a temporary, quick fix; many are about long term skin care and flaw correction, from smoothing out fine lines, to improving acne scarring and pigmentation. Examples of what’s on offer today include oxygen facials, where oxygen is delivered to the skin under high pressure via a wand, red light therapy, radio frequency facials to help lift sagging skin, and skin needling for scar reduction.

Bespoke Men’s Facials

When it comes to men, they were largely unheard of until recently when it comes to facials. Fast forward to 2019, however, and facials for him are a hot ticket item, with more men feeling comfortable about seeking aesthetic treatments at a spa, and more spas having bespoke treatments available to them. Besides facials to hydrate, decongest and boost male skin, other options for men which comes as part of a spa experience today include hand and food detailing, which is man speak for a mani-pedi, and back-shoulder “facials” to help tame any problem skin.

Precious Metals

Gold, silver and diamonds are not just meant to be worn. A number of top spas around the world use precious metals in their treatments, with face masks and body wraps being the most popular. Precious metals offer deeper hydration, increased collagen production, and they can give the skin an unmistakeable glow. Examples of what’s on offer include the Kardashian favourite, the Caviar and Gold Facial, which combines caviar with 24-karat gold flakes, the Diamond Facial which uses diamond dust to gently exfoliate, and the 24 Karat Pure Gold mask, which uses strips of gold combined with radio frequency technology for overall rejuvenation.

Crystal Massage

Since ancient times, people have used crystals for spiritual and health-related rituals due to their purported energy and healing powers. There are many different types of crystals, each with its own unique properties, with spas incorporating them into a holistic body therapy combining massage with crystals, scent, and even sound. The treatment usually involves a number of different massage techniques using warm oils and different shapes of crystals including spheres, wands, and tumbled polished stones. It’s a massage which is not only relaxing but increases body awareness. Involving the entire body including the hands, feet and face, as well as the mind and spirit, for some it’s the ultimate in holistic pampering.

Salt Therapy

Salt can also spice up a spa experience. Salt therapy as been used for centuries as a cure for many respiratory problems, with the negative ions in salt believed to help people breathe easier. However salt also has a calming and detoxifying effect which improves mood, and moisturising properties which can give the skin a healthy glow. In today’s spas offerings have gone beyond salt being used in body scrubs or as part of the decor in salt lamps. Treatments can include salt room therapy, relaxation and meditation on salt beds, and using salt stones in massage.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy’s popularity has also been surging in recent years. Originally used by athletes to help them recover from injury or fatigue, involving the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy, it has recently found its way into spas to help reduce pain, remove toxins, rejuvenate the skin, and combat cellulite. A full-body treatment involves standing in a cryotherapy chamber for several minutes, while high-tech cryo facials are said to help restore radiance, soothe inflammation, and improve skin tone.

Customised Spa Treatments

While choosing a massage or a facial from a menu of spa treatments is enough for some people on holiday, having the option to fully customise your experience is a growing trend. More spas are offering customised experiences to clients, combining two or more treatments to suit individual needs or concerns. An example could include a body scrub with essential oils for dry skin, followed by a one-hour Swedish full-body massage to loosen muscles, an Indian head massage with Ayurvedic oils to cure a headache, and rounding off with a luxury mani-pedi for simple style.

Immersive Health Retreats

Retreats spanning a long weekend to a week or even longer are also becoming more mainstream today, offering people a digital detox as well as some intensive relaxation. Today’s retreats can be much more, however, helping to banish bad habits such as a poor diet, a lack of exercise, smoking, and overdoing stimulants such as alcohol and coffee. A growing number of spas are offering retreat options combining accommodation with healthy eating programs, health education, and spa treatments, with your days planned from dawn until dusk, and the focus solely on your health and wellbeing both physically and mentally.