Spa technology – recipe for indulgence

Published: 14-Mar-2012

Spa treatments have grown in popularity in recent years, boosted by a wide range of natural ingredients. Trends include globally sourced ingredients channeling Ayurvedia and Chinese therapies, those for pampering bath products like bath bombs and salts, Dead Sea salts and clays, and products for mask and scrub formulations.

Spa treatments have grown in popularity in recent years, boosted by a wide range of natural ingredients developed to create a perfect pampering experience. John Woodruff reports

The origin of spas is attributed to the Romans who discovered the benefits of natural hot springs, such as those still found and used in Bath in the southwest of the England. However with the departure of the Romans from Britain, bathing went out of fashion in the UK until 1571 when mineral water baths opened in Harrogate.

Later in Georgian times baths were opened in Leamington Spa and Tunbridge Wells. The popularity of spas was further advanced by the Victorians but went into decline during the 20th century, in part because of hygiene problems brought on by communal bathing and possibly also because households installed central heating and constant hot water.

Spas were also popular in Europe. In Austria, France, Italy and Germany, towns with the prefix Bad were recognised as spa towns, in fact anywhere where natural hot springs or well waters with exceptional mineral content were to be found. Numerous medical and beauty treatments were associated with spas including steam rooms, hot and cold bathing and even drinking the water!

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