Science and modern technology mingle with centuries-old healing properties at some of South Florida’s top spas. From synthesized snake venom to aerospace-engineered devices, these innovative therapies tighten, tone, rejuvenate and reverse the hands of time.
ATHLETE’S GETAWAY
âme Spa & Wellness Collective at JW Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa
Runners and road warriors rejoice. Whether putting in miles on the ground or in the air, muscles take the brunt of any punishing regimen. If the chiropractor says, “You need to break up fascia on your shoulders,” this treatment is for you. Choose heat or no heat on an ergonomic Gharieni massage table, and settle in for an unusual layering of machine and hands. Using arnica oil for its anti-inflammatory properties, the therapist starts with a hand-held Hypercle Hypervolt machine and chooses from three speed settings and five head attachments to drill into tense muscles, in a therapeutic way. After all, aerospace engineers developed the Hypervolt to soften fascia, release adhesions, eliminate trigger points and enhance flexibility. If the cranium feels slightly rattled, the Hypervolt is doing its job, yet it wouldn’t be complete without a deep tissue massage that begins where the machine leaves off. Consider it part of a tune-up maintenance program to restore balance and reduce pain after being on the road in any capacity. Be sure to make time for âme spa’s Wellness Circuit before and after a treatment to partake in the Himalayan Salt Suite, Aroma Steam Room and Swiss shower, for which a spa attendant steps into a Wizard of Oz-like control room and customizes a powerful 15-head rain shower.
Athlete’s Getaway: 80-minutes, $259. jwturnberry.com/amespa
SWISSCELLSPA PRO-COLLAGEN FACE AND NECK FACIAL
Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour
The next time you’re considering Bal Harbour Shops for some retail therapy, stroll into Saks Fifth Avenue—the Cellcosmet counter to be precise—for a 1 1/2-hour anti-aging facial that features synthesized snake venom as a Botox alternative. The Swiss skincare company, which has luxury spas in many European wellness cities, introduces the patented Swiss Cellular Facial treatment to Miami exclusively in this location. Those in-the-know are whisked up to Cellcosmet’s treatment room tucked behind designer dresses and through a maze of hallways for an ultra-private session that costs hundreds of dollars in its spas. The defining difference, says Cellcosmet, is their SwissCellSpa experience, which uses a cellular treatment that recognizes skin’s hormonal identity and adapts to its physiological age. The proprietary facial uses effective, and expensive, ingredients including 100 percent bio-available collagen, active stabilized bio-integral cells and lab-synthesized snake venom. The ingredients are rapidly absorbed by the face and décolletage through creams and a cool mask to plump cells from the inside out. The result is radiant, revitalized skin with youthful effects lasting up to a week. Swiss Cellular Facial. Free. Cellcosmet at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour. Contact skincare expert Marisol Gonzalez at 201.577.6282 for an appointment.
DETOX MUDD-SAGE
Carillon Miami Spa & Wellness Resort
A wellness clinic, medical center and spa, the 70,000 square-foot Carillon Spa comes closest to the healing retreats one encounters in Europe with enough ever-changing, transformative treatments to spend a full day in this oceanfront sanctuary. One of the newest, the Detox Mudd-ssage stands out for its slimming and toning effects while floating above water. Within an expansive spa suite, a therapist slathers the body with mud from the ancient Tuscan Bagni di Pisa hot springs before gently wrapping you to be cradled in a zero-gravity dry float bed that renders the body weightless. While flotation technology alleviates stress and improves sleep, the Tuscan mud purifies, improves vitality to skin and body and stimulates cell regeneration. Combined with mineral waters from Pisa and algae from coastal Brittany in France, this amalgam of healing powers joins essential oils, ivy extract and green tea for metabolic boost, fat burning and water retention reduction. A scalp massage further relaxes during the gentle wrap, which is followed by a full body massage using anti-aging vitamin-infused cream. Before and after treatments, partake in the Carillon Spa’s thermal and Cryo experiences, including healing waters, steam and rains, an Herbal Laconian warm ceramic room and hydrotherapy circuit for deep detoxification. Detox Mudd-sage: 50-minutes, $189. carillonhotel.com.
RESTORE AND BALANCE MASSAGE
Auberge Spa, Fort Lauderdale
Medical experts have long known the healing power of sand, but beyond walking on it, the days of burying oneself at the beach are largely over. Enter the Auberge Restore and Balance massage that has you lying on a table of warm quartz mineral crystals that cocoon the body and create a customized natural contour. The silica-based crystals—the same trace minerals found in beach sand—radiate negative ions that combat free radicals. Their anti-inflammatory effects to all systems, especially the muscular system, are why they’re largely used in European hospitals to relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. The unusual and relaxing 3-D massage experience includes a full-body massage using creams infused with bergamot, juniper and sage, then Himalayan salt stones are used to melt away tension on the body’s universal stress points. Rich in trace minerals, the salt stones deliver a toning effect, release a thin veil of salt on the skin, and impart relaxation that mimics a day at the beach. Finally, quartz crystal-filled warm compresses are applied before the anti-gravity quartz table is inverted at a 45-degree angle to help subtly elongate the spine and relieve tension. Arrive an hour before the treatment to take advantage of the spa’s self-guided Vitality Ritual circuit, designed to detoxify organs and balance and restore the body. Restore and Balance Massage: 80 minutes, $179. aubergeresorts.com.
SOUND CARE RITUAL
Acqualina Spa by ESPA
The first ESPA in the United States is also the first spa in the country to introduce the Sound Care Ritual, an 80-minute neuroscientific treatment clinically proven to induce natural calming effects and help sleep disorders, pain management, stress and anxieties. The French-based music application uses the long-held belief in music’s healing powers to offer guests an array of original music compositions from which to choose. Don custom headphones and select from classical, New Age, Latin or Reggae sounds during a relaxing foot massage before stepping into an aromatherapy massage that complements the music’s healing benefits. Used by the American Hospital of Paris on patients before and after surgery, the scientifically selected music compositions follow a “U” sequence pattern, which slow breathing patterns and cardiac and brain activities before reviving them at the end. Lest you feel the benefits may wane after the treatment, you’ll be able to download an app to listen to your music at home complimentary for 30 days. Prolong the Zen feeling by utilizing ESPA’s amenities, including private outdoor spa pool with Roman waterfall, crystal steam room, Himalayan salt walls, ice fountains and experiential showers with cool arctic or warm Caribbean mists. Sound Care Ritual: 80-minutes, $250. acqualinaresort.com.
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