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F is for... Facial filler, fangotherapy, floatation, foot ritual and more.
Floatation (or flotation)Face mask
Facial
Facial filler
Fangotherapy
Foot ritual
Footbath
Frigi-thalgo
Floatation (or flotation)
Flotation is a deeply-relaxing body treatment that allows you to experience total weightlessness. It's like physical dreaming. Unlike floating in the ocean or a pool, where you need to contribute physically to staying afloat, this spa treatment allows you complete effortless relaxation. Having got you to this point, some flotation treatments include other aspects to indulge your other senses as well: lights, sounds and variations in temperature all help to make this a whole-body experience that should ooze into your whole consciousness. Flotation tanks allow privacy and quiet as well, which means that this treatment is often compared to returning to a womb-like state.
Good for: Deep relaxation; relieving stress on joints and muscles; encouraging easier and deeper sleep; causing your body to release endorphins, which relieves pain and may lower blood pressure, and makes you feel brighter and happier!
See also: Relaxation massage; dry floatation; hydrotherapy
Read more about floatation here
Face mask
A blend of different ingredients that is applied generously to your skin, left (usually) for around 10–15 minutes and then removed. There are many different kinds, including ones that are based on clay, oils, algae, seaweed or creams. Each will bestow different benefits on your skin. Some harden or dry out as you're wearing them, others soak into your skin. In a spa treatment, face masks often signal 15 minutes of something else and you might find that while it's working its magic on your face, your therapist will massage your hands, feet, head or some other deserving limb.
Good for: All sorts of things, depending on the type of mask, from cleansing, firming and drawing out skin impurities to deep, luxurious moisturising.
See also: Exfoliation; Facials; Gommage
Facial
A facial is a beauty treatment for your face. There are many different facials on offer at spas, featuring everything from massage to mud, hot stones and aromatherapy to Cathiodermie, micro-dermabrasion and peels.
Good for: This depends largely on the type of facial that you have. The titles and descriptions of facials give you an idea of their general intention. Pretty much all facials will cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturise your skin. Just having a facial should make you feel pampered, and most facials will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed, and your skin feeling softer and cleaner.
See also: American facial; European facial; Microdermabrasion
Read more about Facials here
Facial filler
The term "facial filler" refers to cosmetic or spa treatments and beauty products that literally fill in wrinkles and lines in your skin. The term covers creams and injections, all of which are referred to as "non-surgical procedures" -- although injecting chemicals into your skin sounds pretty borderline surgical to us. But the results of using facial fillers, both creams and injections, can be quite stunning and take years off you in a single stroke.
Different types of facial fillers
Filler creams: These are not necessarily the same as age-defying or anti-wrinkle moisturisers in that they may not offer preventative treatment. They may act as a kind of Polyfilla, resurfacing your skin. They offer immediate but temporary results. Collagen is often included in these creams.
Injected fillers: Injected fillers, such as Collagen and Perlane, can be used to plump up and reshape areas of your face, such as lips, cheeks and nose, and fill in scars. The effects of injected fillers can last for up to nine months.
Good for: This depends partly on which you go for, your skin type, and your skin's receptiveness to the product. But there's no denying that fillers can visibly and often immediately reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sometimes even quite deep lines in your face.
See also: Botox; Collagen; Non-surgical treatments
Read more about Facial Fillers here
Fangotherapy
"Fango" is the Italian word for "mud" and fangotherapy is a common treatment in Italy. Often used in conjunction with balneotherapy, fangotherapy is a spa treatment that gets the rich minerals of mud to your body. Used in baths or in heat packs, the mud is rich and thick, and may be mixed with other minerals and essential oils. Slathered on and left for 10 or 15 minutes, it makes you sweat out impurities, before you're hosed down and usually then led to a mineral bath. The warming effect of the mud can feel nurturing and delicious; or "like it's really doing you good".
Good for: Increasing circulation; softening the skin; soothing and relieving muscle and joint pain; getting rid of toxins.
See also: Heat treatment; Algae Wrap; Wrap
Foot ritual
Many spas will begin a treatment with a foot ritual. Usually involving a foot soak, exfoliation and massage, this focuses on the key acupressure points on the feet to aid relaxation and wellbeing in order to get the most out of your treatment.
Good for: Relaxation; foot care.
See also: Pedicure; Reflexology; Welcome ritual
Footbath
A favourite pre- and sometimes post-ritual treatment, a therapist will begin by placing your feet into a shallow bowl/bath of water that has been treated with herbal or plant oils. The water will probably be warm. This kind of footbath feels very luxurious and pampering, and is a pretty good bet for a therapist worried about sweet feet.
See also: Pedicure; Manicure; Pools
Frigi-thalgo
A cold wrap designed to eliminate excess water from body tissues.
See also: Caldarium; Wraps; Algae Wrap
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