Known for their customised spa experiences with tailormade therapies to take care of you, be it any state that you are in – Stressed. Exhausted. Emotionally off-balance or just in need for some TLC, SENSASIA Spas have it all! We talk to Salina Handa, founder and creative director to find about changing Spa Trends post pandemic.
How has COVID impacted the spa trends?
I personally believe that COVID has been beneficial for the spa industry, when we look at the bigger picture. Of course, this was not applicable to the beginning of the pandemic, when businesses were forced to close their doors, but the recovery for the spa industry in particular has been positive. There has been a significant shift in mindset. People are acutely aware of the need to take care of themselves, and most have a very real understanding of what feelings of stress, anxiety and lack of movement can do to their body and mental state. Visiting a spa is not seen as simply a place to relax or ‘treat yourself’ to a massage any more: it is held in such higher, and far more holistic, regard. Higher than it was pre-pandemic in many instances.
Are spa treatments taking into consideration issues like stress and mental health that have arisen due to the pandemic?
The purpose of a spa remains the same, but I think client understanding of the true spectrum of benefits has changed dramatically. Spa therapies provide the physical, mental, and spiritual healing that is crucial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and promoting longevity, and elements of treatments such as massage technique, aromatherapy, music and meditation can all lessen anxiety and help fight depression.
In fact, massage can provide up to a 50% reduction in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and increases the body’s production of natural ‘feel-good’, mood-stabilising neurotransmitters: serotonin and dopamine. It can also reduce physical symptoms of depression, such as joint pain and muscle tightness.
Sleep therapies have become an important part of Spa programs. What are your thoughts on it?
I agree, this has become majorly important on a wider level, although promoting sleep has been a high priority for SENSASIA from day one. We have a specific treatment called the ‘Sleep E-zzz’, where we use longer, deeper and stronger massage strokes, and play binaural beats to take the mind into a deeper state.
When choosing products and scents for a spa, aromatherapy lends itself perfectly to sleep-focused treatments, and we know the scents that will achieve this (frankincense, myrrh, lavender, sandalwood or rose geranium).
Your thoughts on technology use versus the human touch in spas?
I am all about the human touch, as there is no real replacement for touch therapy. It is what our bodies need. The pandemic allowed our bodies to miss this, and therefore thoroughly understand why we need it. Technological advancements are innovative and impressive, they can achieve results that were unheard of even a few years ago, bu there is no replacement for human touch – and there never will be.
Your thoughts on the growing awareness of using clean and natural beauty techniques and products?
I believe that it is critical to be aware of, and I am glad that people are interested in learning, what is clean and good for their bodies. I have always been committed to using and advocating safe and responsible products.
Your top 3 spa trends to watch out for.
1 – Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) in spas and face therapy. This goes beyond the skin and works on the muscles to tone and contour. SENSASIA is launching a range of tools and treatments specifically for this very soon!
2 – Immersive spa experiences. People have a newfound appreciation of the great outdoors. Spa treatments taken outside and within nature are increasingly popular, as well as the use of Virtual Reality headsets to transport our minds to wonderful places, which we have available at SENSASIA.
3 – Wellness and destination spa travel. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has forecasted a huge resurgence for the wellness travel market in the next three years, predicting spending of $817 billion in 2022, and U$1.3 trillion by 2025
Your tips to the readers to make the right spa choice for themselves.
We don’t expect our clients to know exactly what they want from us, and I think that’s why SENSASIA is a little different. Our key questions are always ‘how do you feel?’ and ‘how do you want to feel?’. We have the knowledge, training and understanding to then curate the perfect spa journey to achieve that for them. Their answers and expectations will be different each time they visit, and therefore so will their SENSASIA experience.