A Healing African Wine Spa Experience

HealingEARTH contains African fruit and wine grape oils to bring back mind and body balance

After a long week a colleague and I decide to get out of the city and soothe our stressed limbs with a full body massage at the new Wine Spa at L’Ermitage in the Franschhoek Winelands, where some HealingEARTH treatments await us.

Elizabeth Brandt, an experienced hotel and spa operator, opened the Wine Spa at this five star boutique hotel to be the concept spa for her HealingEARTH spa range, one of the most highly regarded ranges of organic face and body spa products in South Africa. HealingEARTH products are created with environmental awareness and sustainability in mind.

Holistic massage techniques for mind and body balance

The Inkaba Body Balance massage incorporates different movements from Thai, Swedish, Cahuna and Alba massage techniques in order to make sure that all parts of the body receives due attention, from the head to the toes. Inkaba is the Xhosa word for interconnectivity, or navel – the central point from which all energy emerges. All parts of the body work together as a whole and the focus of the massage is to pamper the whole body and bring back balance once again.

As we lie down in the double massage room together my mind is still racing and I continue chatting. Massage therapist and spa manager Elisna reminds me to try and relax for the next 45 minutes. Sometimes it’s difficult to switch off. Elisna starts by massaging my feet using an ancient African technique called Egyptian midline foot pressure which forms part of a ritual that encourages relaxation. The smell of the essential oils is comforting and soon I give in to a feeling of complete serenity.

Essential oil blends from the HealingEARTH range is used in the massage. It includes many natural African ingredients such as Kalahari melon, Mongongo nut, marula and baobab oil, African ginger and pinotage grape oil. Blends are specifically formulated to aid the effect you want from the massage. You can choose between a detoxifying, uplifting or relaxing blend. Of course, we opted for the de-stress formula. Which did its job pretty well.

Organic, environmentally friendly beauty range and facials

Feet, legs, back… somewhere in between I think I fall asleep, until a gentle nudge gets me to turn around for some more pampering and a mini-facial. Arms, head face… even the last bit of a frown gets straightened out with Elisna’s careful massage.

We’ve combined our Inkaba Body Balance massage (R580 for 90 minutes) with a ‘Press’d for time’ Facial (R320 for 45 minutes). Products from the Healing Earth organic beauty range is also used in the facial. As with the body care range, it does not contain any additives, preservatives, artificial colorants, chemicals, parabens, petrochemicals or synthetics. Later I find out that even the HealingEARTH packaging is recyclable and biodegradable.

Nice to know is that they offer a Mother's Day special until 31 May 2010: you can get 50% discount on the cleanser (R101.50 after discount) if you also buy a day and night cream or get the Body Polish and Body Butter set for a discounted R350.00.

All the week’s troubles disappear as though on the cool summer breeze and the weekend welcome us with radiant skin and carefree smiles all round.

By Lize de Kock

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L’Ermitage Wine Spa is situated on Lambrechts Road in Franschhoek and is open daily from 8am until 8pm. For more information, or to book, call 086 126 6626. HealingEarth products are also used at spas in the USA, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France and locally at Singita Lion Sands, Kapama, L’Ermitage, St. Andrews Signature Hotel, Mantis Collection and Nyungwe Forest Lodge in Rwanda.