What is a body scrub massage?

More and more health-conscious people are beginning to discover the many benefits of Thai massage and spa treatments. As a result, the day spa industry has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the last ten years or so.

But some confusion still remains about the variety of the treatments offered by these spas. One of the questions asked most is about the difference between body wraps and body scrubs. What does each of them entail? Is one better than the other? Can I have both?

Body wraps and scrubs are two of the most popular treatments at a Thai massage and spa facility like Let’s Relax Spa. Both treatments benefit the skin, but the treatments themselves and the results are different. Let’s take a closer look to find out what each treatment consists of and what makes them so popular.

Cleansing Results of a Body Scrub

Your skin is constantly growing and replacing itself. As skin cells become old, dried-out or sun-damaged, they die off and are replaced by new skin cells. These old, dead skin cells can become trapped in the skin’s pores and can cause rashes, itching, pimples, blackheads, and unsightly blemishes.

Body scrubs use a soft, natural abrasive like sea salt to gently scrub the skin and rid it of dead skin cells. The salt is combined with essential oils and water to moisturize the skin, while the exfoliation is performed with a skin brush or loofah.

The treatment improves circulation while nourishing the skin and helping to prevent acne and pimples. 

Relaxing and Rejuvenating Body Wrap

A body wrap is a relaxing experience and one that provides hydration and nourishment to dry or sun-damaged skin. It’s also used as a therapeutic treatment to rid your skin of toxins. The body wrap is often combined with a body scrub to deliver a comprehensive skin treatment that leaves your skin glowing and younger-looking. 

The Thai massage and spa facility will apply a body wrap to any part of your body. These body wraps can contain a variety of ingredients, including mud, clay, herbs, hydrating aloe vera, gels and creams, and essential oils. The different formulas all have different properties and deliver different results depending on your needs. Most day spas offer their own body wrap creations.  

Once the formula has been applied, the body is wrapped in plastic wrap and covered with warm blankets. Then you’re left to rest for around twenty minutes to allow the skin time to absorb the healing properties of the applied formula.

At the end of the rest period you’ll rinse off with water only to preserve the nutrients of the wrap. As a final treatment, the aesthetician applies a body oil or moisturizer to the treated area.

Enjoy a Thai Massage and Spa Experience

Visiting one of the many Let’s Relax Spas in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, allows you to discover and experience the entire range of massages and treatments we offer. Find out why Thai massage and spa facilities have become so popular when you visit a Let’s Relax Spa. 

A body scrub massage is a type of massage where a body scrub is used on the skin instead of regular massage oil. The scrub has many other benefits that can help your skin reach full potential. A body scrub massage can be done at home or at certain massage parlors. The massage can be performed by yourself or with a willing partner.

What Does A Body Scrub Massage Do?

A body scrub massage can exfoliate, smooth, soften, and could even help fade dark spots in some people. Everyone has different skin and each person could experience something different from a body scrub massage. Check out this post for all the benefits of using a body scrub.

Where To Get A Body Scrub Massage:

You could get one at some massage parlors. However, you should call and confirm to see if they offer the service before you stop.

The place where most people do them is at home. They are not hard to do and you can buy the body scrub anywhere. The cost will be a lot cheaper and you will get the same results. They don’t use any different kind of a body scrub that you can get online.

How To Give A Body Scrub Massage:

Giving a massage could be a learning process for you and your partner. It can take time to learn the different techniques that work best for you. Always have patience and confidence with each other. It’s important for both of you to have a good time.

You can also give yourself a body scrub massage if you want.

Giving yourself a massage can feel great and you don’t need a partner or anyone else to help you out. You will learn faster since you are the one feeling how you are doing the massage and if you are doing a good job.

If you are giving yourself one you won’t have to worry about the different techniques as much. Just do what feels good to your skin. It’s not that important if you don’t follow the techniques down all the way.

The first 2 main things that you want to start off with is timing and prepping the skin. Both of these steps are going to be the same if you are giving yourself one or if someone else is giving you one.

Timing:

The timing can vary greatly. This all depends on a few factors; If you are performing one yourself, it will take less time. If you’re giving a partner a massage, it could take significantly more time to the prep work and cleanup. Overall, you want to give yourself around 45 minutes to 1 hour for the entire process start to end. If you are giving yourself a massage, it could take around 15-30 minutes from start to finish.

Whoever is giving your the massage is in control of the time. They are the one who can make it speed up or slow down.

Prepping The Skin:

Shave:

Before you begin you want to make sure that your skin is prepared for the scrub. You will want to do any shaving before you start your body scrub. This is because shaving can irritate your skin and you could experience a tingling sensation if done after.

Get Your Skin Wet:

It’s a great idea to get your skin wet or damp before you start. This will help give your body scrub go on smoother and can cause less irritation. You don’t have to have soaking wet skin for this unless you want to. Damp skin is fine if you want. Just use normal warm tap water, no special products are needed.

You can always apply more water to your skin at any time if you need to.

Now that we have your skin prepared let’s get started with a few different techniques that you can use. You are allowed to start anywhere and end anywhere you want. Most people start with their faces and work their way down.

Body Scrub Massage By Yourself

Face:

Take one hand and get some of the scrub of the tips of your fingers. Rub some of the body scrub onto the tips of both fingers. Gently put your fingers on each side of your nose and rub around the eyes. You don’t want to get too close to your eyes.

Once that is done, take your fingertips rub in small circles on your temple. Move toward your forehead rubbing in small circles. Come all the way to where you started from on your nose.

Once you get to your nose, use the two fingers closest to your thumb on each hand and go over your nose. Pay special attention to areas where you get blackheads or whiteheads if you get them. Once your nose is done, use all your fingers and go all over your cheeks.

You should be using light pressure with small circles. If you need more body scrub, apply more.

Neck:

Apply more body scrub to your fingers just like before. Take both hands and start with the back of your neck. Work your way around to the front of your neck and massage lightly. Use your left hand to go over the right side of your neck and your right hand to go over the left side of your neck. Apply more body scrub and water if needed.

Shoulder:

Apply more product to your fingers. Since your shoulders are a large area, you can apply the body scrub to your entire hands. Take your left hand and start massaging your right shoulder. Then, take your right hand and start massaging your left shoulder. Make sure to go to your neck and go in front of your collar bone.

Arms:

Take the body scrub put more in your hand. Start at the top of your arms by your shoulder and work your way down to your hands. Make sure to continue to keep massaging in very small circles while going up and down your arms. Flip your arm over so your palm is facing up and continue again. Pay special attention to your elbows.

Legs:

Apply some more scrub to your hands if needed. Start with one of your upper legs and work your way down to your ankle. Go up and down your legs a few times massaging them. Make sure to get all sides of your legs. You may need to apply more body scrub to massage in.

Do the same for your other leg.

Feet:

Make sure your feet are damp and apply more scrub to your hands if needed. Start by massaging the top of your feet in small circles like the rest of the body. Then, go in between your toes. After that, start massaging the bottom of your feet. Take your time and pay close attention to the bottom of your feet and heels*.

Wash Off:

You have two different choices of washing off. Some people wash off after each body part and others wash off all at the end. This is up to you. It doesn’t matter either way and is just personal preference.

Moisturize:

This is the last but very important step. This is because the skin needs help to heal itself from the body scrub. Some lotions come in calming or ultra calming formulas. I would recommend one of those. This is because sometimes your skin can become a little red after a body scrub massage. These lotions will help calm your skin down. You can apply a good hand and body lotion all over your body. I would recommend that you apply a moisturizer cream to your face as well.

Giving Someone A Body Scrub Massage:

If you are giving someone else one, you can follow these steps:

Start off with the person laying on their back. You could get some warm towels and put over their skin to relax and keep them warm. Always make sure the skin is damp before applying any body scrub before the massage.

Face:

It’s always important to outline someone’s eyes with the body scrub before you start. This gives you an area where you should stay out of and slow down when you are near it. Start by applying the body scrub to both hands and outline the person’s eyes. Gently rub your hands in circles and go over their entire face. You don’t have to follow a pattern with this step, just make sure that you get their entire face done.

Neck:

At this time you could do the front of the person’s neck and skip the back. You will have the person turn over later on and you can finish the massage then.

Shoulder:

You can also skip the shoulders right now as well. It’s easier to apply the body scrub when the person is on their back.

Legs:

With the person laying on their back you can easily go over their legs. Start with their upper legs and work your way down. Make sure to get both sides of the legs massaged. No special technique is needed. Just massage the body scrub in a circular motion.

Feet:

Move on to their feet next. The same rules apply to the feet just as if you were doing it to yourself.

At this point, you can have the other person turn over onto their stomach. After doing so you should make sure that the person has damp skin on their back before rubbing in the body scrub.

Shoulder:

Start the shoulders by rubbing in a circular motion. You can also use your thumbs to give them a shoulder massage just like you would without the body scrub.

Back:

Finish off with the back and other areas that they may want to go over again. Massage the back by small circles going up and down their back. Pay special attention to their spine and never apply a lot of pressure to the spine.

Wash Off:

You should finish by washing off. The easiest way is to finish the massage and have the person wash themselves off. This could either be done in a shower or bath.

Moisturize:

The same rule goes for moisturizing as if you were doing it yourself. Apply a facial moisturizer to the face and a hand and body lotion to the body. This is great for the skin, especially right afterward.

exfoliating brush or exfoliating glove.

If you have an exfoliating brush or glove you can use it. Make sure that you pay special attention to the pressure you are applying to the skin and it will be fine. An electronic brush can save your hands from getting tired.

Is A Body Scrub Massage Right For Me?

A body scrub massage might be right for you depending on your skin and your ultimate goals. The most common types of people who get them will have some kind of dry or rough skin. The person can really benefit if the right steps are taken and followed.

Other people who have them just like the feeling of it. This is fine as long as you follow the directions and don’t overdo them.

Many people have a body scrub done for the following benefits:

Help Exfoliate Your Skin:

This is the main purpose of a body scrub and why many people benefit from it. Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis can help remove dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin. Doing so may help prevent acne since some people get acne from clogged pores. The dead skin cells could clog your pores.

Help Benefit Dry Skin:

Some people say that you shouldn’t do a body scrub massage if you have dry skin. I disagree with that statement. Dry skin could cause your skin cells to die at a faster rate. Your body only replaces those cells every so often and the process never speeds up. A body scrub could help remove those dead skin cells and expose the new healthy moisturized skin cells. You will benefit from a body scrub massage if you moisturize afterward. You will benefit even more if you moisturize every day or multiple times a day.

Help Benefit Smooth Skin:

Having smooth skin speaks for itself. Everyone wants to have the smoothest skin as possible. A body scrub massage could benefit you that way. Smooth skin is mainly done in the exfoliation process where the rough and bumpy skin cells are exfoliated from the skin.

Help Benefit Skin Complexion:

Some people have an uneven skin tone and want to help balance it out. This could help you achieve your goals. A body scrub massage won’t be a cure to your skincare problems or any problems. But, it can be an important tool that you can use to help. Some people who do a body scrub massage say that it helps their skin, dark spots, and helps fade blemishes.

They are not the answer for everyone. They are not designed to help, treat, or cure any diseases or skin care problems. Many people say they have these benefits but you should not expect body scrub massage to be a miracle product.

If you would like more information on a body scrub benefits you can check out this post here.

If you have any doubts, I recommend that you give one a try. It won’t hurt to try it at least once or twice. You should always consult with your doctor if you have any health problems before a body scrub massage.

How Often Should I Have One Done:

How often you do a body scrub massage depends on your skin. The answer is going to be different for everyone. The short answer is you should do one 2-3 times a week and no more.

I know people have to get by with one only once a week and others seem like they can do them every other day and be fine. The best thing for yourself is to start out slow and work your way up to 3 times a week.

Don’t Overdo It:

You should have a schedule set and not do them all 3 days in a row. The point in waiting is that you need to give your skin time to recover from the exfoliation.

If you do a body scrub massage and without resting in between you could get red and irritated skin. Also you may not see all the benefits that you would like to see.

If you are going to a professional to get a body scrub massage the same rules apply. It depends on the business on how often you should go back for another one.

Always ask before getting a body scrub massage how often you will need to come back. Some will have you back more often. They may not always be trying to take your money if they want you to come back a lot. Sometimes your body will have to get used to the massage and you will need multiple visits if you’re trying to accomplish more than exfoliation.

some people have the following skincare schedule set up:
Monday, Thursday, Saturday

Is It Safe Getting A Body Scrub Massage:

Body scrub massages are generally safe for everyone. You have to follow all the directions for a body scrub massage they will be safe for you. It’s also important to read the ingredient to see if you are allergic to any ingredients in them. As long as you don’t use them too much or too often they should be fine.

If you are pregnant you should ask your doctor first before doing a body scrub massage. Some body scrubs have fragrances or other ingredients that you will want to talk to your doctor first before using.

Sensitive Skin:

Some people have extremely sensitive skin, if that is you it’s always best to take a small amount and test a patch on your skin to see how you will react to it. If this is you, you can always try to apply lighter pressure when doing the massage on yourself. If you skin is still too sensitive for your skin you could try and use a body scrub massage that is made for your lips. These products use an exfoliator that isn’t as coarse as the others.

Studies:

I have found no studies where a body scrub massage is bad for your health. A few problems can occur during a body scrub massage if your not familiar how to do them. You can cause redness or even permanent scarring in certain situations if you aren’t careful.

An example would be to never use do a body scrub massage on open skin. This can include any sores you may have on your skin such as scabs, scratches, or sunburns. The reason is the skin is trying to heal itself and a body scrub massage will be too abrasive and could cause a scar. You don’t have to worry about getting a scar from using a body scrub massage on normal skin. You could experience red marks and soreness if you press down too hard on the skin.

Many people do body scrub massages and never have a problem with them. The only problem most people have with doing a body scrub massage is that they use them too much or too hard.

When Not To Get A Body Scrub Massage:

The best time to avoid a body scrub massage is if you have any skin problems. This can either be a self-given body scrub massage or a body scrub massage given by a professional. Some common skin problems include irritated skin. Your skin can become irritated in many different ways. If you have body scrub massages too often or you can have irritated skin from nothing to do with a body scrub massage. A good way to tell if you have irritation is to look at your skin. Is it red? Itchy? painful? Or does it just look different? If you have any of those symptoms it’s best to avoid a body scrub massage and if the problems still persist contact your doctor right away for treatment.

Sunburn:

A body scrub massage should also be avoided if you have a sunburn on your body. At least perform the body scrub massage far away from the sunburn if you do have one. A sunburn can be extremely painful and even start blistering.

Some body scrubs have ingredients such as lemon in them to help and that is an ingredient that you don’t want to apply on open skin. Other ingredients such as alcohols could also cause extreme burning to the skin. Sometimes the sunburn makes the skin peel and if you do a body scrub massage, it will go too deep into the skin and could cause irritation or even permanent scarring.

Your sunburn should be fully healed before you decide to get a body scrub massage. Even then it could be a little tender or painful where the sunburn was.

Chemical Peels:

If you get chemical peels done or apply any types of chemical peel products to you skin, you should avoid a body scrub massage. A chemical peel can days or even weeks to fully heal.

It’s always best to ask the person giving you a chemical peel when you can do one.

Most of the time you will want to avoid it altogether until after you’re done doing chemical peels. Chemical peels do exfoliating to the skin as well. They can go a lot deeper and be more dangerous for the inexperienced person to perform.

Doing a chemical peel and then a body scrub massage will be just too much for you skin to handle. Some of the ingredients can hurt, burn, or sting when applied right after a chemical peel.

After Tanning:

After certain types of tanning you should avoid doing one. The best time to do a body scrub massage is right before you start tanning. This will help you prepare your skin for the tan.

The types of tanning you should avoid are self-tanners and spray tanners. This is because a body scrub massage will remove dead skin cells on the top layer of the skin. When you get a self-tan or spray tan the product could turn out unevenly and very noticeable.

You shouldn’t have a problem with regular tanning under the sun or a tanning bed since those are more like a natural tan. No product or anything is applied to your skin that a body scrub massage could mess up.

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