Mud baths, hot springs, bizarre beauty treatments around the world

THERE was a time when you’d just slap a few cucumbers on your eyes. Not anymore. Now it’s all about gold, fish and beer.

The more unusual beauty treatments from around the world.

WANT a holiday to rejuvenate and recharge the batteries? We’ve scoured the globe to find the more unusual ways of pampering your body.

From mud baths, to fish pedicures and gold facials these treatments are bound to give you that post-holiday glow.

Hot springs

Japan is famous for its hot springs, called onsens, and has more than 3000 dotted throughout the country. It’s not unusual to find Japanese soaking in the bubbling warm waters that are said to have health benefits including curing fatigue, nervous disorders and digestive troubles as well as a relaxing effect on your body and mind.

Japanese hot springs are the perfect way to unwind.

Mud baths

Mud baths have been popular for thousands of years as a natural way to heal the body. Said to have anti-inflammatory properties, soaking in the mud and its minerals helps alleviate aches and muscle pains, it also leaves you with smooth soft skin thanks to its exfoliating properties.

A recent visit to the Dead Sea inspired Victoria’s Secret Bar Refaeli to try it out posting this to her Twitter page on August 10, “*muddy* but feels good!! DEAD SEA- if you haven’t been... well, sucks for you!”

Supermodel Bar Refaeli takes a mud bath. Picture: Twitter

Detox retreats

Increasingly popular due to the fast pace of our society, these retreats offer programs designed to rid you of toxic stress to make you feel cleansed and reinvigorated.

From supervised fasting on juices and herbal supplements, to colonic hydrotherapy, liver cleansing and yoga and meditation, you’ll find many world class retreats here at home in Australia. Check out the town of Daylesford in Victoria, it is awash with health retreats. There is also Golden Door in NSW and QLD and Olivia Newton John has a spa in Byron Bay called Gaia.

Byron Bay is the perfect spot to get your zen on.

Gold facials

Receiving the golden treatment. Pic Celebrity Cruises.

Fish pedicure

Found nearly everywhere in South-East Asia, these foot sucking fish latch onto your feet and nibble at your dead skin. Your feet are said to come out smooth and rejuvenated by this ancient form of a pedicure.

These fish live off your dead skin.

Beer baths

Apparently beer is so therapeutic you should be bathing in it too. Popular in the Czech Republic and Germany, it is said that sitting in a warm tub of beer has medicinal benefits. The heat helps sweat out the toxins, the hops exfoliates the skin and the active beer yeast infuses your body with vitamins.

The Czech’s love a beer bath.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy involves briefly exposing your body to seriously cold temperatures to promote healing and other therapeutic benefits. Popular in Finland, you can sit in an icebox cooled to minus 110 degrees Celsius.

Why you ask? Cryotherapy has been shown to help improve the body’s circulation and healing and decrease inflammation of the body’s muscles and joints.

Paying to be frozen in the name of beauty.

Waterfall massage

They call it wild spa-ing. You stand under a waterfall and get pummelled by the falling water. The Sankampaeng Hot Springs near Chiang Mai in Thailand are a popular spot as is the Les waterfall in Bali.

Find a waterfall for a free natural massage. Picture: Laszlo-photo.

Ancient sand burial

In Japan and Egypt, the ancient practise of burying yourselves up to your neck in sand is said to help people suffering from arthritis and rheumatism. It also is said to remove impurities through the litres of water you lose by sweating it out underground.

Bury yourself in hot sand and relieve your aches and pains.