Body scrubs and exfoliation: smoother skin, head to toe

Nobody's first spa booking is a body scrub. It is almost always the second or third — usually after someone else has raved about it — and then it becomes a fixture. There is a reason for that, and it is not subtle: you can feel the difference with your own hand before you have left the room.

The Siri body scrub uses a blend of exfoliating ingredients worked over the whole body to lift away dull, dead surface skin, followed by a nourishing layer of serums and oils to hydrate and brighten what is underneath. At the Viaduct you can book it on its own for $125 an hour, or as part of a package at both spas.

What exfoliation actually does

Your skin renews itself constantly, and the old cells do not always shed cleanly — particularly in winter, particularly on the shins, elbows, upper arms and back. That build-up is what makes skin look flat and feel rough, and it is also what stops moisturisers doing much: you are feeding a layer that is on its way out.

Take that layer off and two things happen. The skin underneath catches the light properly again, and everything applied afterwards — oil, serum, a whole aromatherapy massage — actually reaches living skin. This is the single best argument for the order we use it in.

"Scrub first, oil second. Every time. Do it the other way round and you have just polished off the good part."

Siri therapist team

The hour, honestly

You are on a treatment bed, covered, with only the section being worked on exposed. Your therapist works systematically — back, legs, arms, torso — applying the scrub in firm circular strokes. It is more vigorous than a massage and less vigorous than sandpaper; think of a firm towel dry. Then the scrub is removed, and the serums and oils go on with slow, calming strokes, which is the part everybody remembers.

Expect to feel slightly buzzy and pink for an hour or so afterwards. That is circulation, not damage, and it settles.

How to book it — the three sensible combinations

• Scrub alone, 1 hour, $125 — Viaduct only. Good a few days before a wedding, a holiday or a big event.
• Scrub + aromatherapy massage — Package A at the Viaduct, 2 hours, $245, or Package A at St Heliers, 2 hours, $225. The classic.
• Scrub + facial + massage — Package B at the Viaduct, 2.5 hours, $295, or Package C at St Heliers, 2.5 hours, $280 with a mini facial. The full afternoon — and if you have never had a facial, our guide to what to expect from a facial covers that half.

St Heliers also offers Package B — a 20-minute infrared sauna before the scrub and aromatherapy massage, 2.5 hours, $280 (the sauna is at St Heliers only). Many guests like arriving at the scrub already warm; our guide to massage before or after a sauna explains why the heat goes first.

When not to book a scrub

Do not book one if you are sunburnt, waxed or shaved in the last 24 hours, mid-flare with eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis, have open cuts, active acne on the body, or very reactive skin. Also skip it immediately before a beach holiday — freshly exfoliated skin burns more easily. If you have a skin condition and are unsure, ask your GP or dermatologist first, and tell us when you book either way.

And the mild disappointment worth naming: a scrub is a reset, not a treatment for a skin condition. It will not clear body acne or fix keratosis pilaris — in fact the NHS advice on keratosis pilaris warns against harsh scrubs, so if you have those small rough bumps on your upper arms, tell your therapist and they can go gently there. What a scrub will do is make normal skin look considerably better for a week or two.

Timing a scrub before a wedding, holiday or spray tan

Most scrubs are booked ahead of something, and the timing matters more than people expect.

• Before an event — book it one to three days before, not the morning of. You may be a little pink for an hour afterwards, and a day's grace means your skin looks its best when it counts.
• Before a spray tan or self-tan — scrub first, tan afterwards, ideally a day or so later. Exfoliating after a tan simply takes the tan off again.
• Before a holiday — a few days before you fly, not the day before you hit the beach. Freshly exfoliated skin burns more easily, so pack sunscreen and use it.
• Shaving and waxing — leave at least 24 hours between hair removal and your scrub, so you are not exfoliating freshly irritated skin.

What to wear is simpler: come as you are. You are covered throughout, with only the section being worked on uncovered, and you undress only to the level you are comfortable with. If anything worries you — a scar, a sensitive patch, a tattoo that is still healing — say so at the start and your therapist will work around it.

Keeping it between visits

1. Exfoliate at home once a week — not daily, which irritates more than it helps.
2. Moisturise soon after you get out of the shower: pat dry, then apply. Healthify notes that moisturisers used soon after a bath or shower work better.
3. Turn the shower temperature down a notch through winter. Hot water strips the skin faster than anything you will put back on it.
4. Swap regular soap for a gentle soap substitute if your skin runs dry. Soap can irritate dry or sensitive skin, and it undoes the scrub's good work quickly.

Pair a scrub with a warm coconut oil massage in the same visit and you will spend the following morning quietly impressed with your own elbows.

Common questions