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 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.

St Heliers also offers Package B — 20 minutes of infrared sauna before the scrub and massage, $280. Warm skin exfoliates more comfortably, so if you like the sound of that, it is the best version of the treatment we do.

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. It will make normal skin look considerably better for a week or two.

Keeping it between visits

1. Exfoliate at home once a week — not daily, which irritates more than it helps.
2. Moisturise within three minutes of getting out of the shower, while skin is still damp.
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. Drink water. Unglamorous, and it still shows.

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