There is a young spa in the Kingdom which is home to a tailored selection of treatments to fit your lifestyle and to improve your overall sense of wellbeing.
The last few decades have been filled with information urging us to help make our planet greener, so that the resources we have on earth will last longer. The same has also been encouraged with regard to our bodies — just like our planet, we only have a limited amount of time in which we can gain control of our diets, skincare regime and overall wellbeing before it is too late to change anything.
As a result, we have become more conscious of what we are putting into our bodies and subsequently how we care for our bodies. For one Bahraini entrepreneur — Habiba Al Mosawi — this concept is a particular passion. Owner of the compact, but successful Lei Garden Skin Care spa in Adliya, Habiba is a great promoter of accomplishing beauty from the inside out.
The spa’s main aim is to reach out to women to look after themselves; “Particularly in Bahrain, the diet is not great, the humidity clogs up our pores and the great amounts of pollution affect us both internally and externally. So we try to reconstruct these cells in different ways — mainly through what we eat and how we care for our skin,” Habiba explains. “Remember, your skin is your biggest organ, so by focusing on that, you are focusing on everything,” she continues.
The personal touch
There are hundreds of spas throughout the Kingdom, which for such a small country ensures a high level of competition. However, Lei Garden does seem to have an edge, thanks to the personal level of service offered. When entering the spa, you are instantly transported to planet Zen with soothing music and the sounds of running water, similar to any other spa. But you also immediately begin a ritual; a cup of tea, a wheatgrass shot (which doesn’t taste as bad as you would think and thoroughly cleanses your insides) and you are asked to remove your shoes and place your feet in the fish pond. This may sound like an odd request, but in fact the fish are of the doctor variety and will nibble away at your dead skin.
Following this “induction”, you will find your time spent at Lei Garden to be all about you — its an inside joke at the spa that every client’s mobile even mysteriously loses signal to ensure complete disconnection from the outside world.
“We give every client a personal approach and dedicate as many of the team as possible to that one client. We are a lifestyle spa, rather than a commercial one and here it is all about you and getting you results,” outlines Habiba. When experiencing a facial or massage, you will be provided with a full-body or face consultation from Habiba herself or one of her team. “It’s funny, after I ask a series of simple questions, clients will find out exactly what it is that needs to change in order to achieve a better sense of wellbeing. For example, you may find that your fast mood changes are a result of digestive problems, which can be easily fixed by amending your diet and undergoing stomach massages,” she says.
The Lei concept
At only a year old, Lei Garden seems to have succeeded in offering options for every client. On the treatment card and in the spa’s construction itself, you will see inspiration from a whole range of cultures. “Lei” is the fragrant string of flowers commonly associated with Hawaii, whilst the tea you are served and the bamboo massage is Japanese. The Egyptian influence is visible in the recreation of Cleopatra’s infamous milk and honey bath or your can opt for a Moroccan soak with a hammam from Marrakesh.
There are also copious options in terms of treatments, plainly divided by two extremes; organic products or high-tech machinery.
Au Natural
A great part of the services offered are entirely organic. Natural products are formulated at the spa itself, largely from homegrown plants. These raw ingredients create numerous organic treatments to care for the skin naturally and are available for the body, face, bath and hair. You can indulge in the usual treatments — massages, facials, scrubs, waxes and steams — but each harnesses the qualities of the natural products, as was the case with our predecessors, Habiba believes; “If hundreds of years ago women used raw products directly picked from nature, then we should go back to that today. Women had beautifully clear skin and just the basic ingredients to work with.”
The pros
– Your skin won’t be harmed in any way. Remember what is good enough to eat is good enough to treat your skin with.
– The cons
– “Going organic” can be a slow process and results may not be noticeable for some time.
The treatments available
Hydrotherapy, hair treatments, massages, hair removal, facials, eyebrow and eyelash extension and tinting and full body scrubs.
Advanced technology
Habiba has been on many courses throughout the world to develop her learning of spa procedures and knowledge of skin care. Her favourite was in Italy, where she brought back a high-tech piece of machinery which women there love; “MARTA is a great concept. Essentially, it is a piece of machinery that works with the therapist to give all of the basic procedures, plus more advanced ones. It doesn’t harm the body at all or cause pain to the client. In fact, even on inflamed skin there is no irritation.”
In today’s world, a high percentage of us are impatient and want noticeable results very quickly, which MARTA can offer. It aims to be as “lifelike” as possible — the massage tool is shaped as a hand and so offers a near-human experience. MARTA also enables the pores to be completely closed and compresses enlarged pores, which is a process that can never be entirely achieved organically.
The pros
– Gets rid of stubborn fat.
– Results are noticeable after just one session.
The cons
– MARTA therapy is possibly not as pleasurable as an original massage and there aren’t the same aromatic scents.
– You need to undergo treatment regularly to maintain the results.
The treatments available
Anti-cellulite massages, slimming, draining, shaping and firming treatment, facial fillers, reshaping, anti-wrinkle and deep cleansing facial and anti-spot remedies.
Going forward
Currently, Habiba is focusing on the art of cosmetics and hair styling, to offer clients complete beautification for special events. “I am working in collaboration with a Makeup Forever certified artist, who is currently providing the service for clients, but I am learning quickly so will soon be able to assist,” Habiba explains.
For more information visit http://www.leigardenskincare.com/
