By Sarene Kloren – Les Nouvelles Esthetiques
It is well known that celebrities enjoy the best of the best, and never more so than when they’re pampering themselves. Whether they have endured a long day on set, countless hours of interviews or hours in the make-up room, celebrities believe in the art of indulgence and know exactly where to find it. Most celebrities seek out exclusive, unique holistic experiences tailored to their requirements.
We have found a few of the places that are on the top of the celebrities list to spa around the world.
Goldeneye, Jamaica
Ian Fleming’s former home draws celebrities from around the world, including Kate Moss, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Martha Stewart, all of whom have stayed at the Villa, where Fleming wrote his James Bond novels.
The Field Spa is located across the lagoon with open air treatment rooms. The spa without walls is an exclusive sanctuary that offers a full range of treatments and energy therapies. Built into the natural landscape, guests can stand-up paddleboard, kayak or swim through the lagoon to arrive at the spa from their suite for a Cooling Ocean massage or Awakening facial.
All food that is served is produced on their own private organic farm.
The Como Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos
Celebrities Donna Karan, Bruce Willis and Keith Richards were so captivated by the postcard-perfect turquoise waters and white sand beaches that they built homes on the private-island resort of Parrot Cay.
The therapists at the Shambhala Spa hail mainly from Thailand and treatments have an Asian influence. Set in a pavilion overlooking the island’s wetlands, guests can practice yoga in a treehouse studio with the world’s leading teachers.
Miraval, Tucson
Miraval draws celebs like Oprah and Ellen. It’s also popular with health conscious celebs like Giuliana Rancic, who bring their workout gear for the fitness and yoga classes.
While some celebs go to lose a few kilo’s and relax, many go to face their fears via the Challenge Course activities, which include jumping from a free-standing pole and the Equine Experience, where interactions with horses help them to overcome fears and learned behaviours.
The wide selection of treatments on offer include a range of Ayervedic treatments, with their signature treatment being the Ultimate Ayurvedic Treatment – a collection of vital elements of Ayurvedic therapies, beginning with an Abhyanga massage to loosen toxins and increase circulation, Marma point therapy to cleanse and balance energy, followed by Shirodhara therapy – pouring a soothing stream of gently heated oil over the forehead to deeply relax and balance the nervous system. Finally, the well-rested celeb’s body is cocooned in a warm wrap to strengthen the healing properties of the treatment.
Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu
This is the place where VIPS and celebs are given the space to completely get off the grid for a few days as there’s no cell phone reception at the Ranch, despite it being located in central California. The aim is to totally switch off at this intensive boot camp, a philosophy which appeals to A-list stars like Patrick Dempsey, who like a challenge.
The program comprises of four to five hours of group hiking, core and ab work, weights, daily group yoga sessions, private afternoon massages and a daily rest.
They believe that stimulating the mind and body through sustainable exercise the metabolism will be enhanced to cleanse and detoxify the body, allowing for healthy weight loss, resulting in a heightened sense of mental wellness, clarity and serenity.
No more than sixteen guests are admitted at any one time for the week-long program, which includes a diet of no alcohol, dairy, sugar, gluten, or caffeine.
Sanctuary on Camelback, Paradise Valley, Arizona
Jay-Z and Beyoncé chose to honeymoon in one of the private mountainside estates at this boutique-hotel-style resort in Arizona. Guests can enjoy the tranquillity of the Asian-inspired spa with a relaxing meditation garden and watsu pool whilst experiencing spiritually-infused treatments.
The star-studded facilities offer Olympic Gold Medalist swimming coaches, a triathlon training program and trainers who will put guests through their paces on Reformer Pilates machines.
Food is prepared by Iron Chef America winner Beau MacMillan, who emphasizes brain-healthy ingredients in his Health and Wellness menu – devoted to organic produce, sustainable seafood, and hormone-free meats. There’s also Asian-influenced spa cuisine, with vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Cal-A-Vie, Vista, California
Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman escape to Cal-A Vie to enjoy life’s little luxuries like private villas furnished with French Provencal antiques, calorie-controlled cuisine that’s customized to their wishes and personalised workout programmes. With five staff members for every one guest and only thirty two villas, every wish is instantly met at this sophisticated Mediterranean-inspired facility in southern California. The daybreak hikes through wildflowers and hills are followed by group fitness classes—from spinning and kickboxing to fusion cardio-core classes.
The award-winning Spa was voted number 2 in the world by Conde Naste traveller. Offering tailor made spa packages, each treatment incorporates natural plant and sea extracts and aromatic oils. Facial treatments include the Sensitive Soothing with handmade fan brushes that glide over the skin in swirling arabesque movements to increase awareness of the nerve endings.
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, Queensland, Australia
Australia’s Gold Coast enjoys three hundred days of sunshine every year, attracting both Aussie surfers and celebrities alike – Hugh Jackman enjoyed Gwinganna so much that he bought the holistic-living resort, and Nicole Kidman has become a regular guest.
At the exclusive indoor/outdoor thirty three room organic spa, the Australian Spirit of Sound treatment uses rain sticks and basalt stones to massage guests while headphones emit a trance-inducing rhythm.
The menu of organic, low-human-intervention food results in meals that experience little to no changes from its place in nature to the plate. There’s also a canopied rainforest nearby, where guests can spot wallabies while being serenaded by hundreds of native birds.
Ananda Spa, Ananda in the Himalayas, India
Ananda is only a few kilometers miles away from Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga, so it’s no surprise that celebrities like Uma Thurman, Heidi Klum and Ricky Martin can be counted among its fans. The spa, which is set in a Maharajah Palace, is an oasis of healing and meditation. Guests leave feeling refreshed after a week of yoga, Ayurveda and Vedanta. In addition to finding inner peace at this luxury resort, those who stay will also find intense relaxation in the form of reiki healing, traditional Indian treatments like Mukh Lepa (a specialized dosha specific herbal lepa or mask is applied to the face to bring out the beauty within) and amethyst rejuvenation therapy.
Capella Pedregal Auriga Spa, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The Auriga Spa at Cabo San Lucas’ Capella Pedregal resort offers celebs a place where they can truly get in tune with their body, attracting spiritually aware celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Oprah Winfrey and 50 Cent. Signature treatments are not only inspired by the phases of the moon, but incorporate chakra alignment, sound therapy and acupressure. Guests are also offered the opportunity to meet with and be treated by the resident local healer – who creates herbal remedies through traditional Mexican folk practices.
SHA Wellness Clinic, Alicante, Spain
The SHA Wellness Clinic became Europe’s first macrobiotic spa when it opened its doors in November 2008, attracting celebrities like Simon Cowell, supermodel Naomi Campbell and Kylie Minogue for personalized exercise and diet programs, flotarium and oxygen bar. This world-renowned medical spa offers every kind of treatment from traditional Chinese medicine techniques to Hydrotherapy, Shiatsu and Anti-cellulite massages. Every stay is tailored to the guest’s unique, personal requirements.
The Grand Spa, Tabacón Resort, Tabacón Costa Rica
The Grand Spa in Costa Rica is a favourite amongst celebrities for a reason: it is 100% completely unique. This eco-resort embraces nature as it sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano and is also close to the Tabacón Hot Springs. Environmentally friendly jet setters like Will Smith are regular guests, indulging in one of the many global spa treatments, including the Indian Shirodhara, Lomi Lomi from Hawaii and Balneotherapy, utilising the region’s hot springs. The Grand Spa incorporates the Arenal by including a Volcanic Mud Wrap on its treatment menu.
Acupuncture, Cupping & Lifestyle by Joshi
Loved and trusted by the A-list, Joshi has been a prominent figure on the holistic side of Harley Street for years (he used to treat Princess Diana). The Joshi Clinic offer a complete ‘life overhaul’ using a bespoke combination of diet, holistic and alternative therapies.
Joshi’s Holistic Detox “21 Days to a Healthier, Slimmer You”, attracts stars and supermodels from all over the world to his Wimpole Street clinic. It has transformed the lives and health of celebrities such as Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ralph Fiennes.
It is based on avoiding foods that are refined, acidic, allergenic and related to potential food intolerance’s such as wheat, potatoes, red meat, alcohol and diary produce. The idea is to alter the PH balance of the body from acid to alkaline; helping to flush toxins that are potentially bad for the system, restoring energy levels and losing weight.
Bold Brows at Blink Brows VIP bar Selfridges
Brow shapes really can give an ‘instant lift’ to the whole face. Blink Brow Bars are scattered across the United Kingdom but the stars choose privacy at the Blink VIP bar in Selfridges. The Bold Brow Treatment includes a thread, tint and perfecting finishing pencil. Fans include: Emma Watson and Patsy Kensit.
Celebrity Treatments:
Celebrities often lead the way in experimenting with new cutting edge treatments to optimise health and healing. The ever-youthful looking Demi Moore revealed she tried a leech treatment while in Austria. Medical leeches are credited with detoxing the blood.
Kate Hudson was known to have prepped her skin with an exfoliator containing ruby crystals for cell renewal and long-lasting hydration with hyaluronic acid.
Gwyneth Paltrow regularly indulges in Bode Oxyjet Facials to reduce fine lines and wrinkles at Eve Lom in London. Oxygenated crystals exfoliate the skin and pure oxygen is then pumped into the deepest layers of the epidermis by a vitamin-packed serum and a high-pressure oxygen jet.
Gwynth Paltrow also visits the Elemis Day Spa in Mayfair, London to experience the Elemis Arabian Jewel Ritual, for two and a half hours of pampering. It begins in the exquisitely decorated steam temple where different coloured medicinal muds are applied to specific areas of the body as the steam gently opens the pores, cleansing the respiratory system.
After a warm shower the next step is an Exotic Frangipani Body Nourish Wrap – a deliciously-scented concoction of Coconut and Frangipani flowers drench into the skin whilst enjoying a relaxing foil wrap or dry float.
The final stage is a divine Well-being Massage using warmed massage oils tailored to the client’s needs.
The latest beauty craze to sweep Hollywood is Oil Pulling – the ancient Ayurvedic technique for oral health. Said to help improve gum health, whiten teeth and generally draw toxins from the body, oil pulling is the process of swilling about a teaspoon of coconut oil around the mouth for twenty minutes before spitting it all out into a bin.
The Intraceuticals Rejuvenation Infusion Facial machine is used to pump Hyalunronic Acid (which can hold up to 1000 times its weight in moisture) into the skin followed by essential vitamin serums to plump and lift the skin.
Fans of the brand include Katy Perry, Eva Longoria and Justin Timberlake. Madonna and Victoria Beckham are said to love it so much that they have purchased their very own Intraceutical machine.
