Spa Review: The Spa, Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club

An elaborate citrus treatment at The Spa at Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club has everything you'd ever want from a pampering ritual

by

Anamika Chatterjee

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Published: Thu 2 Nov 2017, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Fri 3 Nov 2017, 1:00 AM

My pursuit of fitness has often led to some painful moments. Just last week, for instance, I attended a Kalaripayattu workshop (an ancient form of martial arts that originated in the Indian state of Kerala). The outcome - besides acquiring the agility to plant a kick more firmly in the air - was acute pain in my back and neck. The only assurance at the end of the day was a promising Vitamin C treatment - Royal Citrus Experience - at Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club's lavish spa, unambiguously called The Spa. The two-hour treatment had four main components - body scrub, wrap, massage and facial. I was, obviously, rooting for the massage.
Why a Vitamin C treatment? Quite simply because apart from its skin-enhancing properties, Vitamin C is also known to heal wounds and inflammation. What also helped was that my therapist Leonara was willing to try out different techniques to ease the muscle tension - for instance, one of them had her using her nails to press the stiff areas ("It further improves blood circulation," she informed me). There was considerable truth in that claim - 24 hours later, the skin felt more supple and the pain had subsided substantially.
Therapy time
Leonara begins the treatment with gentle exfoliation. Normally, the scrub is washed off before the application of the mask, but she insists it be applied right after. "The mask is absorbed better this way," she tells me. After a quick shower, an elaborate massage of the neck and back follows, where Leonara uses a variety of movements - gentle kneading, repeated circular motions and even uses her nails to press into the stiff areas on my neck. The last of the rituals is an express facial that starts with gentle scrubbing on the face and ends with a Natura Bissé citrus mask. The glow is unmistakable.
What we loved...
The package offers everything that you would want from a spa treatment. In that sense, it is pretty wholesome. Apart from being effective in relieving the stiffness of muscles, the other aspects of the treatment - the exfoliation, mask and, of course, the facial do make the skin radiant.
What we didn't...
Even though it achieved the desired results, the facial felt a little inadequate in the absence of extraction of blackheads. If you are looking for a complete cleansing of the face, this might be an issue. I had blackheads in some areas around my nose, which largely remained untouched.
anamika@khaleejtimes.com