Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

5 SPA Trends for 2019 Reveal People Look for Nature Immersion and Overall Wellbeing

In the recent years, wellness industry has been growing more rapidly than ever. At the same time, the focus of SPAs has shifted from beauty to overall transformative wellbeing, creating a new set of tendencies that will be driving SPA world in 2019.

Northern Europe - on the forefront of SPA innovations - has already been embracing some of the trends of the upcoming year.

“This year, we have been observing the “back to nature” SPA trend. We often hear from our guests that their SPA hotel choice depends on the proximity to a forest and the type of natural treatments it can offer. We believe that in 2019 this trend will keep evolving and people will crave nature as a source of wellbeing, both in their surroundings and their treatments”, said Kęstutis Ramanauskas, Director of Health Resort in Druskininkai, Lithuanian SPA town that has centuries-old wellness traditions.

According to SPA and wellness experts of Druskininkai, these are the five main trends they expect to see growing in popularity in 2019:

1. Going on a long SPAcation. The new trend is to go on vacation to a SPA hotel and enjoy daily treatments. SPA centers offer holiday packages and best deals for those who are willing to stay for more than few days, luring more people into trying new procedures. SPAcation can include active leisure, health-promoting exercise packages and authentic dining experiences. The Aman Spa at Aman Le Melezin in French Alps offers exclusive packages of ski passes, pre-ski yoga sessions, dinners, and SPA treatments for those staying at the resort from 3 to 6 days. Hotel Kalevala in Finland has selection of packages that consist of massages, saunas and baths combined with snowmobile safari trips and other exciting activities.

2. Forest bathing. Shinrin-Yoku is a Japanese practice of forest bathing known to open up the mysterious power of a forest and use it for therapy and healing. This therapy, which includes taking long walks in the forest, is expected to become popular around the world in 2019, as people are taking a more proactive and holistic approach towards their health. Forest bathing is proven to reduce the levels of cortisol, alleviate depression, relieve stress and have a positive effect on blood pressure. Japanese forest bathers often go to Chubu-Sangaku National Park where they can choose whether to immerse themselves in nature completely or combine it with leisure in one of the park’s ski resorts and hot spring centers. Druskininkai, the SPA town in Lithuania, is known as “lungs of Lithuania” thanks to magical pine tree forests surrounding the town. Visitors to Druskininkai have plenty of opportunities for forest therapy - they can ride bicycles through the pine tree forests, enjoy forest adventure park UNO or relieve stress by taking a walk in K. Dineika wellness park. The SPA town is located far from heavily urbanised areas, and forest bathing therapy is one of the most popular activities in Druskininkai.

3. SPA for children. Over the past few years, children have been following the example of their parents and embracing SPAs - and this is not going to stop. According to the International SPA Association, more than half of the almost 14,000 SPAs in the USA offer packages for families, teens or kids - and Europe is following close in their footsteps. Children-friendly areas are taking over the SPA centers - from specialised kids-friendly saunas to salt therapy. A variety of procedures is designed to keep children entertained while they are getting healthier. Even the beauty procedures can be adapted to children’s needs. In Austria, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is home to a SPA area where adults can share wellness and beauty procedures with children. Its kids SPA menu includes honey and chocolate massages, manicure and a ‘happy feet’ procedure. Inhalations, salt cave sessions, apitherapy, facial masks and fruits baths - these short duration treatments are included in SPA programmes for children at TAOR-Karpaty, a Ukrainian hotel and wellness complex.

4. Heat and mud are popular again. Hammam beds, mud therapy, saunas - ways to relax and rehabilitate that have been around for hundreds of years - are becoming increasingly popular because people are re-discovering their health benefits. Innovative SPA centers are turning these procedures into luxurious and unique experiences by supplementing them with locally-grown herbs, essential oils and top-quality cosmetics. For traditional hammam bed ritual and more than 20 saunas, SPA lovers should head to Druskininkai recreation and health center Aqua, connected to FLORES Hotel and SPA and Druskininkai health resort. The center offers the widest range of procedures that integrate natural ingredients and traditional treatments - everything from therapeutic mud applications to gold rituals. Infrared saunas, which don’t heat the air but warm the body inside out, are also rising in popularity. Here, heat penetrates more deeply, resulting in more intense detoxification, relaxation, improved circulation and clear skin. Kulm Hotel St. Moritz in Switzerland features special 30-37 C infrared cabins.

5. Precious metals and stones used for treatments. Healing qualities of precious metals and stones - such as silver, gold, pearls and amber - are being re-discovered. They will be increasingly used for health and beauty procedures. Silver ion baths are said to improve wellbeing and skin tone. They also relax the body and mind, reduce fatigue and restore the energy balance. Amber releases amber acid into the environment when the right temperature is reached, affecting the nervous system and relieving stress. Gold keeps skin radiant and can even treat various skin diseases and infections due to its antibacterial qualities. Even in affordable Turkish resorts, such as Aqua Fantasy in Izmir, people can try massages with gold powder and essential oils. Amber - often called Lithuanian gold - is widely used for wellness routines in Eastern Europe. SPA centers in Lithuania like Grand SPA Lietuva invite their guests to try amber massages, applications and scrubs. After the rejuvenating procedures they can even try amber tea - a drink that fills the body with warm powers of this stone.

Druskininkai is Lithuania’s biggest SPA town, known for its unique combination of underground mineral waters, curative mud and surrounding pine tree forests that provide extremely clean air. The medicinal properties of Druskininkai mineral water were discovered in the 18th century and the town was declared a health resort by king’s decree. The wellness traditions of Druskininkai have been developing throughout centuries. The concept of medical SPAs emerged during Soviet times and has been modernized since Lithuania gained its independence. Medical SPA is a hotel-style wellness center, where doctors assign certain healing procedures that might involve special mineral or whirlpool baths, massages, physiotherapy, mud treatments, aromatherapy and many others. Medical SPAs, as well as regular SPAs of Druskininkai also offer regular beauty treatments and massages. The town of Druskininkai has many activities for the whole family. It boasts the biggest AquaPark in the region, year-round Snow Arena, an adventure park, multiple parks and bicycle trails. It offers rich gastronomic experiences, museums, plus various cultural events and festivities throughout