Reviewed: The Lavender Mint Body Scrub At Quan Spa, JW Marriott, Mumbai

Let me paint you a picture. Two weeks straight of unbearable work hours, a life attitude that makes you follow the ‘work hard, party harder’ adage to the T, and a consistently knotted back — that’s what I was dealing with when I walked into the JW Marriott, Juhu, in Mumbai on the weekend.

But to be fair, even if none of the above were true, I would still go, because you gotta treat yoself, amirite?

Yes, lovely readers, my name is Alisha and I am a spa junkie. But, moving on.

 

‘Quan’ in Mandarin means ‘the source of pure water’, and refers to its ability to cleanse, balance, and heal. And when this healing water is infused with the ancient therapeutic traditions of Indian culture, the results multiply manifold.

It is one of the best spas in the city, so when it launched its selection of new offerings, a special range of citrus and fruity body scrubs, I knew I had to take one for a spin, so to speak.

 

The lobby of the spa is starkly different to the main hotel lobby, in that while there are many people milling around the main lobby, the spa lobby is quiet and one attendant short of deserted. But that’s the idea, of course.

While I waited and went through the usual form-filling schtick, I said a silent prayer that my masseuse was not the kind that was rough and tough. I’m averse to extra pressure, and don’t find that kind of pain bearable at all!

The attendant’s voice then shook me out of my trance to ask me to sample the available flavours, so that I could pick the one I wanted to try. There were 4 types — pomegranate, lemon cinnamon, lavender mint, and mixed fruit.

As I went through them, I found that while all had pleasing fragrances, some were coarser than others, and I finally zeroed in on the lavender mint.

I chose lavender mint because, although it was a scrub, it was softest to touch and felt the most refreshing and relaxing to me. Just FYI, this is not to say that the others weren’t great. They are all curated to help hydrate and brighten your skin, while providing powerful antioxidant support.

My massage therapist escorted me to the room, where she proceeded to perform a foot cleansing ritual with warm water, rose petals, and bath salts that upon contact, immediately transported me into the lap of luxury.

I asked her to focus on my shoulders, neck, and lower back, with no real expectations, because I was trying to keep an open mind. And then, the pre-scrub hot oil massage started.

 

OMG, you guys. Heaven with a capital H. Granted that since the focus is really the scrub, the massage only covers your back, arms, and legs, but those expert hands managed to untangle some deep set knots in my shoulders and the hot oil relieved the dull ache in my lower back.

Circular movements around my shoulder blades with just the right pressure managed to release the knots, without the uncomfortable pain I now associated with this procedure. A quick wipe down with a hot, steamy towel, and onto the scrub we went!

No matter how great a massage or scrub is, there is one sensation that you never quite get used to. Right after the warmth of the massage, the drop in temperature, when the scrub first touches your skin is a shock. But every time, the friction from the application of the scrub alleviates that cold feeling quickly.

#HauteTip: Ask the therapist to switch off the AC at this point, if you, like me, tend to feel extra cold.

Lavender has a beautiful, heady fragrance, and with the addition of the inherently cool mint, your body automatically feels cooler and toxin-free.

Plus, like I mentioned earlier, the finer salt crystals are not as coarse, but still do the exfoliation job perfectly and get rid of a whole layer of dead skin, to expose brighter, happier, and definitely softer new skin. This is a great option for people who have slightly more sensitive and thinner skin.

BOOK NOW: 50 minute Lavender Mint Body Scrub (Rs 4,800 + taxes)