4 Cool Spa Treatments for Hot Weather

Cryotherapy can take many different forms — here are four cool services from the topical and targeted to the whole kit and caboodle.

When outside temperatures are enough to make you melt, everyone knows a trip to the spa is a great way to stay cool — ice cold, in fact. It’s a great idea to study up on the latest cryo-crazes so you can help your clients harness the power of cold therapies all summer long. Let’s take a look at four top cooling treatments to add to your services list:

Cryotherapy: the whole body treatment

Cryotherapy, short for cryogenic therapy, is any treatment that exposes the body to freezing temperatures. Think about anytime you’ve ever had an ache or injury — applying ice packs or frozen peas to bumps and bruises is a common home remedy all over the world. In the same way we use ice packs to treat pain at home, the idea of whole body cryotherapy is that introducing extremely low temperatures can help reduce swelling, calm inflammation, and speed up injury recovery (among other purported but unproven health benefits). Since cryotherapy isn’t an FDA-approved medical treatment, your clients won’t need a prescription to step into the cryo chamber, but make sure to take all the necessary precautions to protect their sensitive bits.

Cooling facial: a taste of colder climes

It’s easy to customize the concept of a cooling facial to suit the style of your spa. Play with ingredients (like cucumber, aloe vera, and peppermint), products, and tools known for their cooling effects to provide a soothing facial service that brings temperatures down from the outside in. Cooling facials are particularly relevant during the summer months when many people are frolicking outside, with or without adequate sun protection; sunburned and dry skin can benefit greatly from the cooling and rehydrating properties of a dedicated summer facial.

Cold globes: targeted benefits of freezing

Cold globes, also known as ice globes or facial globes, are useful tools for treating specific areas of the face with a targeted dose of cryotherapy. Rolling ice globes over the skin encourages the blood vessels to contract, which leads to a firmer, tighter appearance. In addition to reducing wrinkles, fine lines, and puffiness in the immediate aftermath, when those blood vessels relax again they experience an increase in nutrient-rich blood flow that rejuvenates the skin wherever the treatment was applied. In addition to offering cold globes as part of your spa’s cooling facial services, consider stocking them on your retail shelves so clients can take them home and pop them in the freezer!

Cryolipolysis: non-invasive fat sculpting

On the Medspa side of things, cryolipolysis is the technical term for a process that is mostly commonly known by the brand name CoolSculpting. Fat cells are more susceptible to cold than other types of cells in the body, so CoolSculpting applies freezing temperatures to break them down in a non-invasive weight loss procedure. The treatment is seen as a quick and easy alternative to more invasive surgeries like liposuction, which use anesthesia and typically require prescribed recovery periods. Although cryolipolysis is incredibly popular, there are risks; supermodel Linda Evangelista went public when complications from the procedure left her body “unrecognizable.” 

You’ll want to make sure your spa staff is expertly trained, not only in providing all the treatments you offer but also in talking about the risks involved. Once you have all your health, safety, and PR bases covered, you’ll be well on your way to helping clients cool off with the best new cryo treatments.