Spas in Paris

As well as being the capital of fashion, Paris is the world's capital of beauty, home of many of the world's top cosmetic brands. Yet the top ten spas in the city look towards north Africa and the tradition of hammams or steam baths, with their associated body scrubs and massages, rather than high-tech treatments. Named for the Arabic word for "heat", these hammams are often decorated with mosaic and Moorish tiling and you will be offered a mint tea to replace the liquid lost in the steam bath. As a rule of thumb, contemporary hammams will also offer facials and other more mainstream beauty treatments, while older, more traditional ones will not. In a peculiarly French touch, most have restaurants attached or at least a little café serving oriental pastries. A proper hammam visit takes about two to two and a half hours, though for time-pressed travellers many of the hammams in Paris have a one-hour minimum entry free. The hammam ritual begins with a spell in a warm steam room and a body scrub, often with black soap, to help remove dead skin and toxins. Then the body is ready for hotter steam, with breaks to dip into a cold pool or a cold shower to boost circulation. Once the skin is clean and warm, it is ready to benefit from a massage with natural oils, before resting, perhaps with a mint tea or a something to eat to replenish the body's resources.
image © courtesy Pacha

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