Review: Spa Ceylon Ayurveda De-Stress Range & Massage Therapy

I believe many people in Singapore are going through rather stressful lives because of work and probably other factors too like health, family, financial, environment and whatnot. I can't deny that I too, am stressed about work almost every other day. In order for us to relax and put our mind off from the things that are stressing us up, we would more often than not think of travelling to overseas, shopping with friends or having a nice relaxing meal at a restaurant.
While doing all the aforementioned activities do keep me de-stressed but sometimes I would rather be at home sleeping or be at a quiet place, lie down comfortably to watch Kdramas (there's no money involved! Lolx~). While sleeping and watching dramas could loosen me up for that few hours a day, sometimes I would still feel tense as I would suddenly think of work inbetween and even dream of certain stressful situations.

Some facts about Singaporean's stress level: It was reported (in a survey by Health Promotion Board) that 24% of working Singaporeans experienced high level of stress in 2013, a 6% increase from a year ago. The increasing trend is a cause for concern as stress can lead to a plethora of health problems such as heart disease, sleep disorder, depression, bad skin conditions, and more.

Based on this common problem that Singaporeans face, Spa Ceylon released a range of products to help us unwind ourselves everyday, at home. I find that this range suits my kind of lifestyle perfectly as I'm actually a person who rather stay home and laze on my bed than to go out if given a choice because I easily feel fatigue after work (on many days I always yawn non-stop) even though I have slept enough everyday.

To put everyone's mind at rest for a start, I'm telling you that Spa Ceylon De-Stress range products are actually:
- Paraben Free
- Paraffin Free
- SLES Free
- Silicone Free
- Alcohol Free
- 100% Vegetarian
- Not tested on animals
Woohoo! ^o^/~
They also:
- Promotes Sustainable Harvesting
- Supports Community Fair Trade

Below shows the Spa Ceylon Ayurveda (pronounced i-yer-vay-da) De-Stress Home Spa Set (inclusive of pouch) along with a Pink Lotus Almond Intensive Hand Cream.

About Spa Ceylon Ayurveda De-Stress Series
Spa Ceylon, the world’s leading luxury Ayurveda brand with nearly 50 years of expertise in the field of natural health and beauty products, has launched its all new De-Stress range of health and wellness products which are designed to help ease stress and still the mind, thus promoting natural harmony and chakra balance.
Infusing soothing Sandalwood, refreshing Tangerine and Kaffirlime with its main ingredient Frankincense, the De-Stress range is ideal solution for today's hectic lifestyles. The range is also enriched with powerful Ayurveda herbs, and features the traditional Dashamula formula fortified with potent extracts of 10 medicinal goods.
Click the below photo to enlarge
Suitable for who?
The De-Stress range is suitable for all dosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha Dosha) & skin types.
As this is my first time hearing "dosha", so I did a little googling to understand more. Tridosha means the 3 fundamental energies or principles which govern the function of our bodies on the physical and emotional level.
To learn about dosha, you can read it up here and also do a short test to determine your dosha type.
I have done my test and my primary dosha is VATA (hit almost all points at 5), followed by prominent secondary dosha which is Kapha. I then read on more about it, so to know how I can balance my doshas. You can do the same too as it's really interesting. ^_^ Doing the right things to our body helps balance it physically and also mentally!


Spa Ceylon Ayurveda De-Stress Massage Session @ Healing Touch Spa
I was given an opportunity to try out the De-Stress collection at none other than the well-known Healing Touch Spa. I visited this spa long time ago and didn't continue to visit them because I'm always busy and when I'm not, I rather sleep. Lolx~ I actually do love going for massages especially shoulder and feet massages so if I do have some personal time, I will visit a spa to take a break (have a kitkat).
At the spa, I was presented with the De-Stress range full size products. Below shows few of the products from the range. More will be shown and explained later in this post. ^_^

Healing Touch Spa @ Orchard
As this session happened quite some time back ago, so I have actually came back to this spa a couple times after that. hehex~ ^▽^ I love this outlet as it's slightly away from the busy part of Orchard Road thus it feels more calming as I escape from all the hustle and bustle. Another reason I came back is that I like the massage therapist who was assigned to me during the De-Stress therapy. Later I'll tell you why!~

At the spa I enjoyed a 1.5 hour session massage therapy to experience the Spa Ceylon brand and its new De-Stress Collection.
I'd just recovered from flu that very day so the massage therapist started off by rubbing Harmonizing Balm in her palms to heat it up and placed her plams infront of my nose (below the massage bed) while I face down on the bed. This helped a little by easing my stuffy nose. As I was breathing in the scent from the balm, I could clearly smell something sharp like lemony and minty...? Because of flu so I couldn't identify what the scent was (lolx~) but it was definitely nice! I totally loved it and she kept adding balm to her hands to make it more pungent. She also sprayed the Harmonizing Essence Mist in the air above us to make the whole room smell lemony-minty and to let me rest back and relax.
The whole session was soothing, therapeutic and the pressure my therapist gave was perfect. I love massages that press on flesh, muscle, ligament, tendon - the deep tissue kind, not the bone massages which other therapists did that pained me alot. The deep, firm, strong pressure made me felt sore but at the same time relaxing after the soreness feel was gone. Singapore term for this feeling, SHIOK! hahahax~
My therapist commented that my overall skin is dehyrated and dry, tend to absorb the Calming Body Massage Serum quickly so she applied tons of it on me. She suggested to leave it on til I got home instead of washing them off right after the therapy. When I touched my skin, I totally didn't feel any oiliness or stickiness so I left it on and went shopping after that. True enough my body was so hungry for thirst that it sucked all the serum up thus I didn't feel any stickiness on my skin even after many hours of roaming outside. hahhax.. ^▽^")
During the session, the therapist and I had a great chat. She's local and at a retirement age but she didn't retire as she wanted to do some work to pass her time. She's already in this line for many years and is so experienced (if I remember correctly, it's 30 or 40 years?) hence I wanted to come back to her again for my next massage! Along with my man of course~ ^,^
*Ask me personally for her name if you want to make appointment with this therapist. ^,~


Spa Ceylon Ayurveda De-Stress Home Spa Set
This De-Stress Home Spa Kit contains the following:

- De-Stress Harmonizing Essence Mist
A calming & refreshing natural mist. Fresh Organic Aloe Vera helps tone & hydrate skin while natural Witch Hazel helps cool & comfort.
Main Ingredients
Frankinsence, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine, Witch Hazel,Castor.
How to use?
After bath, spray on lightly, all over body, pillows & bed linen. Leave on. Relax & unwind. For best results, keep refrigerated before use.
I used this Essence Mist most times when I wanted to fall asleep quickly or when I wanted to nap during day time. Honestly, the scent of this mist is really strong (since parfum/ fragrance was listed in the 4th of its ingredients). Sorry, I should say that most of the De-Stress range products scent are strong. At the spa, when such strong fragranced products are used, I could get by with it but when I sprayed this at home for the first time, I was not used to the strong fragrance. At the back of my mind I kind of thought that the scent would be slightly mild if to be used at home.
However this strong floral-piney-citrusy scent didn't stay, it immediately settled down (after the mist drops down to the floor or on the bed) and only soft lemony-sweetmess fragrance lingered. This mist must be used away from face as my eyes got slightly stung by the mist a few times when the wind blew it towards me and it landed on my face. It was nice and soothing as I lay down on my bed indulging myself in the soft relaxing fragrance.


- De-Stress Dashamula Body Treatment Oil
A traditional scalp & body treatment oil made to a centuries-old classical Ayurveda formula. Helps soothe & calm the entire body system, while easing stress & related discomfort.
Main Ingredients
Coconut, Bael, Grape, Thotila, Palol, Ethdemata, Elabatu, Katuwel batu, Aswenna, Polpala, Nerenchi.
How to use?
Heat in oil warmer & apply all over scalp & body. Massage with slow, long strokes for up to 30 minutes. Leave on & unwind for further 30 minutes. Use twice weekly.
Honestly, I was quite confused as to how I should use this Body Treatment Oil. I read from the packaging and website, both gave me similar answers which is to heat it in oil warmer and apply all over scalp and body. I do not own any oil warmer so I gave it a try by warming it up in my hands (traditional method of warming stuffs lolx~). Somehow I think it worked because after doing so, I applied it on my body and I could do proper massage with the massage oil. This massage oil has only 1 oil content which is the Coconut Oil and the rest are ingredients of various plant roots. I had a mini incident whereby I accidentally poured half bottle of oil into my palms. I did not expect that this oil is so watery! ^_^" I would suggest to transfer it into pump type bottle. Though it has thin viscosity, the massage oil however do not feel as lubricating as like other emollients such as lotions & creams. It provides slight friction so I was able to apply my preferred pressure at every point without my finger tips slipping off. The skin turns quite oily looking after massaging. The instructions didn't mention if I should wash them off too (I guess no need because the ingredients appeared what seems like all natural plant oil and ingredients) but I decided to rinse it off or otherwise I might feel that cat fur is sticking on all over my body. lolx~ This treatment oil is the only 1 of the 2 products in the whole De-Stress range that do no have fragrance thus it doesn't smell as nice as the rest, it smells like natural plant oil.


- De-Stress Calming Body Elixir
A naturally hydrating formula. Virgin Coconut, Wheatgerm & Sweet Almond help nourish & even-out skin tone. Rice Bran, Soya, Olive & Honey soften & protect against dryness, improving visible youthfulness.
Main Ingredients
Frankinsence, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine, Coconut, Wheatgerm, Olive, Rice Bran / Avocado, Almond, Soya, Honey.
How to use?
Apply on palms & rub together to heat activate herbs. Bring palms close to face, gently breathe in & relax. Apply all over hands & body. Gently massage till abosorbed & leave on. Avoid sun exposure.

The Claming Body Elixir is a body lotion which is milky, a little thick yet liquidy. The scent is similar to the essence mist just less sharp, a little bit more woody and should i say slight sour-ish? ^,^"

After spreading it onto my skin, it got absorbed immediately without leaving any trace of stickiness or shine.
Body Elixir is one of the De-Stress products I used most often. I must stress that I'm really, REALLY lazy to use body lotion or even a hand cream. What I experienced from using De-Stress range Body Elixir and the rest of the products was quite different from the other bodycare products I used before, so basically this range got me started to care about skin other than my face. I used Body Elixir the most and usually only on its own, right after bath on every other day. I stopped for awhile (started getting lazy again) and then I started using again when I found out there was a patch of dry dermatitis skin on the back of my ankle. It initially wasn't useful when I applied Body Elixir on that dry itchy skin, instead of getting better, it got worst because it felt more itchy than ever every night and it left me a black patch of dark scar. I complaint about it to +everblue c (she's almost an expert in sensitive skin ^▽^hehex~) and she told me that I must disinfect the area first before using any moisturiser because bacteria will only continue to accumulate if I keep moisturising it. So I did what I was told by using a medicated oil-lotion that has disinfectant properties, only once on the area, and applied Body Elixir regularly after that. After 1 week, that dermatitis, itchiness, scar and everything was gone and never came back!
Aside from this special case, other parts of my body are just normal-dehydrated skin and they too benefited greatly from the Body Elixir. This lotion spreads out quite easily (even better if my hands are damp), is slightly slippery and absorbs real quick into my skin. You know when lotions are not entirely absorbed by skin is when you squat or fold your knees and the back of the knees starts to sweat, the sweat combined with the unabsorbed lotion will become some slimy stuffs....you know what I meant right? Lolx.. Well, this Body Elixir didn't give off alot of that slimy thing which made me really happy! So that I don't have to keep wiping off those slimy sweat. But of course, I would always try to avoid applying on that area since they are usually not as dry as the other parts of my body. Last but not least, the lotion is usually applied at night and the fragrance is very strong (not sure why since the parfum is listed way down at the bottom of its ingredient list) so I would take several breathes of the fragrance coming off from my body to relax myself before I sleep.




- De-Stress Relaxing Body Cleanser
A naturally purifying formula. Organic fresh Aloe Vera cools entire body system, while Virgin Coconut, Honey & Olive gently cleanse & nourish skin.
Main Ingredients
Frankinsence, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine, Aloe Vera, Coconut, Honey, Olive, Sea Salt.
How to use?
Use in bath or shower. Pour into palms & gently rub together to activate herbs. Bring palms close to face, gently breathe in & relax. Apply all over hands & body. Gently massage & wash of
This body bath product is also one of my favourites among the De-Stress range products thus as of today, I have already emptied the bottle. lolx~
Just like any other body cleanser, it's easy to use and lather nicely (above pics showing only a tiny amount of cleanser thus there wasn't much foam formed). The scent is similar as the Essence Mist and it engulfed my bathroom with such strong fragrance that I once again, wasn't used to it. Eventually after a few use, I was fond of the scent. On some days I switched to using other body cleansers and then one day I realised this particular fragrance is actually quite unique. I wasn't sure why so and thought perhaps the scent felt more realistic...? Something that isn't artificially made, not like many other body cleansers that have lots of chemicals in it. Or maybe I just got used to the scent after having to use the whole De-Stress range for so long. hahahx.. ^▽^")
Relaxing Body Cleanser contains high amount of Aloe Vera Leaf Extract thus my skin didn't feel taut after bath. The areas that are drier are usually my legs so I would just apply Body Elixir after bath and that'll do the trick.


- De-Stress Calming Body Massage Serum
A soothing natural serum. Anti-oxidant Virgin Coconut, Soya & Aloe Vera help soften rough areas, while Wheatgerm & natural vitamins help nourish & even-out skin tone, improving visible youthfulness.
Main Ingredients
Frankinsence, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine, Coconut, Aloe Vera, Almond, Olive, Rice Bran, Wheatgerm, Bees Wax, Sesame , Bael, Grape, Thotila, Palol, Ethdemata, Elabatu, Katuwel batu, Aswenna, Nerenchi
How to use?
Apply on palms & rub together to heat activate herbs. Bring palms close to face, gently breathe in & relax. Apply all over hands & body. Massage with long strokes, leave on for upto 1 hour & wash off. Avoid sun exposure.
Calming Body Massage Serum texture is in semi-solid oil state, unlike the Body Treatment Oil which is a pure liquidy oil type. But this serum turns to oil when it's being rubbed against. After I applied the Massage Serum on my skin and waited for few seconds, the feeling of the oil turned into serum, which I guess that's where the name "Massage Serum" comes from. In compare to Body Treatment Oil, this gives only subtle shine to my skin.
Calming Body Massage Serum bottle is also smaller at 30ml while others are twice the amount. The fragrance is similar to Essence Mist with additional of a gum-like scent in it. The fragrance did not linger on my skin for long, it kind of subsided after awhile.
When I used the serum I did not wash off after an hour, usually I had it on for a longer period. Since the massage serum really felt like a normal body serum so I tend to forget to wash it off. However I did not experience much difference from those times that I did wash off. The serum was entirely absorbed into my skin making it feel supple and hydrated and felt almost the same when I did wash off after application. I am not encouraging everyone to do that though as I believe there might be reasons to why we were instructed to wash it off. Maybe it could clog the pores if it wasn't washed off or something, so girls and boys, pls do not follow me! ^_^"
The washing part aside, this serum works similar to the Treatment Oil except that it can't be used on the scalp because it contains much more other ingredients (and fragrance) which might not be suitable for scalp massaging.
If asked which to use and when to use the massage products, I would say to use Treatment Oil when weather is less humid (since we never have dry weather) and Massage Serum when weather is more humid. Simple as that. lolx~


- De-Stress Cleansing Bar
A naturally calming & soothing purifying formula to gently cleanse, soften & comfort skin, protecting against dryness.
Main Ingredients
Frankincense, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine,Coconut.
How to use?
At bath time, massage all over hands & body. Wash off.
When I first saw this soap, I found it's super cute and I loveeeee that translucent blue shade. The perfect beautiful blue that reminds me of blue stain glass. ^_^ Anyhoo, this soap is, like any soap which lathers and turn foamy. The fragrance is once again similiar to the other products but it gave off a lot less scent than the Relaxing Body Cleanser during my bath time. My skin after bath felt squeaky.
After coming out from bath, my skin felt much purified, free from sweat and grease, soft and not dry. To compare Cleansing Bar with the Body Cleanser, I felt the latter gave much more softness to my skin but less that squeaky clean feel.


- De-Stress Harmonizing Balm
A calming & relaxing natural balm. Helps still the mind & ease stress, while promoting clarity & refreshing the senses. Helps uplift, soothe & balance the chakras.
Ingredients
Frankinsence, Sandalwood, Kaffir Lime, Tangerine, Coconut, Bees Wax, Bergamot,Grapefruit.
How to use?
Apply finely on temples, behind ears, back of neck & inner wrists. Gently breathe in & relax.
This Harmonizing Balm works almost like Vicks Vapour Rub. Neh just kidding hahax~ ^,^
Although I feel that this balm is similar to Vicks (appearance & texture wise) but it does not clear stuffy nose because it does not contain Eucalyptus oil which are commonly found in products used for healing respiratory issues. This balm does not heal physically but did awesome work by healing us mentally.
The balm is another product that does not contain fragrance and the scent I breathed in is all natural from natural plant and fruit oil. I only used a little bit each time at about 5 cents size (afraid that the balm gets stuck inbetween nails and the oiliness) so I could not achieve the strong lemony scent which my massage therapist did. It was however still nice to be able to smell it again at the comfort of my own home.
I tried applying to my nose directly too after rubbing it between my palms, the scent was nice but it faded off almost immediately. I guess to make the natural fragrance last longer, alot more balm has to be used, probably at a 50 cents or a dollar size.
The balm made my hands looking glossy and slightly oily so I suggest to not use it when you are outside otherwise you might get spotted with shiny temples. lolx~



Spa Ceylon Ayurveda Pink Lotus Almond Intensive Hand Cream
A natural soothing treatment enriched Lotus Honey to help soothe, calm & care for skin after harsh skin exposure. Sweet Almond, Wheatgerm & Virgin Coconut moisturise, nourish & care for dry & rough hands.
Ingredients
Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Lotus, Sweet Almond, Wheatgerm, Virgin Coconut, Mango Butter, Kokum Butter, Rice Bran, Soya, Olive, Bees wax.
How to use?
Apply & gently massage into hands, after every time hands are washed. Use several times daily. Overnight treatment: at bed time, apply generously & leave on.
Pink Lotus Almond Intensive Hand Cream (phew~ what a mouthful) is not included in the De-Stress range, it is sold separately.
This hand cream got me stunned for a while when I first applied it on my hands. The fragrance was very strong! I turned to look at the packaging and noted that fragrance is right in the middle of the ingredient list so why is it so strong? It can easily be detected about half an arm's distant away.
This strong sweet honey floral scent reminded me of the bunches of flowers that were placed on the altar in temples. Maybe its the lotus scent but then again, I have no idea how lotus smell like. <_<") On days when I applied the hand cream in air-conditioned places, I found that it smelled weird...a little sour-ish. I'm not sure why.. perhaps the strong fragrance drifted into the air and blended with the surrounding and gave off another kind of scent? Just guessing.. hahax.. ^^")
Anyhoo, in the beginning I refrained from using this hand cream as I'd mentioned before I am too lazy to use bodycare products including hand cream. But for the benefit of my readers, I have to try it to tell you my thoughts about the handcream....right? ^▽^ hehex~
Basically, I have begun to feel that my hands are ultra dry since about a couple months back and they felt even worst when I'm in aircon room. I knew my hands are dry all along, I wanted to apply hand cream, I looked at my hand cream and I turned away. That's the problem with me.. I'm just too lazy when it comes to this. =_=" Also to be frank, most hand cream did not really get absorbed immediately making a greasy mess on my skin. That frustrated me a lot so I rather go hand cream-free.
Then suddenly I started using Spa Ceylon hand cream and was crossing fingers that it would not feel oily and my fingers would not leave prints on my mobile screen. Thankfully, all of that didn't happen.
I was (uh-hum) clever enough to only apply hand cream on the back of my hands and leave my palms free from the cream so that I would not feel the stickiness or the greasiness. Knowing that the label mentioned "Intensive Hand Cream" I expected it to feel oily and whatnot, but the results amazed me. It took not long before I felt that the skin at back of my hands sucked in all the product entirely and no greasiness was left on the skin. Sure, it looked a little shiny and felt abit sticky and tacky but there was not a single product that wasn't absorbed by the skin.
If I use other hand cream, I would usually expect some parts of the cream to remain ontop of the skin and glides around my hands. Then my hands touched each other and I would end up with greasy fingertips leaving marks everywhere.
With this handcream, I was surprised that there wasn't any slimy film on my skin when I wash my hands. Also no greasy slippery feel when I touch my skin after the cream got absorbed. I'm guessing that I would still continue using this hand cream for next couple months (am infact still doing it now!). So congrats me YEAH! ^o^/~
For time being I have not seen the skin on my hands looking less wrinkly but they definitely felt alot better. The skin felt alot more moisturised and soft. No more tight dry hands for the moment. ^,^


About Spa Ceylon
Nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean lies the tear drop isle of Ceylon, acclaimed since ancient times as an exotic tropical paradise rich in natural beauty. Deep rooted in the culture of the island over centuries of time were natural relaxation, rejuvenation and healing rituals, derived from Ayurveda, the 5000 year old 'science of life' originating from the region.
Receiving great Royal patronage, Ayurveda became the heart of the majestic well-being rituals practised in the grand palaces of ancient Ceylon. Derived from these Royal well-being rituals and holistic healing practices of Ayurveda, comes the range of treasured natural formulae and rituals from Spa Ceylon, to purify, hydrate, treat, soothe and calm the body, mind and soul.
Backed by a five-decade old family business with vast expertise in the manufacture of Ayurveda health & beauty care, Spa Ceylon was founded by brothers Shiwantha & Shalin in 2009. As at 2016, the brand was grown rapidly to establish itself as 'the world's leading luxury Ayurveda brand', with more than 40 signature boutiques and 15 spas located across South Asia, the Far East and Europe.

About Ayurveda
Formulated only with the purest natural ingredients, Spa Ceylon's high-performance products are enriched with powerful Ayurveda herbs, certified organic essential oils, precious natural minerals, extra-virgin coconut oil, rich ocean salts and the finest spices from Ceylon. Designed to delight the sense, the formulae are infused with luxuriously rich island oromas, blended with fine aromatic essential oils of exotic flowers, herbs, fruits and woods.
True to its island heritage, signature Spa Ceylon packaging incorporates Ceylonese Royal insignia, traditional motifs, native script and jewelled hues, combined with contemporary design

Price
Spa Ceylon De-Stress Home Spa Set SGD$79.90
Spa Ceylon Ayurveda Pink Lotus Almond Intensive Hand Cream (Ask Spa Ceylon for availability)


Where?
Spa Ceylon @ Wisma Atria
#01-43 Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Road, Singapore 238877
Contact: 67378643

Links
Spa Ceylon De-Stress Home Spa Set
Spa Ceylon
Spa Ceylon FB Page
Healing Touch Spa @ Orchard (Tanglin Shopping Centre #03-03)

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