Last month The Good Spa Guide invited me to a girls day out at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest. As a regular visitor to the Aqua Sana at Elveden Forest in Suffolk, I was excited to be able to go check out their newest and largest spa.
The Aqua Sana spa is located in the heart of the forest which is the just the perfect setting for a pampering retreat. I arrived feeling tense from driving for an hour and a half in rush hour traffic but the combination of the fresh air and sound of the trees gently rustling in the wind had a wonderfully calming effect on me – instant stress relief!
Usually on a spa day I’d spend the majority of my time steaming my face off in the treatment rooms or curling up with a good book, but this trip was a little bit different. The spa were hosting a pop up by top skincare brand Comfort Zone so I donned my swimsuit and a big fluffy towelling robe and flip flopped my way over to see what it was all about.
The pop up is one of three that Aqua Sana Woburn Forest are hosting over the summer. Each one runs for a month and features a brand that is well regarded by spa professionals but is perhaps not so well known outside of the industry. With complimentary workshops, one to one consultations and extra treatments on offer it’s a really good way to discover top class skincare products and treatments that you might not otherwise ever get to hear about.
Comfort Zone is a professional range of spa treatments and home care products with a concept that I can truly buy in to: skincare science with a soul!
Basically what this means is that whilst they offer advanced science based skincare solutions, they also actively promote holistic, healthy lifestyles and are an eco conscious brand. They use renewable energy sources during manufacturing, natural, sustainable ingredients which are free from parabens and silicone and are strictly against animal testing. It just goes to show that it’s possible to produce world class beauty products without compromising on ethics!
The discovery session with Comfort Zone turned out to be an incredibly relaxing way to spend half an hour. Our Comfort Zone therapist let us try out cleansers, toners, serums and masks from across the ranges to come up with our own individually tailored skincare routine, then talked us through some simple ways to reduce anxiety and stress and help us to improve our wellbeing.
My favourite product discovery was the Hydra Memory Mask which left my skin feeling wonderfully soft and supple. The therapist referred to it as ‘water for the skin’ and it certainly felt like I’d been treated to an instant moisture boost.
Afterwards I headed to the Comfort Zone stand in the retail area for a one to one skin analysis and treatment consultation. The therapist used a handheld device to measure my skin’s hydration, elasticity and health. It only takes 5 seconds to get each reading and is all very clever, although admittedly it was a little bit scary seeing my skin magnified to a cellular level!
My skin turned out to be in reasonable shape but the deep tissue scan identified some signs of ageing damage beginning to appear so I was advised to use anti-ageing products that stimulate cell regeneration and hydrate the skin. You can’t stop the ageing process, but you can help to slow it down so I found it really helpful to know what areas to concentrate on!
This sort of skincare analysis can also be of use to people suffering from skin complaints as it helps to pinpoint exactly where the issues lie so that you can then identify the best ways to treat them.
Hands down though my favourite part of the day was going up to the treatment room for a Sublime Skin Lifting Facial Massage. I spent a heavenly 60 minutes being pampered from head to toe with products from the Comfort Zone Sublime Skin range. The anti-ageing treatment mainly focused on applying various luxurious treatments to my face to help lift, tone and firm the skin but I also get treated to a hand, arm, decolletage and foot massage too!
By the time it ended I was so sleepy that I could hardly walk and when I rejoined the girls for a spot of lunch they commented that I was glowing. I’ll take that!
Having thoroughly enjoyed the pop up I then had the rest of the day free to explore Aqua Sana. Within the site there are actually six spa areas to visit, each offering it’s own unique experience. The Blossom and Herbal Spas focus on aromatic scents to stimulate your senses, whilst the Salt Spa is great for a body detox.
The Fire and Ice Spa, based upon the concept of using a combination of hot and cold treatments to soothe and invigorate was the one I spent most time in. I made a beeline for the Lava-Volcano Sauna as I was suffering from a cold that day and the intense dry heat did wonders to help my breathing and clear my head. Afterwards I went into the ice room and rubbed handfuls of the stuff onto my skin which I wasn’t sure I’d like, but it felt weirdly refreshing so I was glad I dared to try it!
Ooh actually I’ve just remembered another favourite part of the day; how could I forget the outdoor balcony area with heated water beds and cushions?! There is nothing more relaxing than curling up under a faux fur throw, listening to the sounds of the forest. I fell asleep for half an hour… no regrets!
I thoroughly enjoyed my spa day and would highly recommend that you go and try it out for yourself. The next pop up is by ESPA and runs from 19th May through to 15th June offering complimentary 10 minute treats and workshops ranging from ‘Mindfulness & Breathing’ to ‘Body Cleanse & Revitalise’ so it’s a great time to plan a visit!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, however my trip to the spa and treatments whilst on site were complimentary so I must say a big thanks to The Good Spa Guide, Aqua Sana and Comfort Zone for their wonderful hospitality.
