The spa: Scandinave Spa Whistler

Wintry locale: Whistler, B.C.

Winter rescue spa treatment: Scandinavian baths ($58, 2 to 3 hours)


The details:
The hydrotherapy treatment boosts circulation and takes place in the 20,000-square-foot outdoor spa with majestic Whistler as backdrop. This relaxing,
toxin-eliminating bath consists of three parts: hot (you immerse yourself in Eucalyptus steam bath, wood-burning Finnish sauna or thermal waterfalls), followed by a cool-down in the Nordic waterfalls (cold baths) to strengthen the immune system, then back to hot as you relax by an outdoor fireplace. Repeat three to four times for maximum body-regulating effect.

The spa: 889 Yoga and Wellness Spa

Wintry locale: Toronto


Winter rescue spa treatment:
Organic Bliss body treatment ($115, 60 minutes)


The details:
Continue with the healing of an early-morning yoga class at the spa’s Yonge Street location with this full-body treatment. If you need a reason to head to the office late, the 60-minute session begins with a head-to-toe lathering in hot coconut oil and choice of aromatherapy oils. You’ll then be cocooned in a heated body blanket as you experience a head and neck massage. Skin is left smooth and hydrated, and you’ll leave warm and island-scented as you head back out onto the snow-blanketed city streets.

The spa: Amerispa at the Fairmont Tremblant

Wintry locale: Mont-Tremblant, Quebec


Winter rescue spa treatments:
Warm and Cold Basalt Stone massage ($240, 100 minutes); Rain Massage ($135, 50 minutes)


The details:
Take a day off the hills and grab your bathing suit instead—all spa treatment packages and treatments of two hours or more entitle you to soak up the outdoor and indoor swimming pools and jacuzzis, the Finnish sauna and the Hammam. For the Warm and Cold Basalt Stone massage, warm and cold stones are used for deep muscle relaxation and to reduce inflammation, respectively. That’s followed by a body massage using warmed oil. For the après-ski crowd, the Rain Massage relaxes just-skied-on muscles and improves blood and lymphatic circulation.



Top 10 spas and spa treatments to try this year

Heading to Vermont or Italy this year? Read on for more winter rescue spa treatments…

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The spa: Stowe Mountain Lodge

Wintry locale: Vermont

Winter rescue spa treatment: Vermont Maple Syrup & Brown Sugar Scrub ($150, 50 minutes) The details: As delicious and Canuck-winter appropriate as it sounds (except surrounded by Vermont’s rustic Green Mountains), this maple syrup and brown sugar-infused body scrub hydrates as it’s massaged into skin and washed away under the warm vichy shower. But we dare you to not try to lick off this dessert-like body treatment first.

The spa: Alpenroyal Grand Hotel

Wintry locale: Dolomiti, Italy

Winter rescue spa treatment: Mud bath (approx. $63)

The details: When not soaking up the grandeur (and slopes) of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, head to the hotel’s world-class spa for a warming mud bath while sipping on a glass of Tuscan Chardonnay (it’s Italy, after all). The cocooning bath cleanses and exfoliates pores, leaving skin soft and rejuvenated, and ready for heading back out on the hills—or snuggling up in cashmere slippers and enjoying the majestic views from your hotel window.

The spa: The Hotel Alyeska

Wintry locale: Girdwood, Alaska

Winter rescue spa treatment: Thai Bolus Treatment ($189, 80 minutes)

The details: A unique (and warm!) Thai experience in the midst of the Alaskan backdrop, the treatment begins with marine oil and salt polish, followed by a series of warm linen bundles (filed with marine salt crystals and lavender buds) applied throughout to soothe aching muscles and restore energy. The toasty and pressure point-targeted massage is said to restore balance and leave you blissfully at ease.

Read more:
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The ultimate soothing skin care products
The best lip care products
Winter skin care tips: Dull skin saviours