Renaissance Spa Treatment at Lush Spa, Poole [AD Press Trip]

This review of the Renaissance Spa treatment is so kindly courtesy of Lush Spa Poole

The latest treatment to sweep into the Lush Spa in all its mysticism and magic is the Renaissance treatment: a sensory experience in scent and sound. 

This enchanting treatment from the Lush Spa works to calm and bring your body back to balance, with an interactive perfume experience that uses music, massage, humoral theory, and taste to bring the scents to life.

The Lush Spa’s new Renaissance treatment has been inspired by the medicinal use of perfume and the art and culture of Renaissance Italy. 

In this 40 minute treatment, your mind, body and soul will relive the magic of the alchemists and apothecaries that resided in Florence during the Renaissance. 

As you follow in the historical footprints of Catherine de Medici and René le Florentin to Florence, Italy, your mind and body will experience the following:

SEE candles flicker, drawing you in, then helping you escape.

HEAR the sound of Renaissance-inspired music and words of affirmation to guide you as you meditate into deep relaxation and a new temperament.

TASTE your bespoke perfumed drink to complete your meditative journey.

FEEL restored and renewed; in tune with yourself after this reflective, calming experience.

SMELL the bespoke fragrances layer upon one another, keeping you present, then bringing you back into balance.

After your Renaissance Spa treatment, you’ll be left with a sense of:

In Perspective

Mind Cleansed

Peaceful

Enlightened

As Lush Spa Treatment Developer, Hannah-Rose Lammiman, explains:

“Renaissance features bodywork used in different cultures, traditions and rituals from all over the world. We have tapped into these energetic traditions to enhance the experience for the client.”

The History of Perfume in Florence in the Renaissance

The Renaissance is a period of history in the early years of the 15th century in Florence.

During the Early Renaissance, the first part of this period of time, Florence is actually not a city in the unified country of Italy, as it is now. Instead, Italy was divided into many city-states (Florence, Milan, Venice etc), that each had their own government.

Florence is a city redolent with a history that was not only the roots of the Renaissance period but is also the home of David, a superb architectural landscape, unmatched artistic legacy, and timeless beauty. 

The city of Florence flourished during the Renaissance under the Medici family. One of the key industries driving this expansion was perfume-making.

Renaissance Treatment Part 1: Humoral Theory

The Lush Renaissance treatment is based upon humoral theory, which was once very much in favour among scholars and medics of the Renaissance period, believing it to restore the essential balances necessary for a life well-lived.

Humoral theory, also known as humorism or the theory of the four humours, was a model for the workings of the human body.

It was systemised in Ancient Greece, although its origins may go back further still. The theory was central to the teachings of Hippocrates and Galen and it became the dominant theory in Europe for many centuries. 

In this theory, humours existed as liquids within the body and were identified as blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. These were in turn associated with the fundamental elements of air, water, earth and fire. 

Moreover, each of the humours was associated with a particular season of the year, during which too much of the corresponding humour could exist in the body. For example, blood was associated with spring.

A good balance between the four humours was essential to retain a healthy body and mind, as imbalance could result in disease. 

The treatments for disease within humoral theory were concerned with restoring balance and this is exactly what the Renaissance treatment seeks to do.

Using the principles of this theory in this treatment, to begin, my lovely therapist sat me at the Lush Spa kitchen where a square black scarf was placed in front of me, with a candle lit in the middle. 

She then asked me to take my time and choose the corner of the scarf that drew me to it the most, and especially how I had felt over the last year. There are four corners and each makes up one of the four temperamental personality types. 

Most individuals tend to have aspects of their personality which identify with each of the four temperaments. However, there are usually one or two primary temperaments that are displayed at a significantly higher level. An individual could be any combination of the following four types. 

I was immediately captured by the ‘HOPE’ section with the word itself so much of how I have led my life this year, but also because the words ‘imaginative’ and ‘playful’ caught my heart as they are two huge essences of my character. 

However, because I chose ‘HOPE’ my therapist said I needed to work on the opposite word which was ‘MASTERY’, the opposite of hope. 

She explained that hope is how I want to be, but that mastery feels important to work with to heal elements of my personality. So my treatment was ‘MASTERY’. 

Underneath ‘MASTERY’ was ‘Melancholic’ the name of the personality type. These individuals tend to be analytical and detail-oriented, and they are deep thinkers and feelers which is absolutely me. 

Furthermore, they are introverted and try to avoid being singled out in a crowd. Also me! A melancholic personality leads to self-reliant individuals who are thoughtful, reserved, and often anxious. Tick, tick, tick. 

Finally, they often strive for perfection within themselves and their surroundings, which leads to tidy and detail-oriented behaviour. Perhaps not the tidy part, but most certainly detail-oriented! 

Following the humoral theory analysis, I was matched to a perfume from the new Lush perfume library collection. My fragrance to match my personality was ‘Nero’ a woody fragrance with the depths of petitgrain that smoulder, fusing with the bright citrus notes of bergamot and neroli that is deeply uplifting.

The Renaissance Treatment Part 2: Massage

I’m then led to a beautifully zen treatment room lit with artistic Renaissance esque-candles brimming with ambiance and heady aromas. 

My lovely therapist then sprinkles the bed with a powder, scented with the base notes of your chosen fragrance. For me, this was a dousing of dreamy, comforting Petitgrain oil. Historically, Petitgrain essential oil has been used for cleaning purposes and it has been used internally to support healthy immune system and nervous system function. 

Once I was nicely aligned and settled my therapist masterfully selects the perfect reflex points of my body to focus on and release emotions. 

This started with Alexander Technique practices, a system that works to promote well-being by retraining one’s awareness and habits of posture to ensure minimum effort and strain.

This technique was utilised through towels and enabled you to be more mindful of your body and your movements.

Whilst my therapist worked on my body in this way, she softly read aloud the words associated with my humour personality for me to meditate on whilst the treatment was ongoing.

This was followed by an incredible guided meditation with the physical massage session, all whilst breathing in various fragrances.

My therapist used the massage bar of my given fragrance to work deeply on my neck and head that was completely heavenly.

These days, with many of us spending so much time on our phones or in front of our laptops, a sore neck is by no means an uncommon ailment. This area of my body was holding so much tension and it was so lovingly restored through this treatment and allowed me the rare opportunity to feel like I was deeply grounded.

To finish, my therapist then shares positive affirmations with me, and once again my personally selected words for my personality type are read out, before dousing me in my personal fragrance of ‘Nero’ full of uplifting Neroli and citrus Bergamot. 

During this treatment, where the fragrance was used to scent the air whilst it wafted over you in a stunning Medieval looking container with dry ice, to having the body anointed with the oils and powder, it meant that the scents gradually layer up throughout the 40 minutes. This deeply enables you to take your mind off any worries you may have. 

The background music for the Renaissance Treatment truly captured my heart, as to me the music of the  Renaissance period is one of the most diverse and exhilarating in the entire history of music. 

All produced exclusively for Lush, it was a soothing, uplifting blend of madrigals and pure singing voices that not only deeply captured the spirit of the age, but took your mind and body outside of itself as if it was soaring to the heavens.

Moreover, it was filled with bird song and modern folk influences to make this soundtrack take anyone spiritually to the frescoed cloisters of Florence, even if you weren’t familiar with the nuances of the music from this period.

Renaissance Treatment Part 3: Perfumed Tea

After the treatment, I met my therapist once more in the Lush Kitchen where she prepared the last piece of delicious sweetness.

This was a warm, nourishing glass of hot water with an addition of a sugar cube that once again, holds the top notes of your chosen fragrance.

Knowing that even tea is able to easily receive aromas was a beautiful way to end this otherwordly multi-sensory experience.

The word renaissance can be literally translated into English as ‘re-birth’ and after experiencing the Renaissance Treatment from Lush you will most certainly feel like a new person. Revived in mind, body and soul.

Lush’s multi-sensory Renaissance Treatment based on the history of fragrance is a massage like no other that will transport you into a world of pure imagination, relaxation, and to the enchanted cultural paradise that is Florence.

If you find Humoral Theory as fascinating as I do, this resource was wonderfully interesting whilst writing this post. Additionally, the history of perfume in Renaissance Italy from Lush is equally inspiring.

Thank you so much to Florence at Lush and the Lush Spa in Poole enough for this experience I will treasure and cherish forever.

How many of you have experienced the magic of the Lush Renaissance Spa Treatment?

There are Lush Spa locations across the country, but I am so thankful to have experienced it in the very place that is the inspiration for all the magic that unfolds in Poole.

If you are interested to learn more about the new Renaissance Spa Treatment that follows the opening of the Lush Perfume Library in Florence- the birthplace of modern perfumery during the Renaissance- then you can head here.

If you enjoyed this blog post of the Lush Renaissance Spa Treatment head on over to my review of the Lush Synaesthesia Spa Treatment.

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Renaissance Spa Treatment Details

Cost: £75

Duration: 40 minutes

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The Lush Spa Poole Details

29 High Street, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1AB

01202 672217 or email: poole.spa@lush.co.uk

Lush Spa Poole Instagram

Click here to book the Renaissance Spa Treatment at Lush Spa