Schehrazade Spa: Meet the massage oil expert

The owner talks about essential oils and massage techniques.

KARACHI:

A good body massage that leaves you rejuvenated is not easy to come by; even in a city where spas and relaxation centres are aplenty, you can’t be sure that every retreat will leave you refreshed and satiated.

If the massage is good, the ambience may not be; if the ambience and massage are both satisfactory, maybe you will notice that the masseuse is too talkative. It is in this environment that two friends, Farhana Millwala Kerai and Shafaq Rahid, have collaborated to open Schehrazade Spa — a lovely retreat named after the Queen of Baghdad, tucked away in Clifton Block 4.

When you walk into the dimly lit spa, there’s no hustle bustle, loud music or kids screaming for that matter, because interestingly enough mothers have the option of dropping off their children at a day care downstairs called Kidz Club. The staff is professional and there is ample room for mani/pedi and hair treatments. Besides being a full service salon, the spa offers a range of pressure point and aromatherapy massages which are priced at Rs2,300 each. The pure almond base oil comes from Skardu, while the other head oils are imported, says Kerai.

Kerai, who has studied reflexology, aromatherapy and body massage from the Steiner School of Beauty in Dubai, prides herself on making the essential body oil mixes for clients.

“We use base oil — which can be any vegetable oil from olive to almond oil — depending on the client, their skin and the requirement,” says Kerai. “We then mix a certain percentage of the essential oil with the base oil.”

“When the blended oil is rubbed on the skin, the essential oil permeates the skin and goes inside the follicles,” she adds. “The molecular structure of essential oils is very similar to our sweat glands [the sebum]; they penetrate into these pores, hit your blood vessels and certain changes take place. They can be used medicinally, but if not used with caution and proper technique, they can be toxic and lethal.”

She explains that while some essential oils can raise blood pressure, some work better for diabetic patients and others for insomniacs. Unless a specific problem is mentioned, generic oil is used. “Sometimes I might make sandalwood and Jasmine, if I’m feeling hormonal and beautiful,” she says. “Other times, it could be eucalyptus or basil because there is a cold wind blowing outside.”

Kerai also makes it a point to go the extra mile for pregnant clients. “From six weeks to nine months [into pregnancy], we have handled clients beautifully. They come back to us for postpartum massages,” she adds.

Working the pressure points

She then talks about the basics of massage therapy. “A masseuse needs to recognise the difference between bone and muscle,” she says. “The art is to know that pain is always in the muscle, never in the bone. You should never press a bone — it can increase an existing problem.”

She adds that clients should know what oils are being used, as prices of special oils are higher than standard ones. “Baby oil is terrible,” she says. “It’s paraffin, which is a by-product of petrol.” To highlight her point, she explains that baby oil is used before a face polish so the skin can be coated to prevent the bleach from permeating the skin.

From intensive hair treatments to waxing and threading, Schehrazade Spa offers a variety of services and promises to leave you in good hands.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2013.                

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