Tried and tested home spa skincare: VOYA seaweed baths

When a neat brown box arrived on my desk, it naturally sparked intrigue … followed by a small amount of confusion as it opened up to revealed a sachet of salt and and a large net filled with dried seaweed.

Spa skincare straight from the sea

I have long been a fan of VOYA. This is the brand that harvests seaweed from the Irish coast, freeze dries it, and packages it along with all its nutrients, so that the rest of us can bathe away our toxins in the comfort of a spa, our own homes, or anywhere that will permit you to fill the tub with marine plant life.

It is a tradition that spans more than 100 years in Strandhill, Co. Sligo, and it has remained something of a skincare pilgrimage thanks to the organic properties of the seaweed.  However, since the original concept was developed, VOYA, has also taken the seaweed essence and transplanted it into a number of other products, including herbal teas, massage oils, soaps, and moisturisers. They are also one of the much favoured product lines used in spas the world over, including luxury destinations like Hoar Cross Hall and Laceby Manor.

Earthy goodness at home

Despite being a fan, I had not yet sampled the seaweed baths for which VOYA is famed, and while I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, what arrived in that unassuming box, really did come as quite a surprise.

The way the Lazy Days seaweed baths work is that you pour the salt into the running bathwater and then soak the net of seaweed in it as well, which rehydrates in the process, coming back to life so that you are faced with the prospect of basking in a relocated seabed.  The hot water releases the plant’s alginate properties, and if you squeeze it, more of the gel seeps forth.

Skin benefits of seaweed

Both the appearance and the smell do take a little getting used to, but settle in with a good book for a while, and you do soon start noticing the benefits as any agitated skin feels soothed.  The gel from the seaweed feels instantly healing, and I don’t believe that that is a conciliatory perception I have developed for the decidedly earthy smell of the seaweed, as for several days afterwards it felt moisturised and less irritated by the chilly air.

Equally, there is something very reassuring about the organic nature of the product.  It's comforting to know that it's chemical free - it's quite hard to find something so authentically natural, and to prove the point, the recommendation is that after three uses in the bath you can use the seaweed as a fertiliser in the garden. Excellent news for anyone embracing the 'Good Life'.

The purpose of the seaweed bath is to moisturise the skin, to aid Detox, and help reduce cellulite.  I think a few more baths are going to be necessary before the cellulite is sent packing, but in the meantime, the immediate effects of the seaweed on winter ravaged skin is enough to make it a winner for me.