Why it works … Mud Rasul at Harte & Garter Hotel and Spa

With Valentine’s Day coming up, the spa industry is awash with recommendations for mud rasuls as the ideal treatment for couples.  That is all very well but the clue isn’t really in the title as to what it is or what it does, is it?  So we asked Jemma Fidler, Spa Manager at Harte & Garter Hotel and Spa to explain, and found out not only why it works … but why it is completely necessary to have a bit of help applying all that mud!

What does a mud rasul entail?

You go into a room where there are two showers and a private steam room.  After showering, you go into the steam room which has low

lighting and pretty little lights which help you relax.  This opens up your pores, and softens skin.  We then give you a pot of volcanic mud which you apply all over and then go back into the steam room with it on.  When you come out you shower the mud off, and we give clients a chocolate orange scrub which smells amazing, to help remove the mud and gently exfoliate.  It’s a great treatment for couples because it gives you time to talk and it is good to have some help applying the mud - which can be quite fun as well!

It sounds very nice, but what is it for?

The volcanic mud contains lots of minerals that feed the skin, and having opened the pores with the first steam it is predisposed to absorbing the nutrients.  So it’s particularly good for this time of year when the skin is dry!  There is also music playing in the steam room, so it’s a very relaxing environment.

Is there anything you recommend clients do before or after treatments to help it work effectively?

It’s quite a self-contained treatment, and as the scrub at the end is oil based you don’t need to moisturise afterwards.  We do however

always recommend that clients use the other spa facilities first and then finish with the rasul, as the chlorine will strip away all the goodness you have put onto your skin.  You also need to keep hydrated, so drink lots of water and try to avoid alcohol afterwards.

Is there anyone you don’t recommend the treatment for?

Because of the steam room it isn’t recommended for pregnant women or people with very high blood pressure, because it is quite warm.

Is there anyone you particularly recommend it for?

As it’s a very nourishing treatment for the skin it’s very good for people with eczema, psoriasis or any stressed skin conditions, but it’s really suitable for anyone, and is a fun treatment to have with someone else!