Scottish spa treatment: PURE Spa Booster Facial and Massage

PURE have launched a new city centre venue in Edinburghs Apex hotel on Waterloo Place. Picture: David Springford

The treatment

The 30-minute PURE Spa Booster Facial and a 30-minute PURE Spa Booster Massage at PURE Spa, £50 each or both for £78.

Why go?

This has been a busy year for PURE. Not only have they launched a new city centre venue in Edinburgh’s Apex hotel on Waterloo Place, they’ve created a range of aromatherapy-inspired products, which are now being used as part of updated treatments, including the ones above.

Our spy says

This is my first visit to PURE Spa’s newest location and it’s something of a beauty grotto, with a couple of treatment rooms, relaxation area, mini nail bar, sauna, steam room and the sort of temperate swimming pool that you float about and chat in (rather than do laps of).

Note to self: come earlier next time so I can have a swim and steam, as a visit to the day spa is included in your visit.

Once I’ve slipped into my gown in the changing area, my therapist, Lina, tracks me down and takes me through for my treatment. It starts with a foot ritual involving a bowl of hot water, a scrub and the application of one of PURE’s products – a zingy body lotion containing eucalyptus and peppermint.

Then I’m onto the bed, face down for my back massage, before Lina pours some oils into the bowl under my face so I can inhale the fragrant steam.

According to Lina, this massage is of the Swedish variety. “More relaxing,” she says. It features a uniformly medium pressure, which I found quite light, but pleasantly so. There are long and hypnotic wave-like motions, then little eddies around troublesome areas at my shoulders, lower back and neck.

Lina uses a base oil for this, which is pressed off with hot towels at the end, then more of the cooling and slightly tingly body lotion is slicked on.

For the facial element of this double whammy of treatments, I turn over, my hair is held back by a towel and a warm eye mask is placed across my peepers. I can hear Lina tinkering away with glass bottles, as each facial involves tailored products using PURE’s oils. I need something for fine lines and open pores, doctor.

My face is cleansed with their Clean and Glow Cleansing Face Oil (£22) containing neroli and jojoba to melt away makeup, then there’s a massage, exfoliation and a mask, which works its magic at the same time as Lina performs a head massage. I’m finished off with some omega oil-rich Hydrate and Renew Face Oil (£32) with fragrant ingredients including frankincense and rose.

The results

I am fresh and glowing. Pure magic. n

• PURE Spa, Apex Hotel, 23-27 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh (0843 507 1888, www.purespauk.com)