With temperatures soaring in Bath, the Thermae Bath Spa has introduced a new treatment that brings cooling relief, and not just from the heat. Joanna Lewis heads to the spa to experience its new ice-cool Swedish Cryo Globe treatment and to learn more about the restorative benefits of cold therapy for mind, body, and soul….
Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, is the new beauty buzz, not just because it offers welcome relief from summer temperatures but also for its potential to improve skin health, reduce muscle soreness, and to help heal inflammation and swelling. Indeed, this beauty trend has gained traction with celebrities and elite athletes utilising extreme cold therapies, from cryo-chambers to glacial facials, for healing, renewal, and performance enhancement.
However, if the thought of plunging yourself into an ice-filled tub or braving the teeth-chattering chill of a sub-zero cryotherapy chamber sends shivers down your spine, then fret not. Thermae Bath Spa’s new Swedish Cryo Globe treatment offers all the benefits, without the extreme temperature shock, providing Bath’s spa goers with an exciting alternative to mainstream beauty therapies.
This new therapy blends traditional Swedish massage with targeted cool temperatures, utilising Elemis Pro Collagen Cryo Globes. These sculpting, high-quality stainless steel cryo massage tools are precisely cooled to ensure targeted relief while optimising comfort, ensuring a relaxing yet restorative treatment.
The science behind cold therapy
While cryotherapy may feel cutting-edge, its roots lie in centuries of wellness tradition. Used historically to treat inflammation and accelerate recovery, cold exposure has long been prized for its anti-inflammatory and revitalising effects.
At its core, cold therapy massage harnesses the body’s natural response to controlled cold exposure to stimulate regeneration and healing.
When cold is applied to the body, whether through cryo globes, ice stones, or chilled compresses, blood vessels constrict, reducing inflammation, swelling, and muscular soreness. As the area warms again, vessels dilate, encouraging a fresh rush of oxygenated blood and nutrients. This contrast effect boosts circulation, supports detoxification, and accelerates repair.
Neurologically, the cooling effect also helps to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce cortisol levels, lower heart rate, ease anxiety, and dull pain receptors.
There’s a meditative quality to the chilled, rhythmic movement of the Cryo Globes when combined with the grounding strokes of the Swedish massage.
The treatment
The 50-minute treatment starts with a relaxing, medium-pressure Swedish massage, targeting the neck, back and the backs of the legs – areas that can often feel tense and sore. The chilled Cryo Globes are used intermittently to target areas of tension and soothe overworked muscles, harnessing the proven benefits and revitalising power of cold and contrast therapy.
Far from the numbing chill that one might expect, the Cryo Globes are carefully chilled to deliver a calculated coolness. Indeed, there’s a meditative quality to the chilled, rhythmic movement of the Cryo Globes when combined with the grounding strokes of the Swedish massage. The result is a treatment that offers not only deep relaxation but a sense of physical renewal.
My therapist, Karolina, Assistant Spa Manager, regularly checked that the temperature of the Cryo Globes was comfortable, and there were regular opportunities to adjust their temperature. There was also the opportunity to focus the treatment on specific areas, if required.
Following the massage, Karolina applied Elemis’s Instant Refreshing Gel, a revitalising body gel that delivers relief to tired and tense muscles, helping to further amplify results. The treatment concludes with a relaxing scalp massage, creating a sense of calm that lingers well beyond the treatment room.
Once the treatment is complete there is an opportunity to take a moment in the relaxation area, where there is a selection of herbal teas. The ideal opportunity to take stock before returning to the hubbub of day-to-day life.
Of course, a key highlight of any treatment at Thermae Bath Spa is the opportunity to enhance the experience with a soak in Bath’s mineral-rich waters in the spa’s open-air Rooftop Pool or indoor Minerva Bath. Beyond these soothing waters, guests can also enjoy the Wellness Suite, which offers a state-of-the-art infrared room, steam rooms, a celestial relaxation room, and aptly, an invigorating ice chamber, with complementary towels and robes ensuring a seamless experience.
For more details or to book the Swedish Cryo Globe treatment, visit thermaebathspa.com/spapackages/swedishcryoglobe