Thailand Spa Paradise

Thai Spas

By Chami Jotisalikorn

Another popular cuisine ingredient that doubles as a common beauty remedy is Tamarind. This curvy brown fruit adds the delicate, sour flavour to Som Tam Papaya Salad, Gaeng Som and some sauces - and it's the high-acid content that made this fruit a cheap and easy skin exfoliator for generations of Thai beauties - long before modern cosmetic companies began marketing AHA exfoliating creams to consumers.

Another kitchen cabinet beautifier is the common papaya. While most people delight in its rich sweet taste, few may realize that a scoop of ripe papaya, mashed to a pulp and used as a face or body mask, will exfoliate and soften the complexion instantly, with its high AHA and high moisture content.

Fragrant Thai Lemongrass, recognized by food buffs as the key ingredient in Thai cuisine, is used by Thais as an aromatic remedy to calm the mind and soothe the senses.

Citronella, a grass-like herb in the same family, has a similar lemony smell that is used as a skin disinfectant and an insect repellent.

The luxuriously sweet scent of Thai flowers such as jasmine and ylang ylang have long been used as ingredients in traditional Thai smelling salts for their ability to rejuvenate the senses, and in modern spas their scents are put to use in aromatherapy treatments to calm and de-stress the mind and body.

Aromatherapy may be the buzzword in today's spa treatments, but Thais have long used the healing power of scent to soothe and nurture the mind and body.

Chami Jotisalikorn is the author of the Thai Spa Book: The Natural Asian Way to Health and Beauty, and Classic Thai: Design, Interiors & Architecture, both of which have hit the top ten best-seller list in Bangkok since their releases in September and October 2002.

The daughter of a Thai diplomat, Chami was born in Bangkok and raised and educated in Washington DC, New Delhi, Tokyo and New York City. She completed her education at Columbia University in New York and currently lives and works in Bangkok as a writer and consultant. She contributes to a number of local and international publications on topics of travel, culture, design, and lifestyle.

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