Spas offer a variety of mud-based therapies, including mud baths, mud soaks, mud wraps, and mud facials. Signature treatments with specific types of specially harvested mud abound. Depending on its mineral and clay content, some sources of mud are clearly superior to others. Consequently, mud is culled from faraway corners of the world for its specific mineral content and healing properties. Some of the most desirable sources of mud include New Zealand, the Dead Sea, the Everglades, the Napa Valley and Alaska's glacial areas.
Ingredients in Mud
Mud is composed of various combinations of clay, finely particled mineral sediment, volcanic ash residue, sea salts and water. Clay, which is rich in magnesium, has the ability to draw toxins and excess fluid from the skin. Minerals aid in detoxification and they provide nutrient support to the skin. In the form of fine particles, the minerals in mud are easily absorbed through the skin’s pores.
As many as 35 different minerals are found in mud, including silica, calcium, magnesium, calcite, kaolinite, sepiolite and palygorskite. The mineral content of mud is thought to contribute to its anti-microbial properties. Studies have confirmed that mud effectively destroys a number of common skin contaminants, including yeast and bacteria.
Enriching Mud
Other ingredients are also added to mud used in spa and holistic home therapies. These ingredients are used to enhance the mineral properties of mud and to prevent bacterial contamination. For instance, mud from Alaska’s Copper River is enriched with a special combination of certified organic and locally harvested botanical extracts from the Pacific Northwest including kelp, nettle, horsetail, elderflower, yarrow, cranberry, blueberry and also vitamins E and B5 chosen for their moisturizing, skin-softening, anti-aging and immunoprotective properties.
Mud Baths
In the spa setting, the skin is usually first prepared for the mud bath by dry brushing and/or a warm shower. The client then steps into a warm mud bath, soaking up to the neck. After a soak of 10-30 minutes, the client steps into a warm shower and then steps into a mineral-rich warm bath. Mud baths heal the skin, improve circulate, provide relaxation, and reduce joint pain.
At Caligosta’s Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa and Resort, mud baths are a popular attraction. Caligosta is considered the mud bath capital of California. In 1946 Calistoga, the chiropractor John Wilkinson established a spa made famous for his popular basic mud bath recipe. Wilkinson's basic mud bath consisted of volcanic ash, hot spring water from a nearby source, and peat moss to enhance buoyancy. Since, spas have customized this formula by adding aromatherapy ingredients , essential oils, seaweed and various herbs.
Mud Facials
Mud facials are used to exfoliate the skin, draw out toxins and impurities, and to soothe and soften the skin. Customized and signature mud facials are available at spas worldwide in which mud may be combined with herbs, dead sea salts, seaweed, fruit extracts, and essential oils. Spa clients report that there's nothing comparable to a mud facial for smoothing lines and clearing troubled skin.
Mud Wraps
Mud is one of the primary ingredients used in body wraps. Combined with seaweed or other marine sources, mud wraps are used to tone and detoxify the skin and promote fluid loss. Signature mud wraps are a popular attraction at luxury spas worldwide.
Resources:
- Is the Dead Sea Really Dead? How Stuff Works, accessed Sept 20, 2008.
- Zeev, M, Yigal, H, et al, Antimicrobial properties of Dead Sea black mineral mud, International Journal of Dermatology, 2005, Volume 45 Issue 5: 504 – 511.
- W. G. Harris, M. M. Fisher, X. Cao, T. Osborne and L. Ellis,
- Magnesium-Rich Minerals in Sediment and Suspended Particulates of South Florida Water Bodies: Implications for Turbidity, Published in J Environ Qual 36:1670-1677 (2007), published online Oct 16, 2007; accessed Sept 20, 2008.
 |
 |
 |
