Day spa rules to make the most of your treatment

Now that you’ve refreshed your spa etiquette, where are the best places to practise it? We love the revamped Eden Health Retreat, which sits in 160 hectares of pristine Gold Coast hinterland rainforest – the location alone is enough to have you zoning out. Our treatment pick is the stress-relieving ZeroBody Dry Float Therapy ($55).

In Brisbane you’ll find the award-winning Kailo Wellness Medispa in the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley’s fashionable James Street. The hotel is a favourite of celebrities including Chris Hemsworth and Julia Roberts, and the spa treatments are equally top-shelf. The 90-minute La Prairie Life Matrix Immersion facial ($700) is a supercharged treatment that starts with deep cleansing and exfoliating, while soothing massage throughout the treatment infuses the skin with corrective ingredients and the lymphatic drainage helps to lift and brighten tired skin.

For one of the highest spa experiences in the country, head to the 64th floor of Melbourne’s Ritz-Carlton hotel to try the 60-minute Age Defying Facial ($240). It includes a deep-brush cleanse, exfoliation and soothing massage, followed by a mask and a scalp massage.

On the west coast, the Margaret River region’s Injidup Retreat and Spa offers adults-only indulgence by the sea. If you can tear yourself away from the ocean view, try the stress-melting Swedish Massage ($160), an hour of pure escapism.

Visitors to the Adelaide Hills will want to make time for a treatment at Gatekeeper’s Day Spa on the grounds of Mount Lofty Estate, which also boasts hot pools fed by artesian springs. We love the two-hour Jurlique Rose Ritual face and body massage (from $400).

Tasmania’s Saffire resort on the Freycinet Peninsula is world-famous, but its spa also deserves acclaim. My choice is the hour-long Macadamia Body Scrub ($225), which uses ginseng, echinacea, oat flour, camomile and vitamin E to give you a new glow.

ASK STEPH

How often should I exfoliate my face?

Over-exfoliation is a common cleansing mistake. Once a week is the rule of thumb to avoid stripping the skin’s mantle and upsetting the microbiome, which can cause irritation, redness and dryness. Try a gentle enzyme exfoliator such as Dr Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser ($117).

Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling.

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