On Tuesdays, we Bathe in Seaweed

On Tuesdays, we bathe in seaweed, and on Wednesdays, we wear pink...  Today I got into a hot bath full of stinky, slimy, slippery seaweed and had a great time.  My Mum has been going to the Voya Seaweed Baths in Strandhill, Co. Sligo, for years - ever since I can remember coming to Ireland!  Personally, it was something that I had always vehemently sweared that I would hate.  How wrong I was!  This year I decided was finally the time to give it a go, plus by this point I was far too curious to resist, and had heard too much about the benefits of having a seaweed bath to say no.  It's full of minerals which have incredible healing properties, and is particularly rich in iodine which is essential for the thyroid gland and regulating the metabolism.

We were booked in for 4.45pm this evening, which was a great time to go, as it was just getting dark and stormy outside.  Once we had stepped through the doors into the reception, we were greeted with the smell of warm nutmeg, cranberries and cinammon scented candles, which filled the reception with a soft yellowy light.  You can book either a single or a double bath if you prefer, and each room has a shower which doubles as a steam room and a big traditional style tub which is filled with steaming water and a big bucketful of seaweed, towels and plenty of water to drink.  I was recommended to shower first, then steam for 5-10 minutes before getting into the bath, which gave the bath water enough time to cool to what was the perfect temperature for me.  I'm not actually a frequent bath taker - the last time I had one must've been at least a year ago...probably more!  So it was a really luxurious treat for me.

The seaweed does take a little bit of getting used to, as it is a tad smelly (you do get used to the smell really quickly though, promise) and slimy too, just like what you would expect really!  But I do honestly think you can feel the goodness sinking into your skin straight away, as well as all the bad shit - excuse my French - being drawn out.  You get 50 minutes in the room, which I found to be more than enough... the room is pretty hot and steamy by the time you've done all your steaming and bathing and everything.  Getting dressed is a bit of a nightmare, as it's quite hard to dry off, but the way your skin feels after the bath is unbelievable!  It makes your skin and hair so soft and I felt incredibly clean despite not showering off all the seaweed slime (this is apparently how you reap the most benefits - I was just following instructions!).  Once you're finished you can go and sit in the quiet area and have a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea if you fancy it.  All in all, it's an incredibly relaxing and beneficial treatment to have, and one I would really recommend giving a go if you are ever in that part of Ireland.  They've also got an amazing range of skincare products which are on sale at the baths themselves but are also stocked internationally, so look out for them!

Fingers crossed it will be back to England for us tomorrow in time for New Years, but with the weather as wild as it's been, we're slightly anxious that our flights might be delayed or even cancelled.  Which would be a nightmare as not only are we supposed to be hosting a New Years Eve party, but I also have a 3000 word essay to write as well as a January exam to revise for... and, more importantly, I don't have any clean pants left.  

Ruby x

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