Synaesthesia Treatment at Lush Spa Poole.

The definition of Synaesthesia is that of a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic reaction in a separate sensory outlet. Mark Constantine, Owner and Co-founder of Lush Cosmetics has synaesthesia and he used his experiences to create an eighty minute, personally tailored Spa experience which you can get at any of the Lush Spa locations. I chose to have my treatment at the Spa in Poole because not only is it situated at 29 1/2 High Street which still plays host to the very first Lush shop, but also because Poole is a quiet, little quayside town that I could imagine wanting to step out into after a fully immersive treatment. 

Set to a soundtrack of a 52 piece orchestra accompanied by whirling winds and birdsong, Synaesthesia combines mind, body and soul in such an overlooked way and it works wonderfully. It was also the first treatment ever designed for the venture that became Lush Spa.
When you arrive at the Lush Spa, you’re asked a few basic health questions and then whether you’d like to improve your sense of humour, gain perspective on life’s mysteries, gather the courage to tackle some mountains or some other equally as beautiful concepts. Given my own personal outlook on life at the moment, I thought it would be nice to gain some perspective and see if I could look at things in a bigger picture as opposed to obsessing over the smaller things. 

The word that you choose first matches with the massage bar that your therapist will be using on you, and apparently ‘perspective’ is one of the lesser chosen ones because most people tend to stick to what they think they’re expecting and choose the more basic ‘relax’ or ‘calm’ words from the initial paragraph of choices.
You’re then lead into the most quaint, English cottage style kitchen with a plethora of coloured bottles running along the shelves; without picking up and smelling each bottle, you’re asked to pick out another word that draws you in. 

These words match with the essential oil that your therapist will use during your treatment, in flasks that look like they should be upstairs in the Lush Product Creation lab, overflowing with what looks like dry ice and smoky, scented goodness. Words for the blended oils were things such as relax, be free, laugh, go do, meticulous, sweet, hug and good. I chose the word ‘good’ simply because the tagline was ‘lighter and brighter’ - after gaining a little perspective, who wouldn’t want to feel lighter and brighter in their outlook to life?

I was a little cautious with picking the words because I knew that the words would equate to my scents for the massage; what happened if I got stuck with a scent I hated?
In the end, I chose not to cheat and smell all the blends/words, and I went with my gut. This is my recommendation for anyone who is treated to the Synaesthesia in the future - base your choices on the words and your feelings; it’s the best way to get the full experience from the treatment.
A Lush Spa treatment is nothing like a regular spa experience; it’s much more immersive and tailored - never having had any kind of massages in a spa environment before my Synaesthesia, I can safely say I’ve been spoiled and now I’m not quite sure how other spas will ever match up in comparison. 

I wont talk about the treatment itself too much because I’d like anyone who goes to be just as enamoured with the whole surprise experience as I was. I will say, however, that Tori (my therapist) is a amazing masseuse and really worked hard to embody everything that Lush is trying to do with the Spa locations. While treatments are in progress throughout the Spa, therapists walk around in their socks so as not to disturb guests, they all talk in very hushed, melodic voices, and I’ve never felt more looked after.
The English Countryside feel is carried on throughout the whole Spa, from the treatment rooms, the kitchen and the lounge where you’re encouraged to spend as much or as little time as you’d like after your session, drinking the tea provided for you, laced with an intricate blend of your previous word choices as light flavourings. 

Synaesthesia is a full body massage, so you’re asked to strip down to just your pants (wear big pants to feel more comfortable) although I never felt exposed, or cold, or worried about that element. Tori was sweet and completely understanding that never having had any kind of Spa treatment before, I was a little nervous and hesitant. Your back, neck, arms, legs (front and back) are massaged with your massage bars, along with a choice of hot stone massage or stomach massage before a soothing facial massage at the end of your treatment. 

Feeling a little dozy and utterly pampered from head to toe, I was sleepily surprised when my treatment came to an end. “I feel so relaxed that I could sleep for a thousand years…” I mumbled to Tori in my daze. 

I can’t sing the praises for the staff at Lush Spa Poole, especially Tori, and the staff at Lush Poole, especially Charlotte anymore. They made me feel special, looked after and above all content - which I’ve not felt for a while. It’s almost as if Tori pressed my reset button. I may not have left with an energised spring in my step, but emotionally, I left feeling breezy and definitely with a little more perspective. 

Cruelty Free.

My new housemate said to me the night before last “Oh, I don’t really pay attention to things like that. I can’t be bothered…” - sadly, she was talking about Animal Testing. 

When I began to list the numbers of animals that are killed and grossly mistreated for the cosmetics industry alone, she said “But I don’t care about mice or rats - kill them.”

How do I explain to her, without coming across preachy, that she is completely and utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, wrong?
I will be completely honest and say that not all of the cosmetics and things in my life are considered animal friendly, but I buy responsibly and ethically where I can and if I know of an animal friendly alternative to something I currently use I will most definitely give that option a try first. 

Working at Lush, one of the things that I hear the most is “Do you really fight animal testing?’/ “Are all your products really animal friendly?” The Queen of Sarcasm inside me is dying to give them the most direct stare and say “No, we don’t. We just thought it would be a good thing to print on the side of our bags and throw into the marketing mix…” purely for the reaction. 

It’s so easy to do a little research and figure out who does what in the world of animal testing now, it seems lazy and arrogant not to do so. Seeing as I’m sure not everyone is as in the loop as they should be, here’s a couple of websites to get you going. All you have to do is click the links below, it’s not that tricky;
The Vegetarian Site.

The Cruelty Free Kitty.
Superdrug: Cruelty Free Cosmetics

Any item or product that sports this leaping bunny logo is approved as Cruelty-Free which is what you’re looking for whilst browsing the aisles at your local supermarkets.
Whilst most brands who are Cruelty-Free are fairly outspoken about it (Lush for example), the brands who aren’t are  a little more shady about it. The Body Shop for example, have always been outwardly cruelty-free and proud, but then they were bought by L’Oreal who are anything but cruelty free, so what does that mean for The Body Shop’s animal friendly ethics? 

It’s sad that animal testing, especially in the cosmetics world, is swept under the carpet so often. I would have much more respect for a company if they openly said “Yes, we do currently test on animals, but we are collaborating with X and channelling £Y into finding ways to make the entirety of our brand cruelty free.” If companies like Lush, Illamasqua, Aesop and Barry M can go about their day to day business without torturing and killing/maiming animals why can’t everyone? Here’s looking at you; MAC Cosmetics, Sephora, Benefit, Clinique, YSL, Dior… the list goes on. 

Through my own research, it would seem that quite a lot of cruelty-free cosmetics are a lot cheaper than drugstore, let alone high-end, make up brands. Why spend £20 on a lipstick that’s been tested on rabbits and has God knows what thrown into the ingredients, when you can spend a lot less and make a more moral, ethical choice with your cosmetics?

If you’re like me and you believe that you’re animal friendly wherever you can be, you’ll be glad to hear that my housemate, after visiting me at work (Lush Southampton) declared “I think I’ll use up all the stuff I have at home, and then just buy this stuff next time…” So whether I managed to change her mind on the policies regarding animal testing, or whether she just fell in love with Lush like so many have, I’m not complaining. 

If you’re still not convinced that you should be on the look out for that little leaping bunny (not only are you an asshole) but here’s some information for you to mull over next time you’re pursuing your local beauty counter… 

I’m not asking you to be perfect, because god knows I’m not, but I am asking you to be considerate.