Review: FRONTLINEstyle Lava Shell Relax Massage

I’ve heard of hot stone treatments before but when I was kindly invited by FRONTLINEstyle to try their new ‘Lava Shell Relax Massage’, I must admit, I had no idea what this could be. They explained that it was a modern take on the traditional stones, using the world’s first self-heating massage tools instead of the original stones which rapidly lose their heat.

Despite the explanation and having never had a hot stone massage, I was still unsure what to expect - and for some reason had visions of just having hot shells placed on my back and being left there for an hour. Because of my lack of knowledge, I had no idea what a relaxing treat lay in store for me.

I arrived in the very conveniently located Frontline Style which is on Monmouth Street, just off Kingsmead Square.  The award winning boutique salon and spa was much bigger than you’d expect from the frontage and is based over 3 floors with a hair salon, beauty floor, and treatment rooms. They’ve really made the most of the Georgian building and it was lovely to be in a salon full of character rather than a typical soul-less hotel treatment room.

I was taken upstairs in to the spacious changing room where a lovely soft and fluffy bath robe was left for me, and something a bit different; pretty fit flops instead of the standard white slippers; a really nice touch.

I was then asked to complete the health and safety form, in the luxurious leather seats in the lounge area, and my therapist Jessica came to introduce herself and showed me up to the treatment room on the third floor; which was so warm and cosy I immediately felt relaxed.

Jessica then explained the treatment and its benefits.  I was booked in for the Lava Shell Relax Massage; which uses shells that heat up internally for up to an hour with a combination of natural minerals and water, and therefore has the added bonus of being eco-friendly. The warmth allows for deeper work to effectively penetrate layers of tension reducing tight muscles and promoting deep relaxation.

Jessica began by using her hands to massage my legs with a beautifully aromatic oil, she then introduced the shells. Considering, they are heated naturally they really were warm and the shells were extremely smooth. They were then worked over my palms, arms, feet and legs in slow deep moves.  

I’m avid runner and cyclist, so when having a standard massage I normally ask for hard pressure which is great but sometimes the movements can be too vigorous which can make it feel more like a sports massage than a relaxation therapy. This combination of the heat, pressure and slow moves really makes this treatment extremely superior to a standard full body massage. I could feel the benefits of a deep tissue massage, relaxing my tight muscles but it felt like an indulgent, pampering treatment.

The shells stayed really warm and Jessica really took her time, and what really impressed me is that the treatment lasted for a full hour; all too often the 60 minutes include the changing and form filling so you don’t really have the time to relax fully in to the therapy.

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end and it was time to carry on with the day, but despite having an afternoon of meetings ahead of me, I wondered out feeling like I was floating on a cloud without a care in the world!