The sweet scents of pineapple and papaya evoke exotic escapes, warm tropical breezes, and carefree days in the sun. So naturally, they’re best enjoyed with a fruity cocktail or during an alfresco massage. Because far-off destinations don’t always fit into summer travel plans, consider bringing the tropics home to your spa with treatments featuring these sweet fruits.
“Pineapple and papaya both have a strong connection to tropical island destinations, and their sweet essences can help transport our clients to a dreamed of oasis,” says Jacob Vann, corporate educator for Pevonia Botanica. “Leaving behind the rigmarole of a travel agent, these heavenly fruits can give spa-goers a taste of the tropics.”
In addition to providing a sensory escape, these fruits provide an excellent supply of vital nutrition. Papaya is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, in addition to powerful antioxidants like carotene and flavonoids. Meanwhile, pineapple possesses large doses of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. “This restorative combination of minerals repairs connective tissues,” says Vann. “Both fruits contain enzymes proven to reduce inflammation, pain, and swelling and support healthy skin.”
Pevonia Botanica offers an array of products and treatments that incorporate organic extracts of papaya and pineapple, and some of the most popular treatments highlight the fruits’ escapist and antioxidant properties from the company’s Ligne Tropicale Body De-Aging products. Living Waters Day Spa (Pembroke Pines, FL) offers the Papaya Pineapple Salt Glow ($80, 35 minutes), which includes a full-body exfoliation using
De-Aging Saltmousse with both papaya and pineapple extracts, followed by a Vichy shower to rinse away the salts and De-Aging Body Balm to moisturize.
Pineapple is a great anti-aging ingredient and plays a leading role in Sothys’s new limited-edition Pineapple and Mango Seasonal Facial ($75, 45 minutes), offered at the Sothys Institute (New York City). Clients also receive a complimentary tube of Sothys Exotic Pineapple Serum to take home and use post treatment. “Pineapple has always been regarded as a powerful antioxidant due in part to its abundance of vitamin C,” says Caroline Rushworth, Sothys’s director of education. “The dual enzymatic action of bromelain, in conjunction with the AHA present in pineapple, will help improve the skin’s texture, increase hydration, remove dead skin cells, and make the skin more elastic.”
Pure Fiji specializes in tropical skin and hair treatments, so it’s only natural that the company, which uses flower, fruit, and nut extracts, would prominently feature papaya and pineapple in its lineup. Pineapple extract contains the enzyme bromelain, which helps break down the connecting layers between skin cells to exfoliate skin, explains Suzie Sommer, senior vice president of marketing at Pure Fiji USA. Meanwhile, papaya extract works as a free-radical scavenger and cellular renewal ingredient, sloughing off dead skin cells. “Our skin will not accept moisture unless we properly exfoliate,” she says. “These beautiful ingredients from nature gently remove dead skin without any harsh rubbing. They also only remove dead cells, leaving the bright and shiny new ones alone.”
Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace Las Vegas offers a Fiji Ritual ($210, 75 minutes), which uses Pure Fiji coconut products, all infused with pineapple and/or papaya extract. It begins with a deep pore-cleansing exfoliation using a coconut cream scrub, followed by a relaxing wrap and scalp treatment with coconut oil. The guest is then painted with coconut body butter to promote hydration, nourishing and repairing damage to the deepest layers of skin.
According to Rushworth, people gravitate to fruit-infused or -themed treatments because of their familiarity. “Pineapple- and papaya-based services allow the guest a point of reference, and they are not scared away by unusual or scientifically sounding services,” says Rushworth. “We are always told to eat our fruits and vegetables, now our daily serving of fruits can be applied, as well.”
Indeed, the treatments sound good enough to eat—and they are. At The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (Maui, HI), situated on a historic pineapple plantation, the resort infuses the fruit in a bevy of menu items such as mimosas, salsas, garnishes, and other innovative items, in addition to incorporating it in the menu at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Kapalua. Guests can indulge in treatments that use Epicuren’s papaya pineapple products, including the Moisturizing Pineapple Papaya Body Polish ($155, 50 minutes); the Signature Kapalua Castaway ($225, 80 minutes), a pineapple-papaya exfoliation followed by a 50-minute massage; the Na Koho Wahine, or Ladies’ Choice, ($395, 3 hours 30 minutes), which includes a pineapple-papaya body polish, a lomi lomi massage, an organic facial, and a Hawaiian organic pedicure; and the Kapalua Embrace for couples ($295 per person, 3 hours), which includes a pineapple-papaya body polish for two, duo lomi lomi massages, and a tropical bath soak. “Our guests arrive in Maui looking for a tropical and indigenous treatment,” says spa manager Lauren Avila. “It is truly a tropical escape for the senses.”
And at the Seagate Spa (Delray Beach, FL), which promotes papaya- and pineapple-themed services year-round, the crew created new treatments in honor of Delray Beach’s Pineapple Celebration for the 100th anniversary of the beach resort town. Spa guests receiving pineapple-themed services enjoy pineapple cocktails, tea, and fresh skewers. Options include the Pineapple Express Facial ($65, 25 minutes), featuring a papaya-pineapple enzyme peel and a custom mask; the Pineapple Plantation Manicure/Pedicure ($100, 80 minutes) with a pineapple-infused mineral salt bath, a pineapple enzyme exfoliation, a honey and pineapple mask, and a warm stone massage; and the Delray Beach Pineapple Scrub ($60, 25 minutes), with pineapple enzymes and fine raw sugar buff to polish the skin. In addition to the pineapple-themed treatments, each week during the summer, Atlantic Grille, the property’s signature restaurant, serves special pineapple appetizers and cocktails.
But even landlocked locales can take advantage of these fruits’ sweet appeal. Rushworth suggests offering dried papaya and pineapple slices in the waiting or relaxation area. And because not everyone can afford to summer in the islands, Vann suggests offering guests a tropical escape. “Promoting papaya- and pineapple-based services could come down to one possible word: staycation,” says Vann. “With an economy still not as strong as years past, spa-goers can obtain year-round skin wellness from papaya- and pineapple-themed services that offer an escape from stress so they can recharge their batteries and enjoy the best elements of a tropical destination at their local day spa.” Because who doesn’t want an escape to paradise, even if only for an hour?
Uncover naturally radiant skin with these products relying on papaya and pineapple.
Bioelements Spotless Cleanser: Designed to wash away excess oil and clear clogged pores, this cleanser is formulated with salicylic acid and exfoliating pineapple and papaya. (800) 433-6650; www.bioelements.com
Bion Research Fruit Enzyme Scrub: Blended with jojoba beads and
enzymes and pineapple enzymes, this scrub contains natural antibacterial and skin-conditioning properties to renew and soften skin. (877) 715-2466; www.bion-research.com
CBI Laboratories Fruit Enzyme Peel: This fragrant exfoliant contains papain, bromelain, salicylic acid, and other natural oils to cleanse and refresh the skin. (800) 822-7546; www.cbiskincare.com
Decléor Paris Aroma White C+ Brightening Spot Corrector: Made with papaya extract, this spot treatment reduces the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation in targeted areas. (888) 414-4471; www.decleorusa.com
Éminence Organic Skin Care Citrus Enzyme Lip Exfoliator: Combining citrus and pineapple enzymes, this lip exfoliator helps eliminate the appearance of fine lines, leaving lips smooth, supple, and ready for hydration. (888) 747-6342; www.eminenceorganics.com
FarmHouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze: Packed with aloe leaf juice and pineapple and papaya fruit extracts, this honey-based, lightweight moisturizer helps keep skin hydrated and soft. (888) 773-9626; www.farmhousefreshgoods.com
GlyMed Plus Cell Science Restorative Skin Clarifying Masque: This mask heals stressed and damaged skin with a combination of bentonite clay, lavender, lemongrass, olive leaf, pineapple, and phyto-nutrients while providing antioxidant defense. (800) 676-9667; www.glymedplus.com
Guinot Paris AgeLogic Minceur Silhouette Refining Stubborn Cellulite: Ideal for reducing the appearance of cellulite, this serum, made with active enzymes derived from cherry stem extract, green tea, lemon, orange, pineapple stems, and more, leaves skin firmed and toned. (800) 523-1030; www.guinotusa.com
ME! Bath Papaya Nectar Body Wash: This refreshing cleanser is infused with arnica, calendula, and papaya extracts to calm the senses and leave skin smooth and silky. (888) 931-0934; www.mebath.com
Phytomer Vegetal Exfoliant: Formulated with brown seaweed and papaya extracts, this exfoliant gently removes dead skin cells to reveal radiant and healthy-looking skin. (800) 227-8051; www.phytomerusa.com
Prana SpaCeuticals Papaya Cleanser: This soap-less cleanser combines aloe vera, lactic acid, papain, and soapwort to remove impurities, leaving skin fresh, renewed, and smooth. (866) 589-2949; www.pranaspaceuticals.com
Sesha Skin Therapy ReNu Exfoliating Gel: This exfoliant utilizes natural papaya enzymes to unclog pores and wash away impurities, revealing brighter and softer skin. (888) 977-3742; www.seshaskin.com
Rhonda Allison Maui Peel: This peel combines bromelain enzymes, lactic acid, and pineapple and yam extracts to purify and smooth the skin while healing and protecting it from external factors. (866) 313-7546; www.rhondaallison.com
Sanítas Papaya Pineapple Mask: Formulated with nutrient-rich papaya and pineapple enzymes, this mask exfoliates and repairs the skin’s tone and texture. (888) 855-8425; www.sanitas-skincare.com
Vitaman Paw Paw Skin Repair Crème: Made especially for male skin, this cream, which contains aloe vera, papaya, tea tree oil, and vitamin E, is an ideal moisturizer for the face, hands, and rough skin patches. www.vitaman.com.au