The Wine Spa at  

Ella di Rocco

On Fulham Road in London's SW10 there is a rare treat - An Italian spa experience like no other. This Spa is providing wine treatments! The prospect of wine treatments was to tempting to ignore, so we got in touch to find out more. 

Hi Sonia, welcome to the English Wine Collection.  Could you provide some back ground on yourself and the team at the spa. How long have you been involved in the spa industry?

Ella Di Rocco was founded together with my mother, Dr. Anna Brilli who has for many years worked as a doctor and then decided to direct her knowledge and experience in the beauty industry to find innovative ways to beauty and well-being from the inside out. I have studied marketing but have always worked in spa’s and in the beauty industry and together we decided to bring Ella Di Rocco to life that offers a wide variety of non-invasive and unique treatments, one of which is also Wine Therapy.

When most people think of wine, they imagine vineyards and large old oak barrel casks. Where did the idea of ‘wine treatments’ come from?

Wine therapy treatments can be found in different areas around the world. Personally we were introduced to them in Italy (there are two wine spa’s in two regions that are known to produce wine; Umbria & Tuscany). However, there are Wine spa’s in Bordeaux, France as well as in Japan. 

Wine therapy was firstly introduced when studies started seeing the benefits that Red Wine has when applied on the body. The Secret of Winetherapy is the polyphenol, a substance present in grapes that stimulates circulation and detoxifies the skin providing moisturizing action throughout the body. In addition to cleansing the skin, it chases the toxins gathered day after day through the smog, and has an immediate effect on peeling. Red wine is also very rich in amino acids that boost the skin renewal and fight the harmful rays of the sun to prevent sun damage. The reactive oxygen species react with UV rays to destroy the cells and cause sun burn. The treatments give a refreshing glow to the skin while removing tan and blemishes. The anti-ageing properties of a wine facial make it even more beneficial. Its therapeutic properties de-stress and rejuvenate the skin. 

 

Do you make your own wine for the treatments?

No, We use Italian wine (Sangiovese and Merlot) for the treatments. We are both Italian and the whole concept of Ella Di Rocco is very much based on our Made in Italy heritage and we wanted to make sure to use the best Italian wines appropriate for wine therapy treatments.

Do you use organic wines, if not have you considered this?

All the wines we use for the baths as well as those we give to clients during their stay, are all organic wines.

Can you see the treatment developing and being used by other spa’s?

Considering we are the first ones to introduce it in the UK, I was shocked that no one new about Wine therapy, so I am pretty sure that when people start experiencing the benefits of it they will want more and more of it. 

Do you think the grapes and wines could be used for any other treatments, a cosmetic line perhaps?

We use a cosmetic line based on red wine that is produced in Italy. All our treatments during the Wine therapy are based on products with red wine in them. The treatments that we do in the Wine Spa are the following:

Merlot Body Scrub: To relax, detoxify and cleanse your skin, our Merlot Body Scrub treatment is a wonderful treatment. Indulge your senses with a scrub containing red vine leaves and a 50/50 blend of high quality Sangiovese and Merlot grapes from the Goretti Vineyard in Italy. The Merlot Body scrub will invigorate you prior to the multi-sensory experience, leaving your skin feeling youthful and vibrant.

Sangiovese Bath: Enhance your feeling of health and wellbeing with the unique conditioning grape extract of the Sangiovese Bath. Soak your stresses away in a tub filled with bubbling hot water, Sangiovese, Merlot and Cilegiolo wine with a concentrate of virgin grape juice. Rich in antioxidants, the Sangiovese Bath has a slimming, illuminating and de-stressing effect, and will leave your skin feeling revitalised.

Merlot Grape Seed & Rosemary Body Massage: For rejuvenation of mind and body, treat your body to a Merlot Grape Seed & Rosemary Massage to nourish your skin and relax your body. The massage will activate your circulation and relax all your senses simultaneously. Our grape seed oil contains 95% oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC), which promote youthful skin and improves elasticity, while helping to protect the skin from UV damage. The macerated Rosemary will increase circulation and boost the immune system.

Sangiovese Detox Wrap:Indulge your senses with our Sangiovese Body Wrap, melting away the stresses from your busy day.The Sangiovese wine is mixed with bentonite clay and essential oils to purify and improve the texture of your skin. The warm application of the Sangiovese mix is deeply relaxing, helping you to escape to the dolce vita and return feeling brand new.

Merlot & Honey Moisturising Wrap: Combat a weak immune system and boost vitality with our Honey and Merlot Body Wrap.The Honey and Merlot Body Wrap is designed to reinforce your body’s immune defences while moisturising your skin. In this extra-gentle treatment, the wine yeast and honey are combined in a warm application and will leave you feeling blissfully relaxed and healthy.

Ciliegiolo Detox & Energising Wrap: Take some time for you with the Ciliegiolo Body Wrap, reinvigorating your body and mind. Designed to purify and re-energise the whole body, the Ciliegiolo Body Wrap combines Ciliegolo extract with bentonite clay, grape seed oil and sweet mint and pepper essential oils. This treatment is perfect for clients looking to detox, while benefiting from a luxurious treatment at the same time.

Merlot De-Stressing and Rejuvenating Face Scrub & Mask: Glow brightly with an antioxidant rich Face Scrub and Merlot Grape Vine Mask. The Goretti Face Scrub and Merlot Grape Vine mask treatment will leave your skin feeling fresh and vibrant. The Face Scrub will leave you with a natural glow, melting away your troubles and rejuvenating your skin. We then apply a Merlot Grape Vine Mask, with this gentle treatment deeply moisturising your skin. 

Have you explored the use of any English wines or English grapes for your treatments?

We still haven’t as we only opened on 13^th Feb 2018. It is definitely something that we will take into consideration! 

Is it possible to use sparkling wines for any treatments?

Yes it is possible, however they must be red wines only. Polyphenols in red wine are found to have incredible health benefits for the body. White wine, however, does not share these properties with their red wine counterparts. White wines typically do not have polyphenols present in such large quantities as red wine, and the antioxidant activity is also subsequently lower. 

So there really are many benefits to Grapes other than just great wine! Thank you Sonia for such an informative interview.

 If the prospect of ' wine spa treatments' is to much to ignore, go to Ella Di Rocco's website for more details: 

www.elladirocco.com