De-stress Before The Holidays

November 2023 Issue
by Ellen Linneman
Photos by Lisa Staff Photography

Of course, the holidays are known for filling our homes and hearts with family, food and fun. But the whirlwind months of November and December are also known for being a particularly stressful time of the year for many people—with seemingly endless holiday “to-do” lists running through our minds as we head into what we hope will be the most wonderful time of the year.

There are a number of ways to try to minimize holiday stress, including making sure to plan ahead and to take shortcuts when you can. But perhaps the best way to reduce stress during the holidays is by taking some important time for yourself in a calming environment geared to help you relax, rejuvenate, and recharge your mind, body, and spirit.

This is exactly what Deb Durrant had in mind when she opened Moor Spa Hilton Head (www.moorspahiltonhead.com) earlier this year—and why she is excited to now be providing residents and visitors to our area with a truly unique spa setting where they can unplug, unwind, and take a break from the stressors of the season so they can truly enjoy all the holidays bring.

“Our goal in creating Moor Spa Hilton Head was to offer people a sanctuary and tranquil environment where, from the moment they enter our doors, they can leave behind the stressors of the world,” said Deb, owner of Moor Spa Hilton Head, which is the first Moor Spa Eartherapy concept spa in the world. “This will be our first holiday season here on Hilton Head Island, and we are thrilled to offer people a place where they can lose themselves in a pampering spa experience unlike anything else in the area, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.”

Deb, who has a longtime passion for health and wellness and spent 25 years as a licensed massage therapist, discovered the therapeutic benefits of the Austrian healing mud by Moor Spa while working in a sports medicine practice in Florida. Upon being introduced to Michael Beresford, the owner of Moor Spa in Vancouver, BC, a strong friendship resulted in Deb being asked to open the first Moor Spa spa concept in the world for the brand—right here in the Lowcountry.

The spa’s soothing, pampering treatments, services, and products center around Austrian Moor (mud), revered for its therapeutic properties by both medical clinics and spas worldwide. With its natural, science-based approach that fuses ancient traditions with current technology, Deb noted Moor Spa Hilton Head offers a sense of calm for people, particularly around the holidays, bringing “a renewed sense of wellbeing, a rebalancing of physical, mental and spiritual energies, and unique treatments and experiences that are completely customizable to meet the specific needs of each client.”

When it comes to the importance of building in that all-important self-care time during the holiday season, Deb noted how the spa works to relax guests from the moment they walk in the door—when they are invited to choose an “Intention Card”. These Intention Cards—statements such as “I will be present in the moment"—immediately set the tone for each guest’s spa experience, helping them to focus on their wellbeing, mindfulness, and positivity, while leaving their stressors behind. From there, guests head to the dressing room (where they are wrapped in a cocoon of a plush, luxurious robe) and then move to the Relaxation Room – a soft-lit room where the stresses of the holiday season melt away. Here, guests enjoy infused water, snacks, and get to sink into cozy chairs to relax every muscle of the body.

The holiday ”de-stressing” continues when it comes to Moor Spa’s treatments, offering guests a complete range of enhanced Moor Spa skin care, body care and wellness treatments and products, including Moor Spa’s signature facials, body wraps, steamed hydrotherapy mud treatments, therapeutic and relaxation massage (including hot stone massage), detoxification, scalp, hand & foot treatments, and a variety of treatments specifically targeting pain.

In addition, two treatments unique to the spa -- the signature Mud Bath and Vichy Shower (which combines the benefits of a body exfoliation and a healing mud application within a hydrotherapy setting) -- are the perfect ways to relieve holiday stress, as well as renew and restore tired winter skin.

“Whether people are looking to de-stress before the holidays begin, or need a “self-care break” right in the middle of the holiday season, our goal is to provide them with a transformational and uplifting experience from beginning to end that will help make the holidays even brighter, more joyful, and much less stressful.”