The best spa treatments for sun exposure

Nothing says vacation quite like a golden tan but, regardless of how often you apply the best marine-safe suncreams, there’s no denying frequent sun exposure can have adverse effects on the health of your skin. Luckily many spas now offer treatments to prepare skin before and revitalise it after sun exposure so you can bask in your sun-kissed glow without the guilt.

The Datai Spa at The Datai Langkawi

If having your sun-exposed skin gently healed and soothed while listening to the call of rainforest wildlife and the gentle trickling of a nearby stream sounds like the perfect end to a relaxing vacation then the specially designed Top-To-Toe Post-Sun Care treatment at the Datai Langkawi's spa is for you. Located in the midst of a 10 million-year-old tropical rainforest, each of the spa's open-air villas allows you to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the benefits of traditional Malay rituals. Begin your 90-minute treatment with a refreshing post-sun shower before indulging in a hydrating and restoring facial performed using fine organic ingredients. Then enjoy a post-sun body restorative treatment and luxurious scalp and neck massage before finishing up with some time to unwind and relax with the spa's delicious herbal tea.

MYR420 (around £75), thedatai.com

Equipped with its own marina capable of berthing yachts up to 50 metres, the Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort in Halkidiki offers a whole host of sport and entertainment options for yacht owners heading off the beaten track. The jewel in the crown, however, is undoubtedly the resort's natural thermal spa which, alongside a range of heated pools, saunas and experience showers, offers an extensive list of options including massages, facials, manicures and hair treatments. Begin your vacation with the quick 20-minute Algoane Hydrating Traveler, a unisex facial treatment aimed at rehydrating skin dry from travel thus leaving it primed for sun exposure.

€40, miraggio.gr

Perched on a hill overlooking the Atlantic coast at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, La Reserve is the ideal superyacht stop-off for those looking for a little on shore relaxation. For the 2018 season The Patio, La Reserve's luxurious spa stocked with products by Parisian beauty brand Institut Esthederm, is introducing a Beauty Splash package targeted specifically at the needs of skin during sun exposure. Along with a night's stay, aqua yoga session and seasonal detox menu, guests will be treated to one of La Terrace's signature Esthederm Aqua & Sun treatments. Choose from the Bronz Impulse, a tan boosting facial which prepares delicate skin for the sun's rays, or Bronz Sublim, a soothing treatment which repairs skin and prolongs your tan.

From €568 for two people, hotel-lareserve.com

Located in London’s upmarket Knightsbridge, the tiny White Room spa contains just one treatment room meaning you get the highest levels of dedicated service. To prepare your body for your upcoming vacation opt for the 60-minute Valmont Fresh and Peel body treatment. Choose between sea salt, apricot kernels or a cellular refining scrub for an invigorating full body exfoliation before Valmont’s sea buckthorn oil – which is packed with vitamins and antioxidants – is massaged in to leave skin super smooth.

£100, whiteroombeauty.com

If you didn’t manage to squeeze in a pre-sun treatment before you left then the Sandbox Tree’s Bamford Full Body exfoliation is for you. The 40-minute treatment begins with a light full body massage using a blend of sea salt, brown sugar, oils and skin butters to gently remove dead cells and smooth skin followed by a warm shower to brighten the complexion. The treatment is finished with a full body application of soothing and calming geranium body cream to leave you primed to obtain a perfect event tan. There's also a sister after sun treatment available to prolong your glow before heading home.

From £85, thesandboxtreespa.com

Nichola Roche, spa director at the Akasha spa at London’s Hotel Café Royal recommends the Valmont Elixir des Glaciers facial for clients suffering from dehydration and dullness after sun exposure. The 90-minute treatment uses Valmont’s high-performance anti-ageing and firming Elixir des Glaciers products in combination with a gentle massage to release muscular tension and detoxify skin. A high-performance collagen mask is then applied to smooth and plump leaving skin rehydrated and youthful.

£245, hotelcaferoyal.com

This palatial spa at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai provides a super luxurious way to retreat from the fierce desert heat. Visit at the end of your trip for the Citrus Hydration Ritual which combines an intense exfoliation followed by the application of age-defying and anti-oxidant citrus concentrate and a hydrating body wrap to repair sun damaged skin. Finally a cream is applied to protect skin from dehydration and prevent premature ageing leaving you looking refreshed and nourished.

From AED 665 , jumeirah.com