Traditional Lulur

The queen of treatments literally, this spice and yoghurt exfoliation and body polishing process has been practised in the palaces of Central Java since the 17th century. There, the pursuit of beauty has long been a daily ritual and the Javanese Lulur an integral step, leaving skin soft, supple and shining. Today, the Javanese Lulur (lulur is Javanese for ‘coating the skin') is more usually administered each day during the week prior to one's wedding day. This stems from the belief that a bride should be at her most clean and pampered in preparation for child bearing — her first and foremost duty as a married woman.

This lulur is on the menu at all Indonesian spas offering 'traditional' treatments; it includes a massage, a spice-wrapped and yoghurt-coated body blitz, and a blossom-filled bath. It is an aromatic experience and lovely for all skins, although, if you're having difficulty choosing a body treatment, this one responds best to younger skins. The turmeric content can turn skins temporarily yellow, but generally this is a favourite, all round body treat.

For a traditional lulur that really makes you feel like a princess, the Pita Maha Private Villa Spa in ubud, Bali, offers an hour and a half treatment using this recipe:

Ingredients

small bowl a favourite body oil

30 gms (2 tbsp) rice powder (finely ground rice)

10 gins (2 tsp) turmeric

5 gms (1 tsp) sandalwood

3 drops jasmine oil

splash water

500 gms (2 cups) natural yoghurt

handful a selection of fragrant flowers like rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, frangipani... or whatever you like.

The rice powder, turmeric and sandalwood are ground together in a pestle and mortar or bought packaged as a powder.

Steps

1. Massage your body with your favourite oil.

2. Pulverize the spicy ingredients into a brown, granular paste, with a splash of water, and smear onto your body.

3. Once dry ,gently rub the paste off the body in order to exfoliate and polish the skin.

4. Rinse your body under the shower.

5. Splatter your body with natural yoghurt using your hand to cover all crevices. Yoghurt contains a form of lactic acid that restores the natural pH to your skill and moisturizes it.

6. After rinsing, soak in a warm, flower-filled bath. Petals float over your body and the scent envelops you in a floral haze.