Bath Health and Beauty

Look and feel your best after a visit to these Bath health and beauty shops

Bath health and beauty establishments have been a feature of the city since the time of the Romans, and perhaps before, when people first came here to make use of the healing spa waters.

Bath England also seems to be a place which is receptive to new and different ideas, and consequently there are many alternative or complementary health practitioners operating in the city. I have been called a therapy junkie in the past and have tried many Bath health and beauty therapies and treatments, complementary as well as ‘conventional'.

Behind a dark red door on George Street is Luna Hair Care (01225 315230) run by a talented hairdresser recommended in the pages of Harper's Bazaar, no less, for her cutting and colouring skills. Lyn Thexton has clients who come from London for their appointments, and no visit to the city of Bath is complete for me unless I can fit in a cut – Lyn has been cutting my hair for years and is one of the few stylists who can tame my wiry mop. She also gives great gossip and keeps me up-to-date with local developments.

Jollys in Milsom Street is part of the House of Fraser group and has Bobbi Brown, MAC, Benefit and Aveda counters as well as the usual French and American beauty houses you’d expect to see in a department store.

Green Street House - Bath health and beauty

Green Street House (on Green Street!) is a relative newcomer on the Bath health and beauty scene and was the subject of a ‘follow your dream and set up your own business’ television programme a while back. It sells Elemis and Penhaligon ranges and offers massages and beauty treatments.

Space NK, New Bond Street – yup, another chain but so good it deserves an honourable mention. Accurately described as a sweetie shop for grown-up girls, it offers European and American brands you just can’t get anywhere else, including the gorgeous range of Diptyque perfumes and candles.

The Orangery in Kingsmead Street offers the usual range of beauty treatments such as facials, manicures and waxing, and I used to come here for the friendly and down-to-earth staff. There is also an extensive menu of more advanced treatments including laser hair removal, non-surgical face lifts and Collagen and Restylane injections carried out by a doctor.

Neal’s Yard, Northumberland Passage, sells the full range of its eponymous natural skincare products in the ground floor shop (seaweed and arnica bath foam highly recommended) and rents room upstairs to many Bath health and beauty practitioners. We can vouch for the restorative powers of Libby Birts’ reflexology and aromatherapy massages. Just talking to Sebastian Pole, who is an Ayurvedic practitioner of great charm and wisdom, is enough to make you feel much better. He also runs a company called Pukka Herbs which make delicious, award-winning herbal teas which are available in many health food shops.

Arcania, Union Passage sell very good quality organic essential oils with numerous health and beauty benefits, to be used sparingly – a few drops of lavender oil in the bath and you may not be able to climb out! Also their own range of skin and haircare products plus candles, books and jewellery.

Bath Natural Health Clinic - operating from a building on the corner of James Street West and Norfolk Buildings, the Clinic rents space to reputable practitioners of all kinds, so if you are a little nervous, this could be a good place to start. Sheila Stewart is a lovely person and an experienced reflexologist and if you can keep awake during one of her sessions, you are stronger than me! Practitioners come and go and at various times here we have had Malaysian massage and acupuncture from Brooke Kemball-Smith, iridology, shiatsu and McTimoney chiropractic!

If you want to improve your state of health and beauty by getting fit and losing some weight, but don’t think you can manage to maintain a programme on your own, get in touch with Dave Wilby of Team Breakthrough in Batheaston. Dave, a well-qualified personal trainer and Chek practitioner, will give you a comprehensive assessment before putting together a programme of exercise and nutrition especially for you.

His brother Paul uses rolfing to re-align the body, which can sort out all kinds of problems, including difficulties with conceiving.

As well as Bath health and beauty shops, there are many classes you can participate in which will calm your mind, relax your body and bring you the associated benefits. These are the two I have direct knowledge of:

Wutan Bath Tai Chi David Rutherford has been teaching classes in Bath for 10 years and is a good advertisement for this moving meditation which calms the mind and helps mental and physical well-being. Classes are also available in Marshfield.

Another ancient Eastern art taught in Bath is Ki Aikido. The practice is about understanding energy, rather than overcoming an opponent with force, and consists of exercises carried out with a partner with the aim of mind-body co-ordination. Visitors are welcome to the classes - please ring Sensei Jonathan May first on 01225 460689.

Back to city-of-bath-england home page

footer for Bath health and beauty page