These waters rise from a depth of several kilometers and then wander the world in spray bottles and as part of cosmetics. But it is better to go to their source: three addresses for those who want to experience the full healing power of thermal waters.
Thermal water acquires its special properties at great depths – from several kilometers to several tens of kilometers. “Under the influence of high temperatures, it is enriched with many microelements,” explains dermatologist Olga Ganelina, Vichy brand expert. – That is why thermal water is much more diverse in terms of the composition of substances useful for our health than just mineral water, which is saturated with trace elements at lower temperatures. If water rises from a depth of several thousand meters, where the temperature exceeds 100 ° C, then its composition may contain a dozen and a half microelements. Factories producing cosmetics based on thermal waters, as a rule, are located near the well – in order to pour water into sealed cans as soon as possible or add it in the required amount to the composition of cosmetics. Due to its composition, thermal waters help to cope with various ailments and give rest to tired muscles. The touch of warm water on our body brings us back to the sensations that each of us experienced in the mother’s womb before we were born. “Our skin responds to contact with water with all its receptors,” says dermatologist Svetlana Kovaleva. “But water is more than just a soothing soft massage. Its special properties depend on the concentration of minerals. Ions of certain elements (iodine, bromine), as well as gases dissolved in water, are able to overcome the skin barrier, they enter directly into the tissues of organs and thus directly affect them. Moreover, thermal water works not only while we are immersed in it. After the procedure, the so-called “salt cloak” remains on the surface of the skin – the thinnest layer of microelements, which then continue to work.”
Springs of Aven (France)
Neat villages, evergreen mountains, ancient cathedrals stretching into the sky. From here, three hours by car to the sea, to the nearest airport or to the house where d’Artagnan was born … The locals live in the same houses in which their ancestors lived several centuries ago – and this gives rise to an almost tangible feeling of the smooth passage of time, continuity generations. In this cozy world, where well-groomed serpentines of roads lead from civilization, the Aven Hydrotherapy Center is located. Here, right at the source, thermal water is bottled in an absolutely sterile environment to be used to refresh and soothe the skin. And people from all over the world come here to restore strength and beauty. “The first thing I noticed when I first came here to work was that it is amazing to sleep here,” recalls the director of the thermal station, Marie Ange Martincic. – I think that the treatment begins already with this: it is calmness, tranquility that those who come to us need. In a certain sense, here they get rid of the “tired self” – more precisely, they return to their true self. Although you can order a special hypoallergenic menu at a local restaurant, doctors do not insist on it: practice shows that in Aven, allergy symptoms disappear regardless of food. Avene thermal water has been known for its healing properties for two hundred years, but its properties are still being researched. The beneficial effect on the skin of this thermal water is associated with its very low mineralization. Due to the light concentration of calcium, magnesium, silicon in water, the skin is restored at the cellular level.
- Main minerals: silicon, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, fluorine, silver, manganese.
- Spring temperature: +26 °C.
- Effect: anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, soothing effect on the skin. The high silica content makes this water especially soft, providing comfort for the most sensitive skin. The ideal ratio of calcium and magnesium stimulates its renewal and rejuvenation at the cellular level. The skin becomes firmer and younger.
- Other possibilities: although Avene thermal water is recognized worldwide as a remedy that primarily has a beneficial effect on the skin, the doctors of the Center recommend drinking it to improve the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to baths, showers and hydro-massages with thermal water, you can take makeup lessons in Aven or start a tour of the south of France from there.
- Find out more: www.avene.fr
Springs of the Paratunka River Valley (Russia)
Here, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, healing waters, warmed up by the powerful heat of active volcanoes, themselves seep to the surface. Near the village of Paratunka, you can dig a hole anywhere – and after a while it will be filled with warm mineral water. “The nitrogen-siliceous springs of Kamchatka are of great interest to gerontologists,” says Svetlana Kovaleva. “These waters have biologically active properties that trigger our body’s internal defense systems against aging.” Here they return flexibility and mobility to the joints, help to solve various problems with the back, as well as restore the musculoskeletal system after injuries. From year to year more and more people come here to combine medical procedures with outdoor activities. Take a look from a helicopter into the mouth of a volcano or approach it along a tourist trail, wander through frozen lava seas, swim in radon baths in the open air, admire thirty-meter-high geysers … The therapeutic effect of such a vacation is enough for at least a year, and impressions – for all life.
- Main minerals: silicon, sulfates, calcium.
- Spring temperature: from +37 °C to +80 °C.
- Effect: several sanatoriums operate at the springs of the Paratunka River valley, where they treat a variety of diseases: skin, cardiovascular and nervous systems, respiratory tract, and musculoskeletal system.
- Other possibilities: Healing warming muds are widely used here.
- Learn more: www.kamchatka-tour.com
Bad Blumau (Austria)
In the Alpine foothills of Styria, near the hot lake Vulcania, there are several famous hot springs, the thermal water of which has a particularly beneficial effect on the central nervous system and joints. The resort was built quite recently by the famous architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser (Friedensreich Hundertwasser) and is more like a fairy tale scenery – with hill houses carefully inscribed in a picturesque landscape.
- Main minerals: sodium, magnesium, calcium.
- Spring temperature: from +47 °C to +110 °C.
- Effect: here they help to cope with functional disorders of the nervous system, diseases of the skin, digestive organs and the musculoskeletal system.
- Other possibilities: a wide range of spa treatments, including saunas and more than a hundred types of massages, walks in the forests and foothills of Austria and other entertainment.
- Find out more: www.blumau.com/en_home.html