Blissed out: Elevate your next spa experience with CBD

Though massages are nothing new, the options to customize your treatments are growing as spas incorporate essential oils and botanicals, like lavender for relaxation or arnica for soothing sore muscles. However, the newest natural can take you to an even higher level of relief.

Treatments incorporating cannabis compounds are popping up in spas across the state and the Vail Valley is no different. One of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant, cannabidiol (CBD) oil, is derived from either marijuana or industrial hemp. However, unlike its more infamous sister compound THC, CBD is not psychoactive: It won’t make you high. However, CBD is touted as having therapeutic uses, such as helping reduce inflammation, pain and even anxiety.

For hard-playing people in the valley, CBD might seem like a wonder drug (no pun intended), soothing sore muscles and sending insomniacs into blissful dreams. Several spas, like the Vail Vitality Center, have introduced treatments that incorporate CBD, like the CBD massage with warm, organic, Colorado-grown cannabinoid oil from Nature’s Root and the decadent High Mountain Scrub, which consists of a hemp and coffee scrub, followed by a full body massage with the same CBD oil.

There has been a spa at Vail Mountain Lodge for 30 years and Lisa DeKoster has been there since the beginning. Currently the Spa and Programs Manager at Vail Vitality Center, DeKoster has seen a lot of trends and changes in the spa industry.

“We’ve evolved from being a sport massage spa to offering treatments that have healing, detoxifying, regenerating, muscle soreness relief and anti-inflammatory components,” DeKoster says. “Our CBD massage is a new extremely popular treatment this season. CBD is very effective at relieving muscle soreness, neurological issues, mental tension and fatigue.”

Stretched out on the massage table with strains of instrumental music creating a soothing soundtrack, I wondered if I would really feel the difference with the addition of CBD. As therapist Beth Fisher started working on my chronically hunched writer’s shoulders, I felt a slight tingle (she added a bit of menthol) and almost immediate relief.

“It’s like Icy Hot for millennials,” Fisher said with a laugh when I told her.

I’m not a millennial, but I wasn’t going to argue — I was too blissed out. Maybe it was psychosomatic, but the perpetual knots in my shoulders seemed to loosen more quickly and the ache in my calves from a recent hike faded into oblivion.

“The CBD product is nothing short of miraculous,” says Vail Vitality Center Spa Director Gaye Steinke. “It provides instant relief for stiff or sore muscles. It provides significant relief for our guests with an injury or suffering from chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia. Our therapists regularly suggest the use of the cannabinoid product to our guests, because of the results they will experience.”

At Spa Anjali at the Westin in Avon, guests can customize their treatment with the addition of a CBD compound from Denver-based Mary’s Nutritionals; it’s a $30 enhancement. Simply Massage at Avon also offers an opportunity to add CBD oil to a massage for $22.

“It is definitely still fairly unique in the spa world, but it’s growing in popularity. People are interested and willing to give it a try,” says Ingrid Middaugh, Director of Spa Anjali. “The topical CBD products are fantastic for pain treatment and prevention. They are also very moisturizing and helpful in dealing with altitude issues.”

If tapping into the CBD trend at home is more your speed, the Vitality Center carries topical salves, systemic patches and tinctures and The Spa Anjali Boutique carries nine different Mary’s Nutritionals retail products including gel pens, tinctures, mists and pet products.

Yes. You can even give Fido a little TLC with CBD.