Three de-stressing and relaxing treatments to try this summer

Summer may have peeked through the rainclouds, but it could easily disappear as quickly as it arrived. We can expect this kind of carry-on for the rest of the season, so let's grab a chance to indulge, a moment of bliss that will bring us back to zero and set us up for the months that follow.

Okay, we've never needed an excuse to test a treatment but there you have it. Summer spoiling, let's go! Here are three Dublin-based treatments that focus on de-stressing and relaxing, as opposed to those that cater to our specific beauty and skincare needs.

• Lava Relax Body Massage at The Marker Hotel spa

Tucked away in what's otherwise a very industrious quarter of the city, (the IFSC) the spa at The Marker Hotel is a wellness junkie's dream. Something that's recently caught our eye is the Lava Relax Body Massage, also known as the world’s first self-heating massage therapy. This new treatment is a unique innovation in warming spa therapies that concentrates on easing muscle and joint aches and pains and promotes a deep sense of relaxation. Perfect for those of us who spend our days hunched over a computer, this therapy works on the feet, legs, back and shoulders to loosen muscle tension with deep-tissue massage working directly on knots and stress points.

The treatment encourages the body’s natural energy flow and nurtures a balanced body and mind. Prepare to leave the spa with a mind to booking a one-way flight to Thailand, where you'd happily spend the rest of your days meditating on a white, sandy beach. Ahhh, bliss.

• Elemis body wraps at The Shelbourne Hotel Spa

You'll be hard pushed not to have your belly rumble when reading these treatment descriptions, but so as to avoid any confusion, these are not for eating, they're for relaxing. Would you be more of an exotic coconut rub and milk ritual wrap kinda gal? Or more taken with the sound of the fragrant frangipani body nourish wrap? Whichever you choose, here you can literally expect to bathe in milk, Elemis 'warmed skin nourishing milk', which is poured over your body like you're a stand in for Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman.

Your skin will be super silky and soft while the whole experience is capped off with a pressure point facial massage and a de-stressing scalp treatment. These treatments last one hour.

• A spa day at Vedas, Dun Laoghaire

Truth be told, beyond the pier and the market at People's Park, Dun Laoghaire is lacking in loveliness. For those who aren't aware, however, as it's hidden off the beaten track, Vedas is a world of pampering and relaxation in what can be an otherwise dull town centre. At Vedas, they host a whole range of yoga and pilates classes, all of which overlook Dublin Bay; on a sunny day the view would cure whatever's ailing you for sure - but they're also a highly regarded beauty parlour and spa.

They offer a variety of treatments but for something really indulgent, we recommend their tailored spa days, and when compared to other spa pricing, they're very accessible. Most of their day spa offerings include one of their Biologique Recherché body treatments and while many of them have a beauty focus, the 'body rejuvenation' option will improve your overall wellbeing. This treatment features an exfoliating session followed by a bio-relax massage using a moisturising and dermo-protecting complex. Toning your skin while you massage away your worries? The dream. Cap it off with a walk down the pier when you're done and find yourself reborn.

Do you hit the spa when it's time to relax? Or do you have another de-stressing method?