WEST OCEAN CITY – A new salt spa and float center in West Ocean City is expected to offer individuals a holistic approach to treating both the mind and body.
Located within the Ocean Gateway Center in West Ocean City, the new Ocean Elements Salt Spa & Float Center of Delmarva will begin taking appointments for its salt room and float tanks beginning Feb. 1.
Proprietor Jeanne Mills said the spa’s salt room and float tanks offer customers access to both salt therapy and flotation therapy.
“This is just a more holistic and natural way to heal your body and heal your mind,” she said.
On one side of the spa, customers will find the salt room, a large area featuring Himalayan salt blocks and lounge chairs. Mills said the dry salt circulated around the room benefits those with respiratory illnesses and certain skin conditions.
“The dry salt air is great to pull out extra fluids and toxins to help your lungs open up …,” she said. “It’s also good for skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. It helps the skin to heal.”
On the other side of the spa, customers can find Ocean Elements’ float tanks, enclosed pods filled with 200 gallons of warm water and 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt where individuals can float in a dark, quiet atmosphere for up to 90 minutes. Earplugs, towels and bath products are provided.
“Our brains work so hard to keep us functioning throughout the day,” she said. “So when you are in a zero-gravity environment, like the float tank, your brain doesn’t have to work so hard. It gives you a chance to relax and clear your mind.”
Mills, a registered nurse with 28 years of experience, said she recognizes the benefits holistic healing practices, such as flotation and salt therapy, offer.
“I just decided to use my nursing skills and knowledge in this arena to offer people a healing opportunity that is natural and not related to pills or injections,” she said.
It was while on vacation in the fall of 2016 that Mills and her husband were introduced to the concept of a salt spa.
“My husband and I went to Williamsburg, Va., and we were looking for something different to do,” she said. “We found a salt spa there … We tried it out and loved it.”
By March of 2017, the couple had opened their first salt spa location in Ocean Pines.
“We did a lot of research on it and realized there was nothing here on the shore,” she said. “You have to go to Annapolis or Williamsburg to find the same kind of setup, so we fell into a unique offering.”
Mills said the community quickly embraced the concept, and soon the couple began looking for locations to expand their business.
In August, construction of the new Ocean Elements Salt Spa began at a larger location in West Ocean City.
In addition to the salt room and float tanks, Mills said customers can also use the spa’s new vibro-acoustic bed, purchased in partnership with a national organization called Pathways for Veterans.
Mills explained the bed, called the RestStation, provides a gentle vibration while low-frequency music plays. She said the rest station is beneficial for those looking to relax and ease tension.
“The objective is to ease you into that relaxation mode,” she said. “The RestStation can be used separately or as a precursor to getting into the float.”
Mills encouraged individuals to try any of Ocean Elements’ services.
“It’s all very personal to what they are comfortable with doing and what they feel like doing,” she said. “It’s definitely an environment that is under their control. I ask them to relax and try it out.”
Ocean Elements will offer appointments beginning Feb. 1. A grand opening will follow on March 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, or to make an appointment, contact Ocean Elements at 410-449-7527, visit www.oceanelements.life or stop by the spa.
Appointments are available from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Mills said veterans will receive services free of charge.
