I was treated to an Enmasse massage and YouBar pedi by the owners of these establishments.

Whether you recharge with a massage, a facial, or a mani/pedi, you will find what you need at Enmasse and YouBar, both owned by beauty duo Taryn Fernandes and Barbara Young.

YouBar skin and nail salon uses the divine Africology range of products. For a pedi you relax in a sumptuous armchair while your feet soak in a copper bath – chosen for its detoxing properties. Depending on your choice of pedi, you will receive either an African potato wrap or a mud wrap, the latter followed by a foot massage with copper tablets to further assist with detox. The Africology pedi also includes a neck and shoulder massage while the wrap works its magic.

Situated on Corlett Drive in Illovo, it’s surprisingly serene inside YouBar and the large shop-front windows allow you to gaze out at the people bustling around while you find your balance.

An added bonus is that you can park for free right next to YouBar, behind a secure gate.

If a massage is more your cup of tea, you’re in for a treat at Enmasse.

Speaking of tea, the best part of a treatment that makes choosing a highlight difficult, is the tea. Included with your treatment at either YouBar or Enmasse, is a pot of tea of your choice from an extensive and delicious menu. You can also buy tea to take home, as well as all the accompanying tea paraphernalia – a great gift for someone else or yourself.

Back to Enmasse though. This is a massage experience unlike any other. You will be given a set of white linen pyjamas (for lack of a better term) and white flipflops to change into. After you lock your clothes and other possessions in a locker, you will be led to the massage area. Here various cubicles are cordoned off and your therapist will ask you to sit down cross-legged on the mattress-covered floor. Then s/he will start manipulating your limbs – stretching and pulling the tension from your body rather than rubbing it out. As your treatment progresses, you will be asked to lie down flat, first on your stomach, later on your back, while the therapist continues to work.

At the end of your treatment you are encouraged to continue relaxing, and if that means napping for an hour on the spot, that’s fine too. However, there is a chill zone near the entrance where you can relax with your tea or some bottled water.

The fact that no oil is used during the massage, means you don’t have to shower and there’s no sticky residue. It’s a perfect lunch-time destress to the envy of your colleagues.

And just like you can buy treatment products for home use at YouBar, you can also purchase yourself a set of the pyjamas from Enmasse.

Both these establishments cater to working people, with YouBar being open until 19:00 and Enmasse until 21:00.

While it was unusual and definitely not unpleasant, I’m not sure the Enmasse way is for me, but I’ll definitely be back at YouBar, and will most certainly start my tea collection with the chocolate chai and minted rooibos tea.