(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

Yes, we’re more likely to show off the results in the summer, but exfoliation is just as important in the cooler months, when skin tends to dry out. At Dorit Baxter (47 West 57th Street; 212-371-4542)—where the treatment isn’t just pragmatic but luxurious—they’ve solved the traditional problems associated with body scrubs: The bed is heated, so you relax instead of shiver, and your hair is capped, so you don’t leave with globs of scrub in it. The staff mixes Dead Sea salt with lavender-scented oil, concentrating on rough areas like heels and elbows and even working knots out of your shoulders. It may feel like nothing more than a grainy massage, but for $58, you’ll have velvet skin for a week.

Related:

• Archive: “Best of New York Weekly”
• Articles by Beth Landman
• Table of Contents: Nov 17, 2003 issue of New York | Subscribe!