Spa Hopping: Spa Entrances

One way to entice a potential client to get into a spa is to feed his eyes with a very attractive aura of the place.  There’s a 99% chance that uninterested passers-by will most likely get into your pretty  doorstep and ask for anything that pops into their heads.  Credit goes to the soothing and relaxing theme of the place which actually drew him to your front desk.  Ahhh, the perks of being physically attractive.

I’ve scouted the web for a couple of these well-designed spa entrances that may already speak  of the company’s services.  Indeed, first impressions last.

A middle eastern spa from Amman, Jordan opens its glass doors to further reveal a well-lit reception counter.  I’m already hypnotized with their cool blue light, and I love how the ceramic vases along with a pile of rolled towels are neatly placed in the shelves. My first impression: a high-end day spa, and they seem to have a huge, clean pool that I’d love to use inside!

A simple and calming beauty spa teasingly showcases their hallway through the clear glass doors.  The lobby’s chandelier peeps and you get to wonder how extravagant this spa could be.  The business number is also encrypted at the door which is a good tactic to still connect with customers who get intimidated at the spa’s appearance.  My first impression: I’ll totally look beautiful after a treatment session here!  They also seem to have a complete selection of beauty oils and creams for massage.

Keeping it to the minimum may have been the idea to this inviting spa reception area.  The only decors you see here are the pearl white ceramic vase on the incredibly clean marbled counter, and the blue-greenish painting hanging on the wall which complements the interesting blue lamps that hung on the ceiling.  My first impression: a very professional and service-oriented atmosphere.  I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a massage here because I’m pretty sure that they are highly-skilled and well-trained practitioners.

I am quite unsure if this design has been constructed already.  Nevertheless, it deserves to be featured because of its interesting arch and color.  Notice how the entrance forms the letter “N”… very creative.  My first impression: a gadgety type of spa owning a long list of high-tech massage treatment tools.

Water retention treatment

It seems that I can’t get enough of looking for cellulite-busting products this week.  Massage and spa clinics have them in an array that may confuse you and your pockets.  I talked to you last time about the Figure 8 Vanish system that included the pre-shower scrub and the contouring cellulite cream.  I’ve tried them and I’m still waiting for anything grand that may happen to my thighs.  They are my problem areas.  After using the two, my skin felt softer and more supple like never before.  I just loved the part when I have to massage it in circular motions onto my skin. I felt like an architect restructuring my skin.

Running through the wide selection of cellulite treatment at the spa, I stopped at one point and took out a tall tube from the counter.  It was another Arbonne wonder and I can’t believe I didn’t see it the last time I ran through the rack.  It was the Figure 8 Vanish Water Relief Treatment Serum.  It completes the cellulite-busting trio in the Arbonne line.

We’ve enumerated the causes of cellulite formation previously such as : genes, diet, lack of exercise, and daily stressors.  I learned from the massage spa that another reason for the unwanted cellulite is water retention.  Water retention may be a product of hormone treatments like contraceptive pills.  The estrogen in these medications encourage fat build-up.  These fat cells in turn have a high attraction to the excess fluids in the body.  The problem with water retention is that it prevents flushing of bodily toxins and wastes products, leading to cellulite formation.

Figure 8 Vanish Water Relief Treatment Serum prevents water retention and the feeling of bloatedness.  It works in conjunction with the other two products to further ward off the orange-peel appearance.  A botanically-based lightweight invigorating serum, it reduces the puffy and spongy look of problem areas like the arms, thighs, hips, tummies, and legs.  You achieve a better silhouette with a smoother and healthier-looking skin.

Now that I’ve found a treatment for my bloatedness, I will be adding this up to my anti-cellulite program.

Dry Brushing

I’ve been hearing about the fuss on getting “THE glow” since day one of my life.  Yes, as an infant, I think I’ve always heard my mom mumble about not having “THE glow” she used to have before she had us.  I really never understood what she meant until I started to become conscious of how I looked.  My forever uncooperative skin has always been so dull especially at the most important points of my life— my first date,  birthdays,  prom nights and graduation.  I look at the photos and shake my head in dismay to see a dull, grayish me.

It took me quite some time before I finally found the right procedure to address this.  My best friend raved about a  simple vanity ritual she generously shared with me— dry brushing.  It wasn’t anything special… it was hell terrific!  I even feel like giving my bestie a big hug right now.  Dry brushing made so much difference in the way my overall complexion looked!  I don’t even consider it placebo because I’ve got photos for proof.  My skin definitely improved.

I do dry brushing once everyday.  It just uses light-to-moderate stroking.  You can’t really say that it falls under the heavy exfoliation category, and so, a daily dose of it is allowable.  I use a natural bristle brush I got from a drug store.  Sometimes I think of it as a magic-wand-in-disguise because of the effects it gives my skin.  I’ve learned that aside from the pretty “glow” it gives me, dry brushing stimulates oil-producing glands that moisturize the skin, lessens cellulite visibility, improves blood and lymph circulation (when done regularly), removes dead skin cells, tones the muscle and makes the skin firm, soft and supple.

So how do i do it?  Before getting into the tub, I get my brush and start with brushing my feet softly.  I work my way up: from my feet up to my hips, from my waist up to my neck, and from my hands up to the shoulders.  The back area will be a little tricky that’s why I recommend the use of a long-handled brush.  This upward method of dry brushing will help the blood get back to the heart, thus improving the circulation. The entire ritual takes me around 15 minutes max, giving seven sweeps each for the different areas of my body .

Here are a few notes on dry brushing:

• Dry brushing is called dry brushing because you brush a DRY, prewashed skin.  Don’t insist on doing it after a shower instead.  You will not achieve the same results.
• Keep the pressure light on areas where the skin is thinner.  A harder pressure may leave ugly scratches and it can also stress the valves in your veins.
• Don’t brush the face.  It is only intended for the body.
• Do a circular, counter-clockwise brushing motion over the abdomen to stimulate proper digestion.
• NEVER do dry brushing over an open wound, inflamed area, or over an infected part of the body.
• It helps to put on special oils, lotions and creams after taking a bath to further improve the skin.  Dry brushing clears the pores from impurities so that anything topical applied to the skin will seep through it.

Getting “THE glow” never felt so self-gratifying.  With a basic procedure such as dry brushing, who wouldn’t want to experience the effects that this simple step  can bring?  I’m already hooked and I don’t think I would throw my magic brush away.  I suggest that you do the same and start dry brushing all that dirt away!

Pumpkin Peel

I’ve always suffered from bad skin since puberty and the search for a skin care holy grail became a roller coaster quest for me.  I scoured for the latest derma discoveries, tried every procedure that promised hollywood skin, shelled out a large amount of dough, and ended up looking for another treatment that might cost me less but will still work wonders for me.  It became a tiring ride, one after the other, and I finally decided to give up.

Several chemical peel procedures sounded really promising and its results on most of the girls were undeniably convincing.  But I guess no procedure is really perfect.  Treatment sessions with these peels gave me the weirdest reddish-looking face I’ve ever had.  Also, the moisturizing stuff they give you after the session isn’t enough to make the peeling skin look less obvious.  I mean, c’mon, who would want to go public with a face that looked as if it had dandruff all over?  Stuck dandruff, that is.  I couldn’t take it, so I gave up on it.  I can’t deliberately  miss work just so nobody would see me with my hideous burnt and flaky skin .

And then I heard of pumpkin peel.  Even halloween had to sacrifice its mascot to give way to devastated girls like me.  A friend filled me in with how the pumpkin peel gently exfoliated her face, minimized her pore size, and gave her the glow she’d always wanted.  Sniff.  I could’ve snubbed her infommercial-ish story since I’m already so cynical about peels.  But she was my friend, and I thought I might research on pumpkin peel first before giving it a shot.

Pumpkin peel is a mixture of natural products like, of course, pumpkin, pineapple, honey, and some essential oils that soothe and heal the skin (think: lavender and green tea oils).  It is rather gentle considering that the ingredients are mostly botanical.  They claim that the plump orange veggie contains over 100 nutrients, natural acids like salicylic and lactic acids, and a couple of anti-oxidants.  Nurse Larkins of the North Atlanta Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery adds that pumpkin is high in zinc, beta carotene, Vitamin C and A. These contents make the skin firmer and younger-looking.  Plus, the pumpkin peel can also help with acne problems and scars.

I’m planning to get the pumpkin peel treatment from a trusted spa clinic.  These clinics offer complementary procedures that enhance the reported effects of the pumpkin peel, giving me a better value for my hard-earned cash.

I’m still thinking if I should get this pumpkin peel treatment or not.  I’m a bit curious if it really has a gentler way of exfoliating and if it really stings less on the face.   I wouldn’t know if I wouldn’t try, would I? I’m going natural, ditching the chemical, so wish me luck everyone with this pumpkin peel treat!

Pregnancy Massage

It never really crossed my mind that massage therapy can also be beneficial for pregnant women.  I always thought that massage at this point should not be given since it might disrupt any pregnancy activity which may harm both the mother and the child.  Little did I know that pregnancy massage can be both beneficial and rewarding for a mother.

Pregnancy massage is designed to meet the needs of an expecting woman.  It may be given to her before and after child delivery.

The childbearing stage exposes the mother to different physical and mental changes.  Excess fat is deposited on the arm, abdominal, buttocks and thigh area which may cause nerve impingement.  Postural problems are also a result of this added weight, which in turn may cause muscle imbalance and cramping, joint pain and back pain.  The mother may also experience a great deal of disrupted sleep due to frequent position changes to relieve an area of the body.  This may lead to lack of sleep, much worse, insomnia.  With these drastic changes, depression and anxiety become common mental problems.

The benefits of pregnancy massage include:

• relief from muscle and joint pain, muscle cramps, neck and lower back pain;
• reduction of stress on weight-bearing joints; increase in blood and lymph flow which causes swelling; improvement in labor outcome and ease in labor pain; enhancement of skin condition;
• anxiety and depression management;
• stimulation of the glands to stabilize the female hormones;
• and a generally stress-free experience.

Pregnancy massage is recommended after the first three months of being pregnant.  It is very different from the other types of massage mainly because a pregnant woman must be handled with extreme care.  The massage therapist must know a pregnant woman’s anatomy well.  Positioning is also critical in providing the client her greatest comfort during the entire treatment.  Pregnancy massage procedures may use reclining tables and wedged pillows to make sure that the client is positioned comfortably.

Post-pregnancy massage is also done to help bring back the mother’s body to its pre-pregnancy condition.  It assists in a faster recovery after labor by relieving sore and painful muscles.  Massage at this stage also helps improve the skin’s tone and appearance.  Abdominal massage may also be done to help shrink the uterine size and relieve subcutaneous scar tissue.

A lot of women mope and stay depressed during the entire time that they are pregnant.  They resent the changes that come hand-in-hand with being pregnant.  Pregnancy massage makes it possible for a woman, especially for first-time mothers, to see childbearing in a more positive side.  It gives them hope that despite pregnancy pains and restrictions, childbearing is as wonderful and fulfilling as it was designed to be.

If you are pregnant and interested to get a pregnancy massage, start by consulting your physician about it.  get a medical clearance and approval for this wonderful, relaxing treatment!

Cellulite Treatment

The battle against cellulite has become a constant task for most women who understand that this physical problem can be a source of psychological and aesthetic issues.  We live in a society that has given a great deal of attention to cosmetic enhancements and to anti-aging procedures.  It is quite predictable then for a woman to freak out at the mere sight of a cottage-cheese like formation on her thigh, and to shell out excessive amounts of money in cellulite treatment.

Cellulite is more common in women aged thirty and up.  It is something difficult to avoid since women naturally gain seven to fifteen pounds of weight per decade starting from this age, and that weight gain is basically due to fat.  Along with that, the skin starts to get thinner, allowing the fatty deposits to become more visible.  A less active lifestyle can also contribute to cellulite formation.  Slumping on a couch for endless hours, doing the daily channel surfing job, is a good way of opening your life’s doors to cellulite.

Keeping the cellulite at bay is what all women want.  Cellulite treatment has stepped up in the medical and cosmetic arenas over the past few years, and it has already  progressed in an unimaginable manner.  Liposuction, mesotherapy, thermage, and radiofrequency are all included in a long list of expensive and promising cellulite treatment procedures.

Arbonne International has launched Figure 8 Vanish, a two-step cellulite treatment kit.  It includes a pre-shower cellulite scrub and a contouring cellulite cream.  These products were created to meet certain goals in cellulite treatment which are: to improve circulation in affected areas; to reduce the stress on the connective tissue of the skin by fat cells; and to improve the appearance of cellulite on the skin.  Figure 8 Vanish products are to be used to complement the effects of regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet.

The key ingredients of both products were created to promote massage and microcirculation.  The benefits of which are: an improved cellulite appearance, a contoured area where cellulite is seen, and a visibly toned and firmer skin.  The pre-shower cellulite scrub has guarana (anti-inflammatory), green tea (anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory), olive oil and shea butter (both are moisturizers), and cocoa extracts.  The contouring cream on the other hand has caffeine (stimulates fat breakdown), gotu kola (moisturizer), horse chestnut and arnica (both are anti-inflammatory).

The scrub is to be used before wetting the skin and is applied on problem areas like the thighs, hips, arms and buttocks.  Application should be in a deep, circular massaging strokes to allow microcirculation within 3 minutes.  Warm water must be used to rinse the product off the body.  Afterwards, the contouring cream is applied in the same manner and must be absorbed by the skin completely to continue the microcirculation effect.

Figure 8 Vanish’s two-step system are affective cellulite treatment products when used in addition to the basic exercise-plus-healthy-diet program.  It is a cost- and time-efficient product that delivers.  Cellulite treatment is possible to happen at home, convenient and inexpensive, through the pre-shower cellulite scrub and the contouring cellulite cream.

Indications and Contraindications to Massage

Let’s face it, massage therapy is among the most sought after relaxing experience, but it wasn’t designed for everybody.  The best way to enjoy a relaxing experience when having a massage is to make sure that the treatment is not getting in the way of any present condition or illness you might be experiencing.

Indications for Massage are:

• longstanding pain and muscle spasm
• chronic joint pain
• chronic fatigue
• tight muscles
• chronic fatigue

Certain medical illnesses that will benefit from massage are:

• Anxiety and depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Myofascial pain sundrome
• Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
• Insomnia
• TMJ Dysfunction
• Spastic Colon and Constipation
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Sports Injuries (except at onset of injury)
• Asthma and Bronchitis

Contraindications to massage include:

• Fever
• Inflammation
• High blood pressure
• Infectious diseases
• Hernia
• Osteoporosis
• Varicose veins
• Broken bones
• Skin problems
• Cancer
• HIV infection

It is best to assess oneself, making sure that you are free from these listed contraindications.  Massage has a lot to offer, but it can be pretty threatening too, if used despite its contraindications.

Aromatherapy

If you think that the hands are the only ones that can soothe and heal the body and mind, you’ve got to think again.  Aside from our touching tools, our noses allow the mind and body to experience yet another relaxing treat— Aromatherapy!  This spa treatment is among those that quickly gained popularity because of its effectiveness and ease in administering.  How many times have you seen a flick that showed a girl, relaxing in her tub, surrounded by candles and rose petals?  Watching it makes you sigh and wish that it were you who gets pampered that way.  Aromatherapy is almost everywhere, too.   You’ve got scented candles, various oil burners and aromatic oils sitting on most store shelves, thus making aromatherapy very accessible.

Aromatherapy dates back to 3,500 BC.  It was identified with magic, religion, healing and mysticism.  The scientific development only happened around early 1900’s when French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé accidentally discovered the therapeutic effects of lavender oil in his perfume lab.

Two theories exist to support the healing wonders of aromatherapy.  Theorists claim that the aroma of the oils influence the brain quickly since it passes through the nose, which is its continuum.  The part of the brain that is greatly affected, they say, is the limbic system— our mind’s seat of emotions.  The other theory is that these oils have direct pharmacologic effects.  Essential oils are rubbed into the skin or given orally to achieve its medical effects.

One essential oil contains a good number of natural chemicals.  Thus, a certain oil has a couple of uses.  This nature makes these oils efficient healing agents because it targets more than one problem that a person might be complaining of.

Table of Essential Oils and its Uses

Problem	Essential Oil Used
Colds and Congestion	Thyme, Sweet Eucalyptus, Fir, Cinnamon, Niauli
Muscle Soreness & Fatigue	Marjoram, Cypress, Red Thyme, Rosemary, Eucalyptus
Muscle tone problems	Black Pepper, Basil, Cypress, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Lime
Scars and Stretchmarks	Orange Blossom, Mandarin, Sandalwood, Frankincense
Dry to Normal Skin	German Chamomile, Hyssop, Callendula, Lavender, Rose
Oily to Normal Skin	Juniper, Cypress, Jasmine, Palma Rose, Pettigraine, Lemon, Orange
Mental Stress	Sandalwood, Grapefruit, Lavender, Patchouli, Bergamot, Germanium
Emotional Stress	Bergamot, Sandalwood, Rose, Germanium, Vetiver
Acne	Lavender, Tea Treee, Mints, Rose Germanium, Grapefruit, German Chamomile
Ageing	Clary-sage, Neroli , Rose, Lemon, Rosemary, Frankincense
Cellulites	Grapefruit, Juniper, Fennel, Cypress, Thyme, Lemon, Sage, Basil

Emotional Eating

Our minds are sensitive to feelings of reward when the body takes in certain substances.  Eating in large quantities for reasons other than hunger is considered emotional eating.  The emotions, and not the body, are the ones dictating which foods to eat.  Emotional eating is usually linked to stress-coping mechanism.  There are also several factors that are believed to be causes of emotional eating like:

Social eating:  Seeking social approval and support under stressful moments may often be the cause of emotional eating.  Sweets and chips are the most accessible meals that these people share, and they often fail to realize that they’ve consumed large amounts of junk foods.

Comfort Foods.  Comfort foods are mostly associated with our childhood habits.  Our folks often reward or console us with fancy snacks and meals.  These practices have instilled in us an emotional attachment to food throughout our growing years.  We become accustomed to these favorite meals as we age, and we associate each food to both rewarding or depressing events.

Cortisol Cravings.  Since emotional eating is highly related to stress, studies show that large amounts of cortisol during stressful times account for these unexplained cravings.  Stress is a physical response to environmental stress wherein the body releases cortisol hormones in preparation for fight or flight.  The ugly thing about it is that chronic stress results to high amounts of cortisol in the body which may allow binge eating to be the “fight” response to stressors.

Chemical Contents of Food.  The best theory so far is that certain chemical contents in food give us a natural high.  Most comfort foods associated with emotional eating are alcohol and sweets.  Alcohol intake depresses the nervous system, heart rate, and respiratory rate, making us able to forget stress-related situations.  Alcohol intake also reduces inhibition.  Chocolates and other sweets are known to release endorphins which is an anti-depressant and a pain blocker.

There are methods of detecting emotional eating habits.  We just have to know the symptoms of this condition.  Emotional hunger is felt rather sudden and you crave for specific comfort foods.  These are meals that you think will be able to satisfy your, but logically wouldn’t.  Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave while physical hunger can wait.  Emotional eating knows no “fullness”… you continue to grab anything at hand because you just want to.  Lastly, this disorder can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

These are some of the causes and characteristics of this bothering condition.  Some might consider it okay to happen once in a while.  But we must remeber not to put our health in a compromised state.  The moment that you “think” emotional eating is okay, then you start to allow yourself to be controlled by this premise.  Emotional eating is emotional eating and it ISN’T good… it isn’t okay.  Once we let our emotions take hold of our eating habits, there’s a big possibility that we migh not see it as a health threat anymore in the long run.

If you can identify with the causes and symptoms, please seek medical assistance.

Cellulite Massage

You often wish that you had a slimmer body.  In this era of skinny jeans and tight fitting tops, you find yourself battling your way to achieve a slimmer, sexier figure.  In the process that you don’t, you still try to fit into that skinny fad, hoping that it won’t burst as soon as you wear them.  You now start to wonder about that cellulite massage treatment that everybody’s raving about.

Fat cells that bulge on the skin appearing like an orange peel is what we commonly call, “cellulite”.  These fat cells are located directly beneath the skin covered by a connective tissue.  When there are more fat cells, the covering becomes distorted and it reaches the skin forming the unwanted lumps.  Common sites of these ghastly flabs are the tummy, hips, thighs and buttocks.  Effects of having these cellulite, in aesthetic terms, is damaging, especially for a woman.

Women have more cellulite than men, primarily because women are born with five times more fat cells than men are.  A female’s fat cell covering is also less flexible than that of a man’s.  When a lady’s fat cells grow bigger and distort the covering, the connective tissue easily follows the new shape even if it hits the skin.  If it were more flexible, the covering will restrain any distortion and keep the fat cells in place.  Another thing to be considered is the fat-summoning powers of the female hormone, estrogen.  The release of estrogen in the body allows

The big problem with these fat cells is that once they’re in your body, you can never lose them.  The best you can do is to make them shrink.  There are a number of ways to manage it:  cellulite gels, skin tanners, thermotherapy, liposuction, mesotherapy, etc.  These are some of the methods, but most are rather costly.

Cellulite Massage is another choice that you can opt for.  It is widely sought after because of its fast effects.  It involves a process called lymphatic drainage which make it possible for toxins and waste products to be washed away along with lymph fluid.  It is also effective because of the exfoliation and steam procedures that it includes.  One practice in cellulite massage is to allow exfoliation treatment to happen before all others take place.  Exfoliation removes the dirt and old skin cells that blocks the skin pores.  Scrubbing will allow the pores to be open so that any cellulite flushing creams, gels or ointments can get into the skin optimally.  A cellulite cream/gel/serum can now be slathered on the problem areas.  The body will then be covered in a chosen spa wrap treatment to contain the cellulite cream/gel/serum.  The client can now be placed in a steam room to allow the optimal action of the medication, as well as to loosen the tissues beneath the skin.  After so, cellulite massage can now take place.  The entire treatment usually happens within 45 minutes to an hour.

Get rid of that orange-peel look and try getting a cellulite massage at your nearest spa!