Body and Soul Spa

This post is the first of our “Live Better!” blog series which details the ways that spa treatments can help your health, life, and spirit.

In the world of body wraps, several options are available. There are wraps designed to remove excess water, smooth the skin, increase circulation, detoxify the body, and more. Specific body wrap solutions depend mainly on your specific needs and requests, but if you’re unsure of what to choose, here is a basic guide to the common types of wraps.

Mineral wraps typically consist of a clay base and primarily focus on inch loss, cellulite reduction and fat loss. There area also dry mineral body wrap kits that can be added to water. These are generally less messy than clay or mud wraps.

Mud wraps are known for increasing circulation, removing toxins from the skin, and tightening and firming the skin’s texture. A mud or clay mix is applied to the entire body, left for a period of time, and then removed with hot towels. This process allows the nutrients in the mud to be absorbed into the skin. To maximize benefits, spas often recommend an exfoliating shower or body polish as a precursor to the mud wrap. These types of wraps can also aid in muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Slimming wraps remove excess water in the body, causing you to lose inches and look and feel slimmer. How does this work? The skin cells are surrounded by fluid called interstitial fluid, which, over time, begins to build up within the cells. This buildup can be caused by inactivity, poor diet, exposure to pollutants, and normal aging. Slimming body wraps contain natural oils and herbs that draw these fluids and toxins from your body, while nourishing and moisturizing as well.

Remember that everyone’s body responds differently to each type of wrap, so be sure to try out different kinds and find out what works for you!

Whether you’re headed to work or back to school, August can be very stressful. Some of the chaos can’t be avoided, but there are several easy ways to relieve the stress it causes. Follow a few of the following steps to help you relax and better handle the busy world of back-to-school.

Breathe deep.

It may seem insignificant, but breathing has a large effect on your stress levels and plays a big role in many other relaxation practices. The key to deep breathing is to breathe in from the abdomen rather than the chest. Sit with your back straight and breathe slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth. If you have trouble breathing from the abdomen while sitting, try laying on your back. Place a book on your stomach and try to make it rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale.

Get a massage.

Whether it’s professional or from a partner or friend, this will help relax your muscles and promote a positive mood. The Body & Soul Spa offers specialized massages to aid in stress relief and circulation.

Be comfortable.

Wear comfortable and loose clothing and take off your shoes whenever possible.

Try yoga or meditation.

You can take a class or simply stretch in between tasks to help you stay relaxed throughout the day.

Stress gets to us all, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. Try to pause and focus on something to relax yourself each day– your breathing, the sound of birds, etc. Keeping your stress level down will help prepare you for the obstacles of daily life.

School is about to start up again, and what better time to get in the habit of fantastic skin care to help you look and feel great? Taking care of your skin during your teen years helps set a stable foundation for skin care later in life by developing beneficial habits and learning exactly how your own skin works.

The first and most important thing to get in the habit of (especially here in Arizona!) is wearing sunscreen! Protecting your skin from the harshness of the sun can avoid early signs of aging and, of course, skin cancer. You should wear at least a 15 SPF whenever you go outside, and be sure to reapply. It may not be the first thing on your mind at this age, but in 15 years your skin will thank you. And a quick tip– many moisturizers have built-in sunscreen, making skin protection an easy one-step process.

Skin care is very personal, so be sure to try out different cleansers and moisturizers to find what works best for you. Stay away from bar soap and go for a specialized facial cleanser for oily skin, dry skin, or anything in between. This is the time to try different things and learn exactly what to do for your skin in the future to maintain its health and beauty.

Once you find the cleanser that’s right for you, you should cleanse your face twice a day (and no more!) in warm water. Be sure to remove all make-up before bed, and always moisturize. Even if your skin is more on the oily side, it is important to moisturize after you wash your face to keep it healthy and balanced. (Here’s another tip– if your skin is very oily, you may choose to only moisturize once a day, in the morning.)

And finally, use a weekly mask and exfoliator. Here at Body & Soul, we offer special facial treatments for teenage skin at an affordable cost. This way your skin can receive the specific care it requires while it is at such an unpredictable and tough to manage stage in your life. Come in regularly to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

Massage therapy is one of the oldest and simplest forms of medical care in history, dating back to around 2700 BC. At about this time, the ancient Chinese text Huangdi Neijing or “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Internal Medicine” was written, and it now exists as the first recorded use of massage therapy. This book wasn’t published in English until 1949, but since then it has become a staple in massage therapy training and is often used as a textbook for many other forms of alternative medicine.

Massage therapy has also been shown in Egyptian tomb paintings as part of their medical tradition. Around 2500 BC, the Egyptians pioneered reflexology, a method of treatment that involves applying pressure to the feet and hands. Their studies and traditions in massage greatly influenced those of other cultures such as the Greeks and Romans. Between 1500 and 500 BC, massage traditions in India started being recorded, although their practices may date back much farther. Hindus used the art of healing touch in the practice of “Ayurvedic medicine”. “Ayurveda” is a Sanskrit word translating to “life knowledge” or “life science”. Hippocrates wrote in 460 BC that “the physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing… for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid.”

From this early massage history, Swedish doctor, gymnast and educator Per Henril Ling developed a method known as the “Swedish Movement System” in the early 1800s. Today, this method is commonly regarded as the foundation for Swedish massage. Now, the most common types of massage are Swedish massage and the Japanese practice of Shiatsu, also known as “pressure point” or “trigger point” massage. There is also a large focus on movement ad bodywork, including Reiki, Feldenkrais and Pilates.

Body wrapping is the perfect waist trimming and detox treatment for a more slender look and smooth skin. During this treatment, a trained wrap technician wraps the Patron in elastic bandages soaked in a rejuvenating mineral solution. These minerals detoxify the body and absorb excess body fluids, reducing signs of aging. This detoxification also results in boosting of the lymphatic system and metabolism, temporary inch loss, and skin tightening and softening.

Did you know?

Body wraps are all-natural, consisting of a mixture special minerals. Deeply relaxing treatments like the body wrap have shown to decrease stress and therefore lower blood pressure. Because the skin is the largest organ, detoxification can have significantly beneficial effects on overall health. The specially formulated ingredients used in body wraps have been clinically validated. In Japan, research was conducted at Chukyo University by Kagemoto Yuasa, M.D., who said they found its effects to to burn subcutaneous fat and cellulite within an hour.

I received an email today from an editor at BeautyNewsNYC and BeautyNewsLA sharing with me they had wrote about our Save My Face Pillow we carry in our boutique, at Body & Soul Spa. Stephanie Ila Silver listed it as one of her top 5 holiday gifts to give, for bringing the spa home. This season my top 5 favorites are the Cicciabella slippers, Save My Face Pillows, Repechage Vita Cura Firming Creme… the girls at Body & Soul spa call it Botox in a bottle, our Microplane footfile (made by a Cheesegrader company) with the orange creamsicle foot cream, and our Isolaluce candels. Now I want to hear what your favorite at home spa items are…please do share! We are excited about the recent coverage we have been receiving in the media recently, so i’ve listed the links for you to check out. The BeautyNewsnyc.com and BeautyNewsla.com is a great Spa information resource for you to check out.

5 Senses of The Spa Series

Happy Holidays!

Sandra

Body and Soul Spa has launched our new Website. Please look through the site and give us any feedback. You can post a comment below, or you can email us at: staff@bodyandsoulspa.net. We hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving!