Please welcome our newest guest columnist: Candy Silvasy, Spa Expert and CEO of Art of the Spa (also the co-founder of #SpaWeekGossip)

Let’s clear the air.  Think you have to live a la Paris or Martha to savor a stylish, sumptuous, spa inspired home?. . . Not!  No matter where you flop from fancy to farmhouse or how much (or little for lots of us these days) money you have – you can Pamper Your Palace and thanks to Spa Week, we’re here every week to rescue your retreat.  And I’m christening our column with something so element-ary that everyone does it all day everyday – breathing!

Loving our lungs by deeply breathing air is not only the simplest way to relax – it nixes nasty toxins.  Many spas even distinguish themselves based on the luxuriousness of their air like the Rio Mar Resort & Mar which has supersonic air filtration systems in the spa and every guest room.

BUT chances are in your own palace dust, pet dander, allergens and/or mold are lurking – sending noxious to your nostrils.  The solution? A few simple Spa ways to Detox Your Ox:

Suck it Up – Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter so dust doesn’t get ejected into the air.  Electrolux’s Sanitaire HEPA Vacuum does it in cheery fire engine red too.

Turn Japanese – Remove and have guests remove their shoes when entering your lair.  (I have cute slippers for mine to wear & this Shoe Pad by the door to gently remind them.)   Oh, and if they’re Manolos put them somewhere safe (nod to Carrie Bradshaw).

Defeat Dust -  Clean with lint free cloths like these from Caldrea – so air tight that surgeons use them.  Green alert – They attract and hold the dust and you don’t have to use chemicals.

Wash the Air – Filter driven air cleaners are so passe.  Perk up your pad with an air washer like the Plaston.  It  draws air through water instead of a mucked up filter.  Beauty Bonus – it humidifies the air keeping your skin moist & glowy.

Purify with Plants – Space isn’t the only thing that NASA is up to.  Their Sick Building study proves many plants suck in harmful gases and clean the air.  The classic book How to Grow Fresh Air gives how-to’s and 50 plants (many super low maintenance) for irritant free inhales.

Listen Up – Check out this airy concoction of inspiring tunes! (Click here for all the other Spa Week Daily playlists)

Now just breathe. . .  ahh.

Live, Love and Lounge,

Candy

Candy Silvasy is CEO of Art of the Spa (www.spaaroundtheworld.com), a spacentric brand that delivers home decor, beauty, cooking, style and living advice with a Martha Stewartesque flair.  An internationally recognized spa expert, her latest book SpaHome: Makeover Your Maison from Blah to Ahhhhh will be released in February 2011.  Is your pad more stress than sanctuary?  Pick her spa brain at candace@artofthespa.com

How many of you actually paid attention in your high school science class? Did the periodic table resemble a warped game of hopscotch? Even if you weren’t a Bio-Chem teacher’s pet, one thing we all remember is that oxygen = good, and we need it to breathe and live. Apply that hypothesis to a facial, and it all makes sense. Beautiful skin not only requires a healthy level of hydration, but the skin benefits from being able to breathe better. Don’t be alarmed, but every now and then it’s healthy to take a break from your foundation, concealer and blush overload.

Melissa Benton, Lead Skin Care Therapist at Facelogic Spa – Encinitas, is a huge supporter of oxygen treatments. Whenever doing this or any facial, she keeps it personalized: ”First we start with a cleanse and a skin analysis, then we decide if you need extractions and which peel would be best for the client.” On the candidates and benefits of an oxygen facial, Melissa says, “The radiant oxygenating facial detoxifies, brightens, clarifies and evens skin tone by bringing oxygen into the skin. Anyone who has hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles and dull skin can benefit from the treatment. “

Spa Week on the West Coast is hopscotching away with oxygen-infused facial treatments (one of this Fall’s hottest spa trends), each for just $50 September 13-19. Sign up for Spa Week and call these spas to book now before they run out of air! Then you can breathe.

Spa: Facelogic Spa – Encinitas
$50 Treatment: 60 Min Peter Thomas Roth Oxygen Facial
208 North El Camino Real, Suite C
Encinitas, CA 92024
760.840.3223

Spa: Skin Care by Klara
$50 Treatment: 50 Min Microdermabrasion with Oxygen Infusion
16447 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 105
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480.247.8240

Spa: Alexander Skin Care
$50 Treatment: Oxygen Infusion
9339 Genesee Avenue Plaza 40
San Diego, CA 92121
858.455.7558

Spa: Body by Melisa
$50 Treatment: 55 Min Skin Bella Deluxe, Oxygen Facial Treatment, Including Particle Free Microdermabrasion
4414 Piedmont Avenue, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94611
510.655.BODY

Spa: Leaf and Water Holistic Skincare
$50 Treatment: 50 Min Diamond Microdermabrasion Facial with Oxygenating Facial Mask
701 North 36th Street, Suite 330
Seattle, WA 98103
206.694.9026

Image Courtesy of pvskin.com

Massages, facials, body scrubs… you can’t get enough! And that’s great. But did you know you’re barely scraping the spa surface? New technology, reinvented techniques and pop culture all shape the way we spa today. Here, Spa Week officially announces the definitive list of the latest in emerging spa treatment trends, from holistic to glamorous.

Treat yourself to a wellness and beauty adventure this Spa Week®, $50 spa treatments September 13-19 for the West Coast and Chicago, October 11-17 for the rest of the country. The Fall spa directory launches August 16 for the West Coast, September 13 for the rest of the country, when you’ll be able to see which spas are offering which services. Try one, try all— Spa Week is the time to indulge and experiment. All these treatments will be available for just $50!

1)      Fighting Allergies

Sinus massages, breathe-easy facials and cold & flu bath salts are just a few of the spa services you’ll be seeing this upcoming Spa Week, just in time to soothe your seasonal allergies. Treat your immune system and clear your sinuses in the spa with new treatments using Eucaplyptus, humidifiers and Lymph drainage movements , to name just few of the techniques being used to assist in allergy relief.

2)      Bikini Glamour

Vajazzling made its sparkly splash last Spa Week, when bedazzling your bikini became the hot new standard in girly glamour. Other treatments are quickly emerging in its footsteps to pamper your private parts: Bikini/Bum Facials are being offered to give the same attention down there as a esthetician would to your face: toner, extractions and masks included. Also, post-Brazilian waxing rituals such as Airbrush painting and Vattooing are now the latest in vaginal adornment.

3)      Sleeping and Dreaming

Insomniac? A good night’s slumber with proper REM cycles can be just as rejuvenating as a spa treatment, so one of the hottest trends emerging in the industry is a dream-worthy mix of the two to promote better sleeping patterns. Scents such as Rosewood, Palmarosa and Vanilla are used to guide you off to never-never land while massage techniques make for a complete relaxation experience.

4)      Lash Extensions

Eyelash length, thickness, volume and darkness have gone way up on the beauty priority lists of women now more than ever. While new drugstore and professional lash volumizers continue to crowd the lash-enhancing market, the Fall Spa Week event is poised to give women more professional lash-extending options than ever before.

5)      Instant Inch Loss

Remember that magical, completely safe instant weight-loss pill you always dreamed of? We’re not saying it’s been invented (sorry), but the spa is becoming a go-to place to get instant, (almost) magic-like results in addition to providing long term benefits. Colon Hydrotherapy is becoming more popular as a quick, easy cleanse, and hot new med-spa services like the 7E Treatment and Ionithermie give immediate results by targeting muscles with waveform technology.

6)      Reiki and Energy Work

Turn your trip to the spa into a journey for the soul. Reiki, energy work and holistic healing deliver health benefits ranging from injury recovery to spiritual growth. By engaging the flow of your “life force energy,” practitioners are turning spa-goers into active believers. Look for treatments with an energy component this coming Spa Week, and may the force be with you.

7)      Acupuncture

This ancient holistic healing technique is no newbie to the spa scene, but the granddaddy of healing is suddenly making a resurgence. The World Health Organization advocates the use of acupuncture to treat over 40 conditions, from anxiety and other stress syndromes to musculoskeletal pain and injury, and the Fall Spa Week event will encourage more spa-goers to forget their fears of needles and reap the benefits of this treatment—for their face, body and both.

8)      Botox on-the-go

Pick up dry cleaning, get Botox, grab lunch… what? Yes, the age-defying treatment has become so mainstream that spas are now offering it hassle-free, and even appointment-free. Add the $50 Spa Week price tag, and suddenly “to-tox-or-not-to tox?” is one of the easiest decisions to make.

9)      Hot AND Cold Stone Massages

Spa Week’s favorite sweetheart treatment has always been the Hot Stone Massage, but the newest twist is cooler than past seasons. Instead of using all hot stones, this treatment includes the application of cold stones as well, adding multi-dimensional stimulation. Alternating the hot and cool stones helps every cell in the body receive more oxygen and nutrients and encourages a more effective removal of toxins.

10)   Champissage

Also known as Indian head massage, Champissage has been practiced for more than 1000 years in India and has now been interpreted as a custom ritual at many spas. Traditionally, it began as a system of family grooming, with mothers massaging their daughters’ hair with oils to encourage long, lustrous locks. Over time, it began to incorporate massage of the face neck and shoulders, specifically yours this upcoming Spa Week.

11)   Everything Seaweed

You’d like to be… under the sea? Why? Just go to the spa. Seawater and seaweed have similar mineral contents with approximately the same percentage as the human body. Because of this, seaweed wraps help detoxify the body, eliminate excess fluids, increase blood circulation and regulate hormonal levels. More treatments than ever are incorporating Seaweed this Spa Week. Go for a dive.

12)   Simply… Oxygen

Human beings’ star life-sustaining molecule is getting more and more play inside the spa. One of the new treatments is Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Therapy, which dissolves oxygen in the blood plasma and all body cells, tissues and fluids at up to 10 times normal concentration—high enough to sustain life with no blood at all. Oxygenating facials are also increasing in popularity, as oxygen continues to secure its reputation as the #1 skincare essential.

Experiment with these treatments and experience the true spa lifestyle for just $50 a piece during Spa Week. Make sure you’re signed up!