By Shelby Jones, Public Relations Manager, ISPA

Millions of us are seeking out the beach to take a break from the summer heat. While it helps cool us down, the ocean also has tons of added benefits you probably never knew about.  No wonder Ariel looked so fab all the time. She knew the benefits salt water and seaweed could provide.

Seaweed is commonly used in facials, body wraps and baths for detoxification and rejuvenation. Treatments that utilize it are generally referred to as algotherapy. The health benefits of seaweed are numerous since it contains all the minerals the human body needs including calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron and zinc. Seaweed also feeds the scalp helping to make your hair more lustrous.

A seaweed wrap is a common type of body wrap offered at many spas. It’s similar to an herbal wrap combined with heat packs and uses sea water and seaweed with a balance of the ocean’s nutrients, minerals, rare trace elements, vitamins and proteins. All of these benefits are soaked up into your blood stream to revitalize your skin and body. During the treatment, a paste made of seaweed or sea algae is applied then the body is covered with sheets and sometimes blankets for 10 to 20 minutes.  During this process toxins are eliminated, minerals are restored and skin elasticity is improved.

Another type of treatment that takes the healing powers of the sea and puts them into action is thalassotherapy. This ancient Greek therapy uses the vitamins, minerals and trace elements found in sea water to reinvigorate your skin and hair. Thalassotherapy can include various types of treatments like individual baths of fresh sea water equipped with powerful underwater jets that create a deep massage. A therapist can also apply manual massage by using hoses.

The use of sea water and sea air can be used to treat allergies and conditions like asthma and cystic fibrosis. Living near the sea, bathing in salt water and breathing in sea air can all be beneficial. The next time you hit the beach try to take advantage of the natural offerings that surround you.

If you want to learn more about different spa treatments visit ISPA’s spa glossary at experienceispa.com.

Shelby Jones is based in Lexington, KY at the ISPA headquarters, Spa Week’s exclusive trade partner. She has worked as ISPA’s Public Relations Manager for five years where she connects with top media outlets to promote ISPA members and the spa lifestyle. To get in touch with Shelby please visit experienceispa.com, email her or follow @ISPADoYou on Twitter.

Seaweed is one of the most sought after spa treatment ingredients for many reasons. Not only does it cleanse your skin and leave you glowing like a light bulb, it’s also beneficial to your health. This Top Treatment Trend contains Alga polyphenols and Carotenoids which are both strong anti-oxidants. The plant is also rich in minerals, amino acids and vitamins. One of the major perks of seaweed is that it’s highly anti-bacterial and rids the skin of acne toxins. Seaweed-infused treatments like body wraps and and facials can ease pains like arthiritis, detoxify the body and improve circulation, all while firming and smoothing the skin.

You’ve got the beauty and health facts, now book your seaweed spa treatment for $50. (West Coast/Chicago until tomorrow, everywhere else Oct 11-17). We’ve highlighted a few of the treatments below but click here to view more options in your area.

Washington D.C.

80 Min Nusta Spa Signature Pedicure with Seaweed Mask and Paraffin Dip
Nusta Spa
1129 20th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20036
202.530.5700

Los Angeles

Detoxifying Seaweed Body Wrap
BEBA Beauty Skin and Body Day Spa
2043 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310.474.2524

Denver

55 Min Seaweed Bliss Warm Algae Body Wrap
Ciao Bella Day Spa
2559 West Main Street
Littleton, CO 80120
303.997.8491

Indiana

50 minute Clay and Seaweed Body Wrap
Les Champs Elysees Day Spa & Salon
10th & College Ave. Suite #4
Bloomington, IN 47404
812.333.5030

New Jersey

60 Min Marine Seaweed AHA Exfoliating Spa Pedicure
Spa and Salon at Port Liberte
26 Chapel Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07305
201.985.0900

50 Minute Seaweed Wrap
Spa at Forrestal in the Princeton Marriott Hotel
100 College Road East
Princeton, NJ 08540
609.897.7520

Manhattan

75 Min Deep Pore Cleansing Facial with Seaweed Mask
Lia Schorr Day Spa
686 Lexington Avenue, Fourth Floor
New York, NY 10022
212.486.9670

Brooklyn

95 Min Package: Includes Natural Seaweed Facial with 20 Min Sauna Experience
Cinnamon Beauty Spa Inc.
2477 86th Street, Second Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11214
718.333.2198

Seaweed Body Wrap
Art of Natural Beauty Center
239 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.694.2200

60 Min Anti-Aging Regenerative Seaweed Facial Customized to Skin Type
Slope Suds Salon and Spa
462 7th Avenue. (at the corner of 16th St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718.788.7837 (SUDS)

Queens

60 Min Slimming Seaweed Body Wrap
I SPA
28-27 Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103
718.777.8886

Long Island

60 Min Seaweed Wrap for Cellulite for Cellulite Reduction and Weight Loss
Epiphany Salon & Day Spa
285 Fulton Avenue
Hempstead, NY 11550
516.292.9123

50 Min Repechage European Seaweed Facial or 60 Min Repechage Sea Spa Pedicure Treatment with Hot Stone
Hollywood Salon & Day Spa
929A Route 25A
Miller Place, NY 11764
631.744.6600

60 Min Seaweed Deep Pore Cleansing Facial or 50 Min AgeLOC Face Lifting and Firming Treatment
O Spa
927 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
516.877.1888

Staten Island

Detoxifying Seaweed Treatment
A.F. Bennett Salon & Wellness Spa
350 New Dorp Lane
Staten Island, NY 10306
718.979.9000

Albany

60 Min Antioxidant Rich Seaweed Facial Customized to Skin Type
Jean Paul Day Spa and Hair Salons
1475 Western Avenue
Stuyvesant Plaza
Albany, NY 12203
518.482.2121

Westchester

60 Min Youth Surge Seaweed Facial
Golden Day Spa
1144 Wilmot Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914.725.1971

Rockland County

45 Min Deep Sea Weed Cleanse with Pumpkin Papaya Peel or 45 Min Deep Sea Weed Cleanse with Vitamin C peel
Coku Spa at Pamaya Red
535 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, NY 10968
845.216.4615

Watch this video we made – it’s a behind-the-scenes tour of the research, development and manufacturing facility of Repechage, a seaweed-based skincare line with a cult spa following.

We got a tweet yesterday from our blogger friend Kia (@bodhi_bear), a new mom who we had sent for a prenatal massage last Spa Week season. As life cycles tend to go, her beautiful baby boy is now breastfeeding, and she had a new spa question that is of great importance for new moms:

Question: “What facial spa treatments are safe for breastfeeding moms?”

Answer: According to skincare expert Lydia Sarfati, CEO of Repêchage seaweed-based skincare for 30 years, you should not get any facials that have chemical peels or use any products that have a pH below 5.5 or above 10.5 — these will both break a barrier.

Below pH 5.5 would be an acid – like a glycolic peel, an alpha hydroxyl acid… anything that peels.

Above pH 10.5 – these are typically soaps with high alkaline that dry and strip the skin barrier.

A seaweed facial is an example of a safe, neutral option for breastfeeding moms. Seaweed is rich in minerals, vitamins and amino acids and the make up of seaweed is nearly identical to minerals in human blood.  Not only is it safe, but seaweed has been proven to have positive effects on breastfeeding (as well as menopause) and can even help prevent birth defects.

Check out Spaweek.com to see where you can try a Seaweed facial near you during Spa Week this Fall.

If you ever have any questions about what is or isn’t safe for you at the spa under any condition, always feel free to tweet @SPAWEEK, write it on our Facebook wall, or email michelle at spaweekmedia dot com.

Image Courtesy of Le Petit Spa

Seaweed feels great in wraps and facials (see #11 of our hot spa trends) – and it happens to be one of the most nutritionally dense and tasty ingredients to include in soups, salads, and other tasty treats. Seaweed is used extensively in Japanese cuisine and is slowly but surely gaining traction in Pacific fusion and other Westernized dishes – all the better for our bodies and our tastebuds. Now you can have your seaweed wrap and eat it, too! (Although we can’t advocate recycling the seaweed from your wrap into your soup.)

Japanese Miso Soup with Seaweed and Tofu

8-inch piece of wakame seaweed (zero calories and full of minerals)
8 ounces tofu
4 cups dashi (can be found in granule form)
3 Tablespoons red (aka) miso

Soak the wakame in water for 15 minutes; rinse and drain; cut into 1-inch pieces. Cut the tofu into small, bite-sized cubes. Bring the dashi to a boil,then reduce to a simmer; add the wakame and tofu and simmer for 1 minute.

Dip out some of the hot dashi to whisk with the miso, then strain it back into the soup…and remove from the heat before it comes to a boil.

Ladle the soup evenly into the bowls and serve immediately. Stir with chopsticks to eat, as the miso separates easily from the broth.

Seaweed Salad

1/2 cup dried arame seaweed
(soak for 10 minutes or until softened, rinse, drain and roughly chop)
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp rice vinegar (or to taste)
drizzle of low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp sliced almonds

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss well.

Ahi Poke (Hawaiian Tuna with Seaweed)

8 ounces fresh ahi fillet, diced 3/4 inch
1/2 cup Maui onion or red onion, chopped
1/2 cup ogo (red/brown seaweed)
2 stalks green onion, sliced
1 tsp. Sesame oil
2 tsp. Soy sauce
3/4 tsp. Hawaiian rock salt (coarse sea salt)

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. The next day, serve on a bed of greens and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. You can also serve this immediately after mixing.

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!