Spend Spa Week at Exhale Spa

March 26, 2013 | By

Exhale Spa: A Spa Week Best Bet!

As the Editorial Director here at Spa Week, I certainly have my personal favorites among our spas. And I couldn’t possibly be MORE excited to have Exhale Spa involved in Spa Week this April! 13 locations across the country are participating — including the brand new Exhale Spa in Hollywood, CA.

Exhale has been a second home to me for the past several years, ever since a friend turned me on to their Core Fusion classes. I’ve spent a minimum of 3 nights a week in their studio, sweating and sculpting with their incredible teachers. While I can go on for days about how amazing the workout classes are, I didn’t end up trying the spa until recently. I can’t believe I waited so long! There’s nothing better on a Saturday than waking up, getting an hour of cardio out of the way, and then treating yourself to a manicure and pedicure, all in the same place. Now, for the newbies out there, let me explain why you DEFINITELY want to grab a Spa Week deal at Exhale:

Spa Week Deal: 5-Class Pack for $50: A single class at Exhale can cost $30 and up, but you’ll get FIVE of them for just $50 during Spa Week (at all locations except Hollywood). The most popular class, Core Fusion, is a revved-up form of the Lotte Berk method (think leg-sculpting ballet moves at the barre, booty-sculpting Pilates moves on the mat, and a LOT of core work). They also offer spinoff versions like Core Fusion Sport, Core Fusion Cardio (my favorite!) and Core Fusion Bootcamp, so you’ll never get bored. Then, there’s also the entire yoga programming to choose from — challenge yourself with a rigorous Vinyasa class, or soothe your sore muscles (and yes, they will be sore!) after Core Fusion with a relaxing Yin stretching session.

Spa Week Deal: Smart Peel or Manicure/Pedicure for $50: Spa treatments take place in zen-like treatment rooms that will instantly leave you feeling relaxed. The Smart Peel starts with a peel customized for your skin type to minimize pores and refine your texture, followed by traditional facial treatments like extractions and massage. If you leave facials feeling like you didn’t see enough of a difference in your skin, this results-oriented treatment is perfect for you. Or, opt for a mani-pedi using polishes from Essie, SpaRitual, and other top brands. The nail techs at Exhale will make sure you leave with smooth heels and perfectly polished toes.

Are you sold now? We hope so. Click here to browse the Spa Week treatments at Exhale and book fast — April 15 will be here before you know it.

 

Filed Under: Spa Week Event, Spas Tagged With: , , , ,

Medical Marijuana Hits the Spa

January 4, 2013 | By

Restorations Wellness Center and Spa in Colorado is your typical suburban day spa. They incorporate medical marijuana products into massages and more.

When it comes to legalizing marijuana, the war is right outside your door — er, maybe inside it. With almost 20 U.S. states now allowing marijuana dispensaries, the access to medical marijuana is growing — as are its uses. Beyond doctor’s and dentist’s offices, spas have also been involved with medical marijuana for nearly as long as these dispensaries have existed. Intrigued? We bet. We spoke to Restorations Wellness Center & Spa in Denver, Colorado (one of the first states to pass marijuana reforms) to get the scoop on how cannabis is making an appearance on spa service lists — and why it might someday be the next big thing in the health and beauty industry.

Cannabis is known to aid cancer patients, but its beauty and spa benefits may be vastly unrealized.

Catering to the Crowd
Steve Weiner, co-owner of Restorations, said that while he always offered your typical spa and medi-spa services, he recognized that more and more locals were using marijuana for medicinal purposes — or looking to find out how to. “Being in Colorado, we realized the need,” Weiner told us. And given his business’ mission to promote wellness, he sought to aid these patients in his spa.

“We’re not a dispensary. We provide a physician who comes in to do diagnoses…and decides whether clients are eligible to get a medical marijuana card through the state,” Weiner told us. After that, the spa is ready to incorporate any legally-sanctioned topical marijuana products into their spa services. “If the patient brings in any sort of topical approved medical marijuana product, we can apply it to them,” he explains.

Dixie Botanicals manufactures these popular Cannabis Infused Bath Salts, which medical marijuana patients can use for a relaxing spa bath at home.

So, who’s getting Swedish massages with cannabis oil? “A lot of those topical medications might be used for fibromyalgia and cancer patients,” Weiner told us. But let’s be honest — it’s not just those with serious medical conditions who are interested in partaking in the health benefits of cannabis, which include alleviating nausea, insomnia, and pain, and promoting relaxation.

A New Law In Town
As of this year, those simply seeking to deepen their relaxation at the spa won’t need a medical marijuana card to do so for much longer. Thanks to Colorado Amendment 64 being passed, private recreational use of marijuana will be made legal for Colorado residents over 21. Translation: The law is not going to stop you from getting high at home before your spa appointment, something Weiner speculates that many clients have already been doing for years. “If you’re getting a massage, it’s nice to be stoned in the process,” he notes.

The Next Big Thing In Beauty?
What’s next for marijuana? Well, Weiner has been privy to some unoffical product testing for years. “We’ve heard nothing but incredible stories,” he told us. “I know a woman who uses a cream topically for acne with great results. She said it’s full of antioxidants.” Could cannabis clearing washes and pot spot treatments be coming to a drugstore shelf near you? With the plant’s proven effects against inflammation and other skin concerns, we wouldn’t be surprised. You heard it here first!

Filed Under: Spa Treatments, Spas Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Spa Treatment Trends for 2013

January 3, 2013 | By

The Aquabella room at the Westin Playa Bonita, Panama

By Ava Roxanne Stritt, Spa Travel Gal and member of the Hot Mom Spa Squad

What can you expect in the spa world for 2013? Well, you can forget crazy trends (like those banned fish pedicures). This year, it’s all about practical concepts to try out at your local spa (or on your next vacation).

Trend: A Hot/Cold Hangout (Not the Google Kind)
Spa-goers are staying longer and coming more often thanks to amenities that encourage you to, well, hangout. One of the hottest (or, perhaps, the coldest) trends is water therapy. At the Westin Playa Bonita in Panama, one can hang around all day in the Aquabella room, equipped to deliver either a hot or cold hydrotherapy treatment. Expect varied water experiences, like the Raindance Experience Shower, vitality wading pools, an herbal sauna to promote circulation, an amethyst crystal steam room to aid in hydration, and the Pediluvio Stream, where one walks on round river stones to massage your feet.  Bonus: Medical evidence has shown that this type of spa treatment has a direct influence on inflammation and pain.

Trend: Spa Suites
At one time a “spa suite” was thought to be a spacious treatment room, which one could reserve for just a few hours or possibly half day. Now, welcome to the new definition of spa suite: A hotel room conveniently situated next to (or even within) the spa. The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead has created an entire Spa Level with distinctive spa rooms and suites that cater to those of us that love to live in Zen throughout the day. No longer does one have to leave the serenity of the spa to journey back to her hotel room. Everything you need for total relaxation is within reach — or available with a quick dial to the Spa Concierge.

How about a spa suite on a spa island? The Rosewood Mayakoba offers an island suite on a Spa Island amidst relaxing nature sounds. This secluded area is the perfect getaway for a spa lover in an extremely unique location. It even has a private plunge pool!

Trend: More Extravagant Girls’ Nights Out
Many hotel spas are starting to offer special packages to add more incentive for a girls’ night out. One of the most decadent is offered by The W Atlanta – Downtown. Their “Girls Night Out” package includes a WOW Suite with a panoramic view to die for! Your cool corner room comes complete with cocktail fixins’, mani pedi supplies, lip balms and a party CD featuring either Fergie or Pitbull (my choice)!

And here’s a little secret spa tip for a more extravagant girls’ night out at your local spa: Call and ask how many appointments are available at any one time. If you book appointments for exactly that size group or girls, you’re effectively monopolizing the entire spa for yourself. You just made the spa your own private girlfriend getaway, without having to pay big bucks to literally close the place down. Celebrities like Katy Perry have done it, and now you can, too.

Trend: More Men in the Spa
More men will be heading to the spa in 2013 than ever before, and isn’t MORE MEN always a good thing? It used to be that men only booked appointments during a vacation or honeymoon, but today men feel comfortable to visit their local day spas more regularly. In fact, many spas now report that 33% of their customers are male. One cause might be all the new spa treatments created to target guys, like sports massage, facials that include an amazing shave, and meticulously groomed (but not polished) nail services.

Trend: Massages Without Hands
Massages using items other than hands have been a trend on the rise for a while now. We have seen stones, seashells, herb-filled orbs, and even golf ball massages (courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta). The trending item for 2013 seems to be Bamboo. One of the first to offer this was the Emerald Mist Spa at the St. Kitts Marriott, where heated bamboo stalks roll away knots in tense muscles. There are also massages that use no tools or hands at all (well, sort of). The Harbor Beach Marriott has Reiki body treatments that hail from the mountains of Tibet. They are based on ancient healing techniques that use very subtle, light body contact to channel life force energy to create a positive change in your mental and physical wellness. It makes for the perfect way to start the New Year or refresh your life. Afterwards your energy level is higher and you’ll feel calm and relaxed.

Ava is the author behind Spa Travel Gal, a blog about skincare, spa, and travel.

Filed Under: Spa Treatments, Spas Tagged With: , , ,

Face Slapping Is a Spa Treatment?

November 30, 2012 | By

“Slapping” isn’t a term usually associated with the spa – we typically prefer when our treatments are described with adjectives like “gentle pressure,” “painless” or “soothing.” Moreover, we couldn’t fathom a situation in which we would even consider paying someone to slap us in the face – but lo and behold, we were wrong.

Tata Massage in San Francisco is pioneering a new and very unique spa treatment called “face-slapping,” which promises to temporarily eliminate wrinkles and tone skin. According to Rassameesaitarn New Series World (you can call her Tata), she is the ONLY person in the Western Hemisphere trained in this “secret technique.” It has been passed down from ancient Thai wisdom and the results should be comparable to a “natural face lift.”

Now here’s the kicker: Each 15 minute treatment will ring you up $350, and the most recommended (and most purchased!) sequence is four treatments spread over one month for $1,000. But realistically, you’ll have to shell out at least $700 because your 15 minutes only covers one side of your face and the last thing you want is to leave the spa looking lopsided. Oh – and they only accept cash.

This is QUITE the interesting new spa treatment if we’ve ever heard one. The premise is a little bit obscene, and the website is loud and at times outrageous. Check it out for yourself. But you never know, it could work! Tell us: would you pay $350 to get slapped?

Filed Under: Spa Treatments, Spas Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Wonderful World of Spa

October 17, 2012 | By

You can go ahead and file “I never wanted to be a Disney Princess” under #thingsnobodysays. Walt Disney curated a magical world of itsy-bitsy glass slippers, the idyllic prince charming, flowing, delicate ball gowns and happily ever afters that were and still are the embodiment of every little girls dream.

And what is every grown-up little girls dream? Unlimited access to the wonderful world of spa, of course! We have a feeling that some of our most revered damsels in distress would be no stranger to spa treatments if they were real women. After all, smooth hair, a cellulite-free body, and glowing skin are much easier to achieve with a little help from your local spa.

Of course, we only know so much about the personal lives of these infamous princesses. What do they do to maintain their picture-perfect images off-screen? Take a break from your day and speculate with us…

Jasmine

Girl has smooth hair. And she handles it exceptionally well, considering she lives in an Arabian desert. I personally traveled to the Middle East last summer and my hair did not fare half as well, so I give her a lot of credit. She must get keratin treatments every few months to keep things in check.

Cinderella

How do you think she keeps her cool, especially with that nasty step-mom and pair of evil sisters kicking her around all the time? Regular massage can do wonders for your stress and helping you stay level-headed. It would also be helpful in working the knots out, you know since she spends half her time hunched over cleaning floors.

Aurora

This chick is no stranger to good old fashioned R&R. Our first thought? The original Sleeping Beauty must do a lot of yoga. Breathe in, and exhale slowly…how else would she have the balance and peace of mind required to be able to spend the majority of her time asleep? Yoga poses are the perfect way to prep the body for that much downtime.

PS. – If Sleeping Beauty happened now, we know she’d be getting help from Dream Water. You too, could be Sleeping Beauty if you win the Spa Week sweepstakes – a year’s supply of Dream Water!

Snow White

Let’s be real…how do you think this princess keeps her enviable complexion so milky and clear? Snow White is the most obvious spa-worshipper of all of Disney’s characters. To maintain that youthful glow the fairest one of all must indulge in regular facials, microdermabrasion, 24K gold masks…the works.

Ariel

A little mermaid who spends all of her time under the sea obviously needs to keep her bikini-bod rockin’ 24/7. Good thing she’s constantly surrounded by tons of seaweed! Seaweed can be used for detoxes, slimming wraps…the secret for maintaining a perfect figure. It’s great for cleansing facials, too!

Guess what! Heading to the happiest place on earth anytime soon? You can visit one of the many resort spas there and indulge like one of our favorite princesses for the afternoon. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Good + Happy, Health & Wellness Tagged With: , , ,