Yesterday, I found a really interesting do-it-yourself callus remover recipe calling for a foot bath of shaving cream and Listerine. I have never heard of anything like this before, especially with such an interesting ingredient combo. The recipe claims that “You can only use this method once a week or your feet will become very sore. Remember, this technique literally takes off a layer of skin.”  With a promise like that, you know I couldn’t resist. I HAD to investigate. Spoiler Alert: After the treatment I still had my calluses and smelled like a dentist’s office. Here’s how my failed Bill Nye experiment went down:

After the gym, I popped into the drugstore and bought a small bottle of both shaving cream and Listerine. At my apartment, I grabbed a mixing bowl and an old dish towel and follwed the directions to the letter.

Here’s what my foot looked like before:

Step 1. Put shaving cream on your feet

Step 2. In a bucket or sink, combine equal parts warm water and Listerine

Step 3. Soak a small hand towel in the solution of water and Listerine

Step 4. While the shaving cream is still on your feet wrap the wet hand towel around your feet and let it sit for 30 minutes

Step 5. After 30 minutes, use the towel to rub your feet. Some of the calloused and discolored skin will rub off

Here is what my foot looked like after:

And here is a close up of my heel:

During the 30 minutes I spent with my foot wrapped up like mummy, watching The Challenge: Battle of the Exes, my foot did get a little tingly and warm. Sadly, that sensation was just the false promise of a magical beauty remedy that did not deliver. I was so disappointed when I removed the towel and my regular, same old foot was revealed. I guess some of the dead skin was now more visible, but to me it was a total let down.

Then I got to thinking, maybe I was supposed to use more Listerine or more shaving cream or men’s shaving cream? What if this really was the Unicorn, the Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster of all at-home recipes and I screwed it up? I guess you’ll just have to try it for yourself and see what happens!

Recipe via

A few months ago we shared with you the wellness Teachings from the Spa-Obsessed Real Housewives. Yes, we admit, these often ridiculous, over-dramatized women aren’t always the epitome of health, but we concluded that they definitively know a thing or two about taking time out for themselves to relax and rejuvenate. One housewife in particular, Atanta’s Kim Zolciak, found time to pamper herself using, what she calls, the “Get Skinny Laser,” or “Pizza Laser,” aka Zerona. With the hectic holidays behind us, it’s likely that we’ve all packed on a few extra pounds during the festive season. So I decided to investigate Kim’s go-to laser to see if it stands up to the hype and should be considered as a viable option for all of us looking to “get skinny” and most importantly, healthy in the new year.
After some research, I discovered that Zerona uses five “cold lasers” to target voluminous adipose tissue or subcutaneous fat (fat that is close to the skin’s surface). The lasers create small pores, or holes, in your fat cells causing the fat cells to collapse, expelling the liquefied fat contents into interstitial space (the no-man’s land between your body’s cells). The smaller your fat cells, the more inches you lose. It is recommended that you get a minimum of six sessions, every 2-3 days for the best results.

A fat cell's journey during Zerona Laser Treatments.

With the basic knowledge of Zerona in my back pocket, I made an appointment at Spa Jolie in NYC’s West Village, where they are offering Zerona Laser Treatments for $99 per treatment in January as part of Spa Week’s Spa Deals. After being graciously greeted by Jodi, the spa director, and filling out a quick waiver form, I was lead upstairs by my technician, Morlie. Being around the same age, we instantly clicked and she told me about her own experiences using Zerona treatments to help support her weight-loss goals, “I’ve lost 2-3 inched in my waist and hips and am starting to see an hour-glass contour to my body I didn’t have before.” She reassured me saying that the best thing about Zerona is that it is painless, “You just lay there and take a 40 minute nap. It’s that easy.”

The Zerona Laser

As we entered the treatment room, Morlie let me know what was going to happen, step by step. First, I disrobed down to my undies and bra and wrapped myself in a cozy fleece blanket. Then, Morlie asked me which areas I wanted to focus the laser on, “You can do up to four areas at a time, 20 minutes on the front and 20 minutes on the back. You’ll be out of here in less than an hour.” Obviously, I chose tummy and hips/inner thighs – because who doesn’t want Marissa Miller’s body, right? Next, Morlie took my measurements with a nifty measuring tape. It wasn’t as daunting or intimidating as I thought, as a I found out that Morlie was a pro at the slightly-awkward task of measuring strangers’ half-naked body parts. “I used to work at Victoria’s Secret,” she confessed, “I had to measure people all the time, so I’m used to it.”

The Zerona Laser up close and personal

After recording my base measurements on my chart, I laid down on my back on the treatment table and nestled my head into a cozy pillow. Morlie swiveled the Zerona machine over to me and maneuvered its centrally located laser to hover directly above my tummy. Then she bent each of  the four malleable arms with laser on the end about 2-3 inches above my inner thighs, hips and side-tummy. After a few minutes of tweaking each laser arm, I asked her if there’s a skill or science behind the positioning of the laser arms. “Knowing how to position the lasers is a big part of what we are taught during our mandatory Zerona certification courses. You want to make sure the lasers pass through each other or “feather,” sort of like Venn Diagram. The technician needs to know what they’re doing so the client gets the best results.” Once the lasers were positioned for optimal fat-busting, Morlie handed me this sweet pair of protective glasses:

Me in my protective eyewear - so chic!

The most unexpected part of the laser prep was when Morlie placed rolled-up towels under my thighs and on the slides of my tummy, to essentially “prop up the fat,” it was a little strange having someone finagle my problem areas, but any weirdness was overshadowed by the reasoning behind the towels: the more fat that is exposed to the laser, the better results you get. I couldn’t argue with that!

Zerona Laser being positioned by technician

Then she turned the laser on. The beams of red light started rotating in methodical circles over my lower-half. No noise, no pain, no sensation, no nothing. I just laid there. It was great. I checked my email, Twitpic’d, updated my Facebook status, checked out my favorite gossip site and took these pictures:

Side view of lasers

Ariel view of lasers

Laser treatment on hips/thighs

After 20 minutes, Morlie came back into the room and had me flip over onto my stomach; she re-positioned the towels and the Zerona machine and left me for another 20 minutes of unaccounted-for-bliss. I could have even called my mom and chit-chatted, it was that quiet, but, knowing my mom, calling her would take more than 20 minutes. So I texted her instead.

When the second 20 minutes was up, the machine turned off automatically with a beep, and Morlie came in and moved it into the corner and told me I could get dressed. She also gave me these great tips/info on aftercare:

• Water: Drinking at least 60 oz of water (one of those large Poland Spring water bottles) a day will help your lymphatic system absorb and discrete the liquefied fat that is released from your fat cells
• No caffeine, alcohol, soda or fast food: These foods negatively affect your body’s ability to flush out the fat that is released during the treatment
• 72 hour rule: Don’t skip treatments or go more than 72 hours (three days) between sessions as this can affect the effectiveness of the treatment and some of the fat can be reabsorbed into your fat cells

And that’s it; I was done – granted I only had one session and will need more than six to see results, but the process was super quick and easy. However, the major health benefit Zerona can concretely and confidently boast is that it helps reduce belly fat/belly circumference which in turn reduces your risk of heart attack, cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke and some types of cancer. Whether it’s through diet, exercise and/or spa treatments – no matter what way you do it – reducing body fat can save and enhance the quality of your life. In conclusion, Kim Zolciak may be a little wacko, but she’s on the right track. Bravo, Kim! For Zerona deals in your area, visit www.spaweek.com/deals

Spa Jolie (Previously Randee Elaine Salon)
180 7th Avenue South
New York, NY 10014
212.229.1389
http://www.nylaser.net

Happy, healthy New Year to you! Let’s take a look back: In 2010, over 150 million Americans visited the spa (according to ISPA). We are still waiting on the exact numbers for 2011, but with the growth of the industry reported in ISPA’s 2011 report, we’re pretty sure a lot more of you experienced the wonderful healing powers of the spa this past year. How many times did you visit the spa in 2011? An even better question: how often do you plan to take some time out for yourself and visit the spa in 2012? We’re hoping you resolve to make regular spa trips a integral part of your health and wellness regime in 2012! Or, at least twice a year…

In support of your 2012 wellness goals, Spa Week is here (and has been since 2004) to help you keep your healthy spa-going resolution with our bi-annual national events, when thousands of spas across North America offer their most coveted health and wellness treatments for just $50 each. And – for the first time ever – Spa Week’s directory of participating spas and their $50 treatment offerings will launch not 4, but 5 weeks in advance of the week-long event so EVERYONE will have enough time to choose and book the treatment(s) of their choice, and ample time to get ready and excited.

Mark your calendars! The 2012 event dates are as follows:

SPRING 2012 SPA WEEK®: April 16 – 22

The directory of participating spas and treatments will launch on March 12, 2012 at spaweek.com, when you can start to book your appointments directly with the spa.

FALL 2012 SPA WEEK®: October 15 – 21

The directory of participating spas and treatments will launch on October 10, 2012.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Spa Week newsletter and stay tuned to Spa Week Daily too for all your Spa Week® news and updates. See you at the spa!

Ever wonder what it’s like to open up a spa? Perhaps you’ve done it, or perhaps you’ve just experienced the effects of it (massages, facials, and all-around goodness). While it’s relaxing to go to the spa, it’s far less relaxing to open one. 

The award-winning Hiatus Spa + Retreat in Dallas (winners of the “Best $50 Spa Week Treatment” Luxe Award of Spring 2011) is expanding; just over the weekend they opened a second location in Austin. The 6,000 square-foot day spa opened its doors on December 18th and it is a site to behold. Founded in 2007 by Sheila Garrison and Kristin Heaton-Peabody, these women of wellness have dreamed of opening a second location in Austin because of their deep ties with the community (and rarely miss a Horns game).

To give you some insight, Sheila and Kristin were kind enough to answer our many questions about their experience opening a second spa location. Anyone in the spa biz, listen up! They share the good, the bad, and the lessons learned.

Michelle: What are some of the biggest challenges with opening a second location?

Sheila: For me it was trying to find time to stay sufficiently involved in the daily operations of the Dallas location. There is never enough time in a day to accomplish all that needs to be accomplished.

Kristin: When I think back to opening Dallas, it was our sole focus. Every little detail had its time in the spotlight for contemplation. In opening the Austin location, we juggled build-out and design with the ongoing operation of a very busy first location, 60+ employees, and working hard not to take our eye off the ball. We found ourselves placing large opening orders a week before the big day. Lessons learned!

M: Was it more or less challenging than your first opening?

Sheila: It was definitely easier the second time around, but still a crazy experience. We felt like the clock was ticking as we were frantically trying to get open during the holiday season. Our first location in Dallas opened December 5, 2007 and had 4,300 square feet; we expanded to nearly 6,000 feet in our third year of business. For our Austin location we decided on 6,000 feet from the beginning.

Kristin: I can’t say that one was more challenging than the other; they were “different.” And similar to having a baby, you soon forget about childbirth and focus on the joy of it all.

M: What were some unexpected surprises (good or bad) that you encountered?

Sheila: One great unexpected surprise for me was the quality of the workforce in Austin. We were able to hire a dynamic team of warm, friendly, passionate and talented people!

Kristin: My favorite surprise was the day our new landlord referred to Hiatus as their “anchor tenant”, which was much different than our first venture. The worst surprise was the difficulty in getting funding the second time around.

M: Any predictions for the most popular treatment? Hiatus Massage, Hiatus Facial, Body Glow, Revitalizing Body Wrap or Mani-Pedi Retreat?

Sheila: I imagine it will be the Hiatus Massage.  As people look for ways to de-stress in today’s fast-paced world, I think it is universally popular.

Kristin: I am going with the Hiatus Facial… as people become more in tune with wellness, they become more interested in all that spas have to offer. While massage is our most requested treatment today, I see facials taking market share. Our facials include our signature hand and foot massage, and our guests emerge with beautiful skin. And with the choice of three fabulous skincare lines in Aveda, SkinCeuticals and entirely organic Intelligent Nutrients, who can we possibly not please?

M: How is the spa culture different in Austin than in Dallas? Was there anything in particular you needed to take into consideration?

Sheila: We really believe Austin and Hiatus are an ideal match because the people in Austin are extremely active and focused on wellness. Austin demands excellence and quality in food, music, and everything else. We strive to be excellent in providing quality spa services.

Kristin: The spa culture here is different than that of Dallas; it is intricately woven into the community as a result of the outdoor playground that is Austin. Regardless of location, the culture and mission of our company remains unchanged; there will always be a contingency of people who view spa as a wellness ritual, and those people are the foundation of our business.

M: How important is design and décor for a spa? You mentioned the interiors having a modern feel with washed white oak, organic colors. Was there a specific reason for that aesthetic?

Sheila: We worked with Dick Clark Architecture- a well-known local firm. We believe a spa should have modern, organic, uncluttered, and understated surroundings with clean lines that help guests relax and clear their minds. The artwork in both locations consists of beautiful, abstract watercolor paintings by Austin artist Jan Heaton. She draws her inspiration from nature, so her work is an ideal fit for a spa environment.

Kristin: We feel that understated, simplistic design and comfortable surroundings can really impact the way a guest feels. Our goal is to provide a superlative experience in a beautiful environment at a great price.

M: What are your future plans? Expand all over Texas? The world?

Sheila: We believe the spa industry is going to continue to grow. We want to grow with it. We have the franchise concept about 80% complete and we are planning to launch in the second half of 2012 starting in Texas and California.

Kristin: In 2012, we will be filing our franchise disclosures, after almost two years of planning. Our goal is to grow slowly though franchising, seeking like-minded partners and collaborators who will help us grow the business organically. We would love to see Hiatus expand nationally, and then, who knows?

M: What are some words of wisdom you can pass along to someone else who might be interested in opening their own spa or small business?

Sheila: My advice would be to do your due diligence before jumping into any new business venture. You can’t easily unwind the early mistakes. We spent six months on our business plan for Dallas, and did a lot of market research- it was truly our road map in the first year.  We also were able to secure SBA loans for both locations which kept us from having to bring in investors. That gives us 100% freedom and autonomy to make decisions for our business, so that our vision is not compromised in any way.

Kristin: Always do something you are passionate about, that you believe in with all of your heart. When you are working seven days a week and 15 hours a day, you had better love it.

Thanks ladies!

Hiatus Spa + Retreat
Gables 5th St. Commons
1611 West 5th, Suite 155
Austin, TX 78703
512.362.5777

Photo credit: Ryann Ford

"I AM a boat!"

I’m on a boat! We’ve heard of some pretty unique spa experiences, but a historic floating hotel tops the list. We’re excited to welcome The Queen Mary ship to the Spa Week Gift Card Program! The ship was named after one of the Queens of Britain (can you guess which one?) and offers an experience like no other for spa go-ers. Step back into time when you board this fully restored historic 1930s cruise liner. The Queen Mary used to carry high-society elite passengers all over the world. But alas she had to lay down her anchors and retire. Now she is permanently docked in the harbor of sunny Long Beach, California. Let’s take a look at her in all her glory!

There are 314 rooms – 305 standard staterooms and 9 suites. No two rooms are alike as they each feature retro Art Deco inspired design and decor. Accommodations include 11 dining options – 3 signature restaurants, 4 casual eateries, and 4 bars. Proving there’s something for everybody – there is a main hall filled with over a dozen shops for you to browse.

And what ship would be complete without a spa? The Queen Mary Spa offers a wide range of  services and treatments. These include facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, waxing and chiropractic services. The ship also provides a beautiful backdrop, and weddings are permitted on board. Why not visit the spa for special occasion hair and make-up on your big day? You may use your Spa & Wellness Gift Card by Spa Week to enjoy these packages:

Princesses Royal Day of Beauty – Features a one hour massage, European Nobility Facial, Royal Body Polish, and Royal Bath. This three-hour spa body package is designed for the busy Princess looking for the finer things in life.

Queen For a Day – A five hour glamour experience, which includes a 1 1/2 hour massage, the European Nobility Facial, Royal Body Polish, the Queen’s Royal Bath, and special occasion make-up and hair up-do.

There are even spa packages for your prince!