The advantages of introducing an organic product line into your skin care practice are quite clear: They are clean and safe. No need to worry about potential reactions to foreign chemicals by clients, or yourself. (That is not to say allergic reactions can not happen with botanical ingredients, because we can be allergic to any substance!) Once my clients become used to the pure, fresh feeling of products that feed their skin the way nature intended, they tell me they do not even want to touch waxy, fluffy creams anymore. Because good organic products are free of synthetic waxes that do not clog their pores. Read More

Imagine entering a private sanctuary just for you. Greeted by a potpourri of natural aromas, you breathe deeply to smell a hint of sage, rosemary and lavender. The energy is sublime and you immediately feel welcomed. Safe and secure, you sink into the facial chair and feel like you are floating on a cloud. The lighting is soft but not dark. You hear a hint of music with a rhythm that calls to your soul. Who is that artist, you wonder. The therapist is warm and professional as she asks a series of questions to discover your needs and purpose for your visit. Read More

A holistic approach to wellness includes regular visits to the spa for body therapy. Holistic wellness can be achieved through a balanced life that includes taking care of oneself physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Body therapy treatments address the physical and emotional needs of your client. In essence, you become more than your clients’ aesthetician or massage therapist; you become their holistic body therapist and address the needs of their mind, body, and soul. Spa treatments have been around since the Roman Empire with bath treatments called “Sanus Per Aquam” meaning health through water. Read More

When looking at the demographic of your spa, you may quickly come to the conclusion that Ayurveda is just too far out, too foreign, and not something that would appeal to your clientele. We have even come across those that thought it was occult and dangerous in that way. However, Ayurveda is not defined by cultural and religious trappings. In fact, Ayurveda pre-dates all of the religious traditions of the East as a healing system par excellence. “Ayur” means life and “veda” means knowledge. Ayurveda is about living a powerful, rich, and interesting life in the world. Read More

Everyone knows that to keep a car running well, it needs to be filled with quality gas and oil, kept topped up with water, run regularly, and be taken in for a tune up each year. Why then is it when it comes to our own bodies we are so easily tempted to pay little attention until we experience a total breakdown? We all know we should eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise often, adequately rest, and go for annual checkups. Yet, somehow with the high pace and general stress of modern living, we forget these basics. Read More

It is a well known fact in the health care industry that the herbal supplement and vitamin market are multi-billion dollar industries. In the stressful environments and circumstances of modern living, we need some extra support than nature can provide from highly concentrated nutrients. Pollution, over-crowding, demanding work lives, economic concerns, family responsibilities, and compromised, depleted food supplies all contribute in varying degrees to depressed immune systems, stress-related disease, and chronic conditions that are so costly to health, happiness, productivity, and prosperity, that the American government finds itself embroiled in a debate over what clearly is a health care crisis. Read More

When most people hear the term “spa,” the words that come to mind are more often than not, luxury and pampering. Little is known of the history of spa. And certainly, the spa and beauty industries have tended to cater to a more affluent clientele where luxury is expected and commonplace.But in a climate where economic, political, and ecological realities are no longer seeming certainties, it would seem that spas are changing and the demographic of who they are trying to cater to more inclusive. Read More

The understanding and use of holistic skin care principles and their wisdom can benefit every aesthetic practice. In this article I will share some of my favorite ingredients and procedures that come from both modern science and traditions from around the world. But first, let us consider the basics behind beautiful skin, starting from the inside out. Read More

The aesthetics industry, for years, has predominantly marketed the concept of "anti-aging" in terms of service and retail dollars. Anti-aging has become a central component in skin care, as we continually attempt to deliver the most effective treatments to our clients. We attempt to erase their chosen past lifestyles from their skin with, sometimes, unrealistic expectations, and usually in direct competition with medical doctors. The future of aesthetics is in treating the skin holistically, as the holistic practitioners we truly are. "Holistic" is a multi-faceted concept where the skin is seen as a whole. Read More

Have you ever felt like something was missing in your life, but you could not put a finger on it? Have you noticed that when one area of your life is out of balance, things in other areas feel unmanageable as well? Have you literally experienced the expression when it rains, it pours? These are all examples of how everything in our life is integrated and when one aspect falls out of balance we experience unmanageability in many other aspects simultaneously. This is the exact principle behind the 12 dimensions of wellness. Read More