Dear Reader

The theme of this month’s issue is Body Therapy. We have compiled a group of articles ranging in variety from professional etiquette during a body treatment to add-on services. In Michelle D’Allaird’s article Enhancing Body Services, I was thrilled to read her comments about seeking additional information and education beyond the article before making a commitment to incorporate any of the treatments she wrote about.
This is a philosophy that is near and dear to my heart, and I have written about this same topic in several of my past editor’s notes. Research is such a crucial part of goal-setting. How else can you chart a course and commit to the time and financial investment if you don’t have the breadth and depth of knowledge to do so?
The articles that are presented in each issue are done so in the intent of awareness. With each article, we hope to bring a specific idea, treatment, ingredient, or technology to your attention. Sometimes the information is entirely new, others it is an update that new research has brought about, and still others are merely an addition to what you’ve already read in previous issues. Regardless of what stage the information is in, it is never intended to provide you with all that you need to know to make a decision.
We strive to bring you educational, non-product specific articles. However, since we choose industry leaders and experts to author our articles it is more challenging to publish unbiased information. Now if you are aware that a bias exists then it is not necessarily unfavorable; it is just something you should allow for in your factoring. It is our belief that the positives of using writers who have actual experience with the ingredient, treatment, or concept they are writing about outweigh the potential bias that may exist. Therefore, again I go back to the importance of your own research.
Look at the reference materials listed on articles for additional information. Seek out the opposition. Consider your own beliefs and finally determine whether or not it is a fit for your market. There is a fine line between expanding your client’s horizons and trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Just because something sounds exciting and new upon first glance, doesn’t mean it is right for you and your clients… even if the spa down the street has it on their menu.
Thank goodness for the Internet; it has made this process so much more convenient, especially if you get involved in discussion forums where you can exchange information and get a variety of feedback quickly. Check out the Discussion Forum on www.dermascope.com or www.myspanetwork.com.

Happy researching,

Saundra