Summers almost over, most of us have taken our summer vacations, and if your like me your trying to squeeze in some weekend trips or poolside days. I found a great Locals special that will make you feel miles away.

The Ciel Spa at the SLS Hotel offers an awesome special for Angelino’s. You can book a 60-minute massage for the great price of $99 and then hang out at the Altitude Pool Deck, order lunch and a cocktail by Jose Andres of The Bazaar and spend the day sunning and soaking.

I took advantage of this offer and had a really great experience. I arrived early and was able to relax and have tea before my massage. From the moment I sat down to confirm my massage to the moment I left, I felt like I was on a mini vacation.

The Massage Therapist was excellent and very aware of what areas of my body needed the attention. She consistently made sure I was comfortable .  She used  a Eucalyptus Essential Oil to clear my mind along with a very light massage oil. A nice touch was the foot bath before the massage. Before I removed my robe she had me sit in a chair to soak my feet while she asked what I was looking for in the massage.  I like this touch because it allows you to get a little acquainted with each other before the massage begins.

After I was finished I went back to the relaxation room and sampled a fresh juice and sat for a minute to get into a poolside mode.

I found my chaise in the sun, ordered my Ceviche lunch and had such a relaxing day. Everything about this day was awesome and so, I highly recommend the Locals Special at the Ciel Spa and SLS Hotel for an end of the summer-stretch out your tan- kind of day.

The Feel Good Spa at the ACE Hotel Palm Springs

On a recent trip to Palm Springs my goal was to get as much R&R and sunning I could fit into 3 days. Mission accomplished! I came home well rested and tan. I love Palm Springs because it’s so easy to get to and so HOT all you can do is float around in the pool or sleep. But there’s always time for a

  spa treatment so this time I took advantage of having the Feel Good Spa right there at the ACE hotel and enjoyed a wonderful scalp treatment and massage.

This was about a 40-minute treatment. My spa therapist used straight jojoba oil on my scalp and hair along with the most incredible massage. She also used a rosemary essential oil as an aromatherapy component to the treatment. She didn’t add it into the oil but wafted the scent so I could feel the invigorating benefits of the rosemary.

Rosemary herbs and essential oils have been used in many hair treatments throughout the world for centuries. This oil is well known to help in hair loss treatments. You can make your own scalp treatment oil using rosemary in a couple different ways.

Try adding a few drops of the essential oil to a base of jojoba oil, olive or coconut oil, massage into your scalp and leave on overnight. You can also make a tonic from the rosemary herb. Try boiling the herb to make a tea and then use a cotton ball or cotton cloth to dab the rosemary tonic onto your scalp. Leave this on for 20-30 minutes until it soaks in.

Both of these methods are great for reducing shedding and treating the hair follicles removing build up and debri from the scalp.

But it’s always nice to have someone else give you a scalp treatment. My massage therapist at the Feel Good Spa had a great technique, knowing exactly how to use acupressure and how to use friction. She relieved all of the tension in my neck and shoulders and made my scalp come alive.

It was the right choice to use jojoba oil as we all know by now it’s one of the best oils for your hair and scalp. In the past I’ve noted that jojoba oil is the closest oil to the skin’s natural oil. Jojoba is really a wax ester, which is the component that is similar to the skins natural oil sebum. When applied to the skin or scalp the jojoba tricks the skin into thinking it is producing enough sebum, which in turn balances the sebum production. This helps heal free radical damage and moisturizes the scalp providing a healthy environment for the hair to grow.

I left the oil on my hair all day while sitting by the pool. The results were healthy, full and shiny hair.

Introduce Your Hair to Steam Creams & Oils

July 12, 2011By Melissa Flores

My hair — it’s been through so much already and yet I know there is still more to come. Whether it’s frying sessions with a flat iron or being over-processed with dye jobs — at the end of the say the outcome’s not so great. I can’t blame it on those days where my strands are frizzy, dry and looking not so glam.

Steam Creams and Oils came to the rescue! When you see the results from using it for the first time you will agree on how worth it this treatment is. This treatment works in steps. I had steps 1 and 2 (which are for the roots just different scents) and step 3 (which is for the ends). My favorite scent was from the step 1 bottle. I applied about 20 drops to my roots and combed it with the Steam wood comb. The comb is made from naturally seasoned Sisham wood and helps spread the oils on your scalp. Next I poured about a quarter-sized amount from bottle number 3 and applied it to my ends in a downward motion.

The oils can be left in your hair for 20 minutes before rinsing or over night. I figured the longer the treatment was in my hair the more beneficial it would be and so I left it on over night. In the morning your hair will be really oily of course because now the steam oils have spread with your natural oils. I washed my hair like I normally would and blew it dry. I don’t mean to sound like a hair commercial, but my hair really has never looked better or healthier. The results were the three important S’s for hair — shiny, soft and smelled good.

In the summer it is especially important to take good care of your hair. On top of your normal hair routine, you’re also exposing it to the sun, harsh chemicals from pools and salt water from those beach trips. If it weren’t for Steam Creams and Oils my hair would not look as great in pictures or in person. Check out the other steps they have available at www.steamcreamsandoils.com.

Tags: beauty blog, beauty bloggers, hair, Steam Creams and Oils, Summer hair

This entry was posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:00 AM and is filed under Hair. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Coconut, Avocado and Honey Conditioner

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 tablespoons Avocado Oil

2 tablespoons Natural Honey

Mix all three ingredients together in a glass bowl. Set the bowl in a pan of hot water to warm the mixture stirring gently. Apply to wet hair from mid shaft to ends. Wrap your hair in a plastic wrap, and let sit on your hair for  20-30 minutes.

Shampoo and Condition as usual.

If you don’t have time to make it from scratch, here’s my list of ready to use conditioners

John Masters Organics Lavender Avocado Intensive Conditioner,

Terax Crema,

Warren Tricomi Pure Strength Strengthening Conditioner

For my first V Herbal Therapy experience I choose Tikkun Holistic Spa in Santa Monica. The V Steam is quite the experience. This is an ancient Korean treatment also known as the V Herbal Therapy, meant to balance and regulate your hormones, soothe menstrual cramps, heal bladder infections and kidney problems and provide help for women trying to conceive.

The treatment works like this; A mugwart tea along with other herbs are heated in a little steamer under a port o potty type chair. The steamer is set to a comfortable heat level but my spa therapist at Tikkun Holistic Spa, showed me how to turn it up or down in case it got too hot or too cold. She left me in the room with my pink vinyl tent, a towel, a timer and a stack of magazines. I slipped the tent on to just under my arms and sat on the little chair, grabbed a magazine and settled in. It was actually a pretty comfortable treatment, feeling like this had to be doing something as healthful as a facial steam or a body massage.

I looked a little deeper into where else I could have this treatment and found Daengki Spa in Korea town. Here you can leave your modesty at home and strip down in a room with other women relaxing after their own body scrubs and steams. Jinyoung the spa owner explained how the mixture of the herbs used in the V Herbal Therapy will help to cleanse your body after your period and recommends having this treatment the week before and then right after. Twice a month and you will notice your premenstrual symptoms disappear and experience a more regular menstrual cycle.

The treatment at Daengki is a wee bit more intense, the scent of the herbs was much stronger and the women setting me up gave me a demonstration so I knew if the steam got too hot to lift my legs up a bit. She then pulled my tent up over my arms wrapped a towel around my neck and said “only 5 minutes, 10” as she pulled the tent up over my face indicating the herbs were a nice steam for the face as well.

After 10 minutes she came back over and pulled the tent down around my neck and said, ”only 30 minutes, 40”, I found this little trick of hers to keep me feeling like, “ok I can do this”.  Every so often she would peek out from behind the reception desk and give me a thumbs up. Other women passing by would have comments like, “is it ok?” I gave them the yes nod and they said, ”good job.” I felt camaraderie with my new found Korean sisters.

The main ingredient in the V Herbal Steam tea is mugwort also known as wormwood. Mugwort is not only used as a digestive aid, and to assist in infertility and regulating menstrual cycles, but has metaphysical benefits as well. If you want to enhance your dreams it is said to fill your pillow with mugwort, or use a strong infusion in your bath before a ritual or dreaming.

The herbal mixture had a strong earthy scent with a deep hint of mint. My skin felt great afterwards and I felt as relaxed as you normally do after a good steam. So depending on whether you prefer a little privacy in a more modern setting or a truly authentic experience in the heart of Korea Town, I would recommend both of these spas. And while your there it’s always nice to add on a Korean Scrub to help remove all of the toxins you just sweated out.

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