Photo
August 08, 2011
1 note
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.

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.

Tags: The ACE Hotel Palm Springs The Feel Good Spa beauty treatments scalp treatments spa treatments hair treatments jojoba oil roseary essential oils rosemary herbs

Text
May 26, 2011

Transforming the Blog

I’ve been having a lot of fun blogging about my spa treatment experiences but it’s time to transform. My background is heavily rooted in the service industry. I began working in a salon when I was 14 so I guess its part of my up bringing.

Service is embedded into my way of being, I’m constantly aware of my surroundings, for example the systems that make a business work. Wherever I’ve worked, I’ve always been involved in management in some way or another. And after owning Steam Salon for over 10 years I am highly aware of how things should work, what’s the flow of traffic, what would make it run smoother, how is the attitude, how does the client feel? I care about how the client feels when they leave the salon.

I’m that person who while waiting in line for a coffee notices things that aren’t working right and blurt out my un-solicited advice. “ You might want to move that rack so the customers can reach the napkins” Oops, Carla no one asked. Simple changes can be made to a system that can make everyone’s experience better.

In the past more recent years I’ve been focusing on product development, ingredients, packaging, environment, etc. So as my blog grows and develops you should see a shift in my format. Hopefully it’s a shift toward interesting thoughts on products and ingredients.

My life has been about transformation in more ways than one. Beauty is being able to transform through out the years, gracefully aging, accepting change and being responsible for your own path.

By being a Conscious Being you can unfold your deepest, most authentic, and glorious beauty. Being beautiful is your most powerful gift to yourself and to everyone else around you.

(Source: http)

Tags: steam products steam creams and oils spa treatments hair treatments

Photo
February 26, 2011
11 notes
I decided for my final Vegas Spa treatment I would visit the new QUA Baths and Spa at Ceasers Palace. The word GRAND just isn’t grand enough to describe QUA. With stone floors, waterfalls everywhere and overflowing bubbling baths I could easily imaging staying for days. The QUA Baths and Spa philosophy is simple. It is inspired by Roman Baths but also created as a place for personal reflection and social spa-ing. I booked the Fountain of Youth treatment which is a traditional Shirodhara treatment stemming from Ayurveda. My spa therapist, highly trained in Ayurveda, explained this treatment as an in-depth form of cleansing which we would only be touching the surface of. For me, the idea of dripping oils over my third eye “awakening the seat of intuition” was all I had to read to know this was the treatment for me. And the fact that the oils would be then massaged into my scalp and hair was an added plus. Two of my favorite details of this spa were the Hot Robe Sauna and the Arctic Sauna. The Hot Robe Sauna was a heated cedar wood sauna where at any point during your visit you could hang your robe to warm it up. And the Arctic Sauna had heated benches and floors with a room temperature of 55 and it was actually snowing in this room. I felt vibrant after steaming and soaking and then cooling down in this room. It was the perfect way to end my Spa-venture. The QUA Baths and Spa have some interesting and wonderful treatments that lend to the concept of the spa being a place for rediscovery, solace, and healing. Next time I might try the Mystic Journey or the Crystal Body Art.Both sound incredible. Or even spending the day at this spa would be a luxurious treat.

I decided for my final Vegas Spa treatment I would visit the new QUA Baths and Spa at Ceasers Palace. The word GRAND just isn’t grand enough to describe QUA. With stone floors, waterfalls everywhere and overflowing bubbling baths I could easily imaging staying for days.

The QUA Baths and Spa philosophy is simple. It is inspired by Roman Baths but also created as a place for personal reflection and social spa-ing.

I booked the Fountain of Youth treatment which is a traditional Shirodhara treatment stemming from Ayurveda. My spa therapist, highly trained in Ayurveda, explained this treatment as an in-depth form of cleansing which we would only be touching the surface of. For me, the idea of dripping oils over my third eye “awakening the seat of intuition” was all I had to read to know this was the treatment for me. And the fact that the oils would be then massaged into my scalp and hair was an added plus.

Two of my favorite details of this spa were the Hot Robe Sauna and the Arctic Sauna. The Hot Robe Sauna was a heated cedar wood sauna where at any point during your visit you could hang your robe to warm it up. And the Arctic Sauna had heated benches and floors with a room temperature of 55 and it was actually snowing in this room. I felt vibrant after steaming and soaking and then cooling down in this room. It was the perfect way to end my Spa-venture.

The QUA Baths and Spa have some interesting and wonderful treatments that lend to the concept of the spa being a place for rediscovery, solace, and healing. Next time I might try the Mystic Journey or the Crystal Body Art.
Both sound incredible. Or even spending the day at this spa would be a luxurious treat.


Tags: Ceasers Palace Las Vegas Spa treatments Ayurveda Hair and scalp massage body massage hair oils hair treatments beauty QUA Baths and Spa

Photo
February 23, 2011
2 notes
For my first treatment in Las Vegas I decided to stick to the basics and get my favorite treatment, a Scalp, Hand and Foot massage. Most of the time this is all I want, I could spend hours having my scalp and feet massaged. So my spa adventure began with my all time favorite massage. I had a great experience at Aria Spa. The architecture was modern with a Japanese influence while the feeling was more cozy then Zen.  They have a traditional Ganbayaku room with heated marble stones that you lay on to help speed up your metabolism. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try this room because I didn’t know it was there. (Oops my spa attendant forgot to add that room to the tour. Bummer for me) The saunas and steam rooms were quite large without feeling vacant. Surrounding the soaking pools were lounge chairs to relax in between soaks and steams, or you could venture outside to the co-ed relaxation room and heated pool. After the spa tour, I quickly changed into my thick comfy robe and had a seat in the waiting area. The complimentary beverage bar was stocked with fruit, hot teas and cucumber water. I got comfortable quick and sat back to soak in the vibrant scent of Eucalyptus and wait to be called in for my treatment. My treatment was excellent. It was well-organized and had a flow, meaning feet first, then hands, then back to wrap the feet in hot towels and then the scalp and neck. She used the right amount of oil and worked it all the way through to the ends of my hair.A well-organized treatment is just as important as using the right amount of oils and creams. Any treatment should flow from the first touch to the last. As a client, you should feel a rhythm that lets you fall into a deep relaxation mode. After steaming the oils into my hair and trying out all the pools my first spa experience was complete. I left Aria Spa with a menu in hand. They really have the Scalp, Hand and Foot massage down. I can’t wait to try more.

For my first treatment in Las Vegas I decided to stick to the basics and get my favorite treatment, a Scalp, Hand and Foot massage.

Most of the time this is all I want, I could spend hours having my scalp and feet massaged. So my spa adventure began with my all time favorite massage.

I had a great experience at Aria Spa. The architecture was modern with a Japanese influence while the feeling was more cozy then Zen.  They have a traditional Ganbayaku room with heated marble stones that you lay on to help speed up your metabolism. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try this room because I didn’t know it was there. (Oops my spa attendant forgot to add that room to the tour. Bummer for me)

The saunas and steam rooms were quite large without feeling vacant. Surrounding the soaking pools were lounge chairs to relax in between soaks and steams, or you could venture outside to the co-ed relaxation room and heated pool.

After the spa tour, I quickly changed into my thick comfy robe and had a seat in the waiting area. The complimentary beverage bar was stocked with fruit, hot teas and cucumber water. I got comfortable quick and sat back to soak in the vibrant scent of Eucalyptus and wait to be called in for my treatment.

My treatment was excellent. It was well-organized and had a flow, meaning feet first, then hands, then back to wrap the feet in hot towels and then the scalp and neck. She used the right amount of oil and worked it all the way through to the ends of my hair.

A well-organized treatment is just as important as using the right amount of oils and creams. Any treatment should flow from the first touch to the last. As a client, you should feel a rhythm that lets you fall into a deep relaxation mode.

After steaming the oils into my hair and trying out all the pools my first spa experience was complete. I left Aria Spa with a menu in hand. They really have the Scalp, Hand and Foot massage down. I can’t wait to try more.

Tags: Aria Spa Las Vegas Hair treatments Hair oils Spa treatments Steam Room Sauna