The proverbial summer of 2007 is over *sniff*. It’s back to work or back to school for most of us. Just because summer is almost over doesn’t mean you can’t still indulge in things that are sinfully good for you…

Chocolate has recently been touted in both the health food and the cosmetic industry as having lots of positive effects on the inside of our bodies as well as the outside! Ingredients found in chocolate and cocoa have been shown to produce some very encouraging results on the skin. For example, the cocoa butter in chocolate has a softening effect on the skin, which helps to ease the appearance of wrinkles. Also, chocolate contains powerful antioxidants!! Therefore, it can help neutralize the free radicals that cause skin damage and even cancer. What better way to sooth your tired skin after a long, hot sun-drenched summer?

If nothing else, chocolate definitely gets to the chocoholic within us all! The sensual aroma of cocoa calms and soothes the spirit and brings back childhood memories of happiness whilst eating any chocolate treat. It can really bring back any nice feeling you ever experienced from any event involving chocolate or cocoa. Really…how can you go wrong with a treatment this scrumptious???

And, the best part is, you don’t even have to count one single calorie!

This September, why not ease your way back into work/school with a sweet treat you definitely won’t feel guilty about afterwards!

Our Chocolate Indulgence or Ultimate Chocolate Experience spa package is sure to not only bring a lingering smile to your face, but health, vibrance and refreshment to your skin!!

NAMASTE,

Beth

Many of you who’ve come to me with specific problems and received deep tissue work have heard me recommend a nice, hot bath in Epsom Salts that evening. Well, there is a good reason for it. With the creation of new tonics, balms, sprays, soaks and other aids, many people have lost sight of the fact that before all of the fancier products came along, the old-fashioned products were what worked for most people. The newer products might come in fancier packages, have added aromas or come with sparkles and colors (not to mention a hefty price tag), but stripping all of that away, you end up with the underlying ingredient which is one that works on many different levels.
Did you know, for instance, that soaking a splinter in Epsom salts can release the splinter and help the area to heal? Many people know that Epsom salts work to relax tight muscles and are found in many bath salt products, but Epsom salts actually have dozens of healthful benefits. Epsom salts - magnesium sulfate - are a natural way to treat skin problems, relax the nervous system, and draw impurities and toxins from the body.

Soak aching, tired feet in a pan of water with half a cup of Epsom salts and not only will your feet feel better, but they’ll smell better too. Epsom salts work to neutralize odor and soften skin. Soak feet until they feel better then rinse and dry well.

As you’ve probably heard me say before, a full bath should contain 2 full cups of dissolved Epsom salts for relief of sore, tired feet, back muscles, legs, bruises or just as a way to have softer skin. I highly recommend this after any massage or bodywork treatment, as it can actually help prevent a large part of the soreness one might experience after having an intense deep tissue massage. If you have any strained muscles or sprains, you can take 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom salts and make a “pack” with it to place on the affected area, wrap with hot towel and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. TIP: This can be alot less messy and more relaxing if done in the bath.

You can also rub Epsom salts all over the body, while wet, then rinse and towel off. Rubbing Epsom salts directly on the body exfoliates skin and leaves it smooth and silky. They make a great gift to give someone when you put them in a nice glass jar with lid and tie on a pretty ribbon. You can add scent to them by sprinkling them with essential oil. Or mix Epsom salts with moisturizer or olive oil and keep by the sink if you wash your hands a lot.
The salts do wonders for the hair, absorbing oil from problem hair by adding 8 tablespoons of Epsom salts to a half a cup of shampoo that’s formulated for oily hair. Put a tablespoon of the shampoo mixture on dry hair and work it in and around the scalp area, rinsing it out with cold water. To rinse it well, and further treat oily hair, pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over the hair, leave on for 5 minutes, and then rinse with cool water. To add fullness to thin hair, combine equal parts of Epsom salts and hair conditioner. Warm the mixture in a pan then work it into hair. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

For occasional constipation or irregularity, adults can mix 2 to 4 teaspoons into water until dissolved and drink. Kids 6 to 12 take half of that. This can be used twice a day by taking the first treatment, waiting 4 hours and taking the second dosage if necessary.

So, the next time you’re shopping for bath, health or beauty products, pass by the fancy, expensive stuff and try Epsom salts for an inexpensive, healthy and effective alternative!

How many of us have seen “aromatherapy massage” offered in spas, massage clinics, or salons? Have you ever received one? What, I ask you, is your definition of “Aromatherapy”?

I would be willing to bet that your first thought was “it’s just a massage with scented oils”.

Sadly, most people don’t know what aromatherapy really is, nor do massage therapists take the time to educate their clients on the power effects it can have.

By Definition:  aromatherapy: aro·ma·ther·a·py - noun - The use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being.

Essential oils are really key here. Essential oils are pure extracts of flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, trees and grasses in concentrated form. There are many methods of extraction (including chemical) but steam distillation is always the purest and most preferred form of extraction by the health-conscious therapist and consumer. They are a necessity to medicines, foods and cosmetics. However, synthetic forms used in the cosmetic industry merely for “aromatic” benefit as in perfumes, IS VERY DIFFERENT from 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Also, essentials oils which have been “cut” with a carrier oil (such as almond oil, etc) are weakened. It is always best to go with the purest.

Each individual essential oil has its own medicinal and therapeutic properties. Among the list of benefits essential oils can be: antiviral, antibacterial, anti fungal, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, anti-venomous, antitoxin, antidepressant, sedative, nerve-calming, analgesic, digestive aiding, deodorizing, stimulating, diuretic, and the list goes on.

Aromatherapy is administered most effectively in three ways: by inhalation, massaging the oils into the skin, or by osmosis in the bath. The essential oil molecules go into the lungs and/or penetrate the skin and go to work right away in the bloodstream and nervous systems, just the same way a medicine would after taken orally. Only, essential oils can be more effective since it does not have to pass through the digestive system on the way. Also, unlike drugs, they enter and leave the body with NO harmful side effects, leaving NO toxins behind.

Our “De-stress Raindrop Massage” is our version of the Aromatherapy massage. We allow you to personally experience each essential oil blend and decide which one agrees with you the most. After all, your body is very intelligent and will let you know which oil you need, if you listen. This massage focuses along nerve pathways of the spinal cord, cranium and sacrum. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for putting you to sleep at night and making you relax and unwind. It also “resets” the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for your stress, keeping you wide awake and alert. Sedating you and inducing a hypnotic state of relaxation, the essential oils penetrate into the body and produce desirable therapeutic benefits.
… don’t be surprised if the “real deal”- 100% medicinal grade oils - are a tad expensive. Rose oil, for example, is very costly. However, it takes 60,000 rose blossoms to produce just 1 oz. of rose essential oil!!

Here are some more specific examples of a few essential oils and their benefits/uses/treatments:

Sandalwood: Acne, Cystitis, Menstrual problems, depression, skin infections, fungal and bacterial infections, sedating.

Tea Tree: fungal, viral and bacterial infections, colds, influenza, cold sores, warts, candida (yeast overgrowth)

Roman Chamomile: Nerves, migrains, acne, inflammation, insomnia, menstrual problems, and dermatitis.

Frankincense: (favorite of the spa and used for inhilation at the beginning of treatments) good for sores, wounds, fevers, coughs, colds, stress, nervous conditions, eases tension, grounding, bronchitis, laryngitis, and migraines.

Oils can be blended to form a desired effect(s). Right now, I am working on special essential oil blends, exclusive to Grace Healing Day Spa, for a wide range of uses. If you have any questions or have a specific ailment and would like to know which essential oils may benefit you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

NAMASTE