Bee Venom Takes The "Sting" Out of Aging

In the 90's bee venom entered the skin care scene as a natural alternative to the hugely popular Botox trend.  Now, in 2013, bee venom is making a comeback as a key skin care ingredient.

Bee venom fools the skin into thinking it's been stung by the toxin melittin.  This toxin causes the body to direct blood into area which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, particularly in menopausal skin.

Due to bee venom's anti-bacterial properties, you will soon be able to find it in everything from cleansing and moisturizing products.  Plus, because of its ability to restore and plump, you will also be able to find it in eye creams to deminish dark circles and give you that "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" look.

As you know, Scandle is dedicated to cruelty-free products.  So, of course, we were concerned that such a product could cause a threat to the bee population.  As it turns out, no bees are actually harmed in the making of these products!  Venom is extracted using a glass surface know as a collector and is place along side the gate of the hive and features a weak electrical current.  The current ever  so gently encourages bees to sting a surface they can't penetrate, meaning their abdomens stay intact and they continue living a bee-autiful life!;)

Source:  "Is Bee Venom the New Skin Care Rage?"  Michelle  Yeomans

Champagne Dreams & Caviar Spa Treatments!

[caption id="attachment_4959" align="alignleft" width="200"] Caviar Fish Eggs are becoming a popular hor d'eouvres for skin & hair[/caption]

The use of caviar (or really expensive fish eggs) as a beauty aid is apparently on the rise on a global scale in skin and hair treatments and is reminicent to that of Botox treatments when they were first discovered.

Caviar, which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, contributes to tightening the skin by providing cohesion, nutrition, and vitamins while developing the skin's natural defense antioxidant and improving the skin's moisture barrier.

The La Prairie spa at the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South, in fact, just started offering a $1,000  caviar-and-crushed-diamond facial that also includes hand and foot massage and steam-machine treatment. One reviewer said the results left her able to skip makeup for a week!  To justify that price, however, I think it would have to leave me skipping makeup for a year though!;)

Scandle Friday Spa Treatment Feature - Mani/Pedi While You Work

Do you provide on-site services to your customers either at the office or at home? Here's another interesting idea besides the basic chair massage service for corporate clients....Mani/Pedi services in their cubicles or conference room!:)

For clients that are too tired, busy, or (gulp) lazy...you can offer to come to them at work instead of them come to you.

By providing a convenient spa services you can meet the beauty needs of working women with little or no time while boosting profits!  Sounds like a win - win to me!;)

Any other services that you can recommend on-site?  Please share!:)

Scandle's Friday Treatment Feature - Hot Sticks

Offered by the Okura Spa in the heart of Bangkok's downtown, the "Hot Bamboo" massage may be new to Bangkok but is in fact an ancient treatment common to both Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine. In Japan, it's called "Take" massage and it remains popular with both men and women.

The sticks themselves are about 30 centimeters in length and made from a golden species of Japanese bamboo only found in deep forest.

Once heated, the therapist uses the sticks to apply deep tissue pressure without physical exertion. The temperature of the sticks is not too hot but warm enough to penetrate and soothe. That's similar to the hot stone treatment but while the stone can burn the skin if the therapist isn't skilled, the sticks tend to quickly cool off.

When the bamboo sticks are rolled on the back or shoulders, they are quite rigid. Applied with essential oil, they become slippery cylinders and it's essential that the therapist is trained in controlling their motions.  The focus is more on a full body massage than one specific tension area, since the stick allows for a greater surface area.

Source:  "Sticks that Heal" The Nation/News Network Oct 28, 2012

Does Craniosacral Bodywork Have Therapeutic Value?

[caption id="attachment_4166" align="alignleft" width="300"] The craniosacral system is based on the knowledge that the bones of the skull are movable, flexible, and adjustable.[/caption]

Craniosacral therapy (also called CST, also spelled Cranial Sacral bodywork or therapy) is an alternative medicine therapy used by many massage therapists, naturopaths, and chiropractors.

A craniosacral therapy session involves the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which allows them to "tune into the craniosacral rhythm". Craniosacral therapists claim that this treatment modality has the ability to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migraines, TMJ Syndrome, and chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.

The results of craniosacral therapy remains controversial and is actively being researched.  CST has been characterized by some as, "pseudoscientific and as lacking a biologically plausible mechanism." Do you or have you used Craniosacral Therapy in your practice?  How would you evaluate its effectiveness?

*Source - Wikpidia

Scandle Friday Treatment Feature - Water Shiatsu

Coccydynia is pain of the coccyx or tailbone – the  lowest bone in the spine.  While it can be damaged in an accident, the  pain can also be caused by childbirth. Symptoms can include an ache when sitting down and rising from a seat.  Talk about a pain in the rear!;) 

The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, near  Zurich in Switzerland has recently introduced Water Shiatsu to help ease the pain of Coccydynia sufferers.  Water Shiatsu is a stretching and massage treatment  that takes place in a pool. The water  allows the vertebrae to be supported,  with the spine fully relaxed as it’s carrying no weight.

The treatment starts by strapping buoyancy aids to the legs.  The client then gets into the pool with the therapist who instructs them to shut their eyes and lean back. They are then led round the pool, while floating, with their head resting on the therapist's shoulder.  Music is usually played in the background and they are moved in a figure-of-eight shapes to rotate the spine.

After this service, clients report that their back and spine feel lighter and less stiff.   Sounds heavenly doesn't it?:)

Scandle Friday Feature - Bamboo Massage for Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Pain in the sacroiliac joint – where the  pelvis meets the spine – is common, especially in mothers who carry a child on  one hip.   The muscles go into spasm to try to stabilise  the area. The resulting inflammation may cause months of hip pain. In order to alleviate the pain, some massage therapists use Bamboo Massage.

The Bamboo Massage uses bamboo canes and oil to  provide a deep-tissue massage. Bamboo is covered with silica, which feels smooth  and silky on the skin. The firm pressure created by the canes being rolled up  and down the body releases muscle tension.

With this technique, therapists focus on the painful area in hip and buttocks by rolling a thick hollow bamboo cane up and  down the feet and legs. The same intense pressure is then applied to the hip  and buttock.  At the end of the session, the therapist will typically pound the hollow end of a bamboo cane hard down on the buttocks.

Have you tried Bamboo Massage or offer it at your establishment?  What are your thoughts and experiences with this technique?

 

Friday Feature - Hot New Trends in Wellness & Spa World

The International Spa Association (ISPA) recently held their annual convention in New York. At the convention, several new spa trends and services were spotted including parties at the spa, treatments for stressed and time-pressed consumers, cross-cultural traditions, and a whole lot of purple – from lavender-scented treatments to mauve colored nail polish! Here's a recap of some of the latest and greatest:

Sparty - Growing in popularity are events called 'spartys' that are booked in the spa space – for weddings, corporate events, etc. At a Sparty, invited guests get spa services either in groups or individually, then gathered back for lunch, cocktails, or hor d'ouvres. Definetely a fun and relaxing way to spend time with friends, family, or collegues!

Cross Cultural Techniques - In order to turn off the stress reponse, many massage therapists are turning to techniques acquired from other cultures including Thai Naga Massage, Middle Eastern Bathing & Exfoliating, and Aboriginal Massage that incorporates listening to didgeridoo music while the therapist shakes a rain stick and applies smooth, hot black basalt stones to the body.

Speed Spa - In a hurry? A new facial treatment called Hydra- Facial, available in 2,000 spas nationwide, offers five procedures in 15 minutes. There's also a quick-dry and waterproof nail polish mani and treatment and a experience that teaches insomniacs to relearn how to fall asleep through relaxation, aromatherapy, a soak and massage.

The Power of Purple - Purple is popular not only for color but as a concept. New trends include violet clay masks, massage with violet-infused oil, lavender aromatherapy and "chromatherapy" (color therapy with purple tones), elderberry facial, lavender foot scrub, and mauve colored nail polish with glitter.

All in all, The International Spa Association's annual look at the industry by the numbers found a slight uptick in 2011, with $13.4 billion in revenue and 156 million spa visits, a more than 4 percent increase from 2010, according to an analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers of information provided by 1,000 destination and day spas in the United States.

The number of full-time employees in the industry is up, as well, by 9 percent, though part-time and contract employees declined slightly, as did the number of spa locations.

Good news for all of us in the wellness, massage, spa, industries!:)

*Source "Trends Swirl Up in the Spa World" Beth Harpaz AP

Friday Spa Treatment Feature - Untying Knots with Naga

If you're a fan of Thai massage, you might want to give Naga a whirl!;)   Based on the healing principles of Thai massage the treatment incorporates colored silk ribbons that are suspended from above and used as an extension of the therapist's body. The ribbons also help take clients into deeper stretches to release any remaining tension.

It goes beyond traditional Thai leverage-based moements into another realm with the use of aerial silks, allowing a a smooth and rhythmic flow to relax the body and promote an ease of movement. According the therapist using the technique,  a tension-less and open body plays an important role in not only balancing  the body but also promoting a peaceful mind.

Freaky Friday Spa Treatment - Detoxification with Leeches

Well here's a unique spa treatment that really "SUCKS"!:) Today's featured Scandle Freaky Friday Spa Treatment is a leech treatment where for a mere $600 you can get whatever ails you sucked out.

Who would pay to have something like this done to them?  Well, how about actress Demi Moore who in an interview with David Letterman in 2008 said that her beauty regimen included going to an Austrian spa where she had leeches applied to her body as a detoxification measure.  Moore said, "You watch it swell up on your blood, watching it get fatter and fatter -- then when it's super drunk on your blood it just kind of rolls over like it's stumbling out of the bar."

So, what do you say...yay or nay to this medival method of detoxification?