Cleanse Kit
4/07
De-stress and detox at home with these 5 spa treatments for body and mind.
By Maryann Hammers
Photography By Alexandra Grablewski
Photography By Alexandra Grablewski
Until recently, a detox spa treatment meant being cocooned in a cozy Mexican temescal or plastic-wrapped in
chocolate--anything to raise your body temperature so you'd sweat out the bad stuff. The incubator effect worked to make you feel better but didn't always affect the way you looked. Now savvy spa goers say they want to look and feel better.
Spas are responding with a new generation of treatments that combine purifying and cleansing with beautifying benefits. "Fluff and pampering is over," says certified skincare therapist Annet King, director of training and development for the
International Dermal Institute, which provides advanced education for skin professionals. "Clients want to see changes."
Although our bodies have mechanisms for flushing out toxins, spa treatments can help the process along. "Organs such as the kidneys, liver, and skin all have detoxifying roles," says Sharon Norling, M.D., a Westlake Village, Calif., mind-body specialist who is board-certified in holistic medicine and acupuncture. "Spa treatments support that natural cleansing process by increasing circulation and stimulating skin renewal."
To bring the spa to you, we talked to spa directors, physicians, and aestheticians about the latest treatments and products that will cleanse and rejuvenate body and soul.
Facials
CLEANSING, EXTRACTING, exfoliating, and moisturizing are all good detoxifying strategies--and the basis of most facial rituals. "Steaming and extraction are helpful for removing blackheads and whiteheads," says Hema Sundaram, M.D., the Washington, D.C.-based author of Face Value: The Truth About Beauty--and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It (Rodale, 2003). "Antioxidants can be used during a facial to calm inflammation. Facials also help relieve stress, thus reducing production of free radicals."
The Alpha-beta Peel Facial at the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North (www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale) in Arizona, includes a combination of alpha and beta hydroxy acids. By "peeling" away surface skin cells, these acids improve skin texture and firmness and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, brown marks, and roughness. "They stimulate the skin's natural exfoliation process," Sundaram says.
Facials can be both relaxing and rejuvenating, says Laurie Steelsmith, N.D., a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist in Honolulu. "Not only do they help remove toxins, but they also help us decompress from our busy lives."
Take It Home (previous spread, from left)
•The M.D. Forte line of lotions, cleansers, gels, and creams include potent glycolic and hydroxy acids to diminish lines and wrinkles. Skin Rejuvenation Lotion II ($60; www.mdforte.com) with alpha hydroxy acid and vitamins A and E nourishes skin.
•The Healing Garden Organics products are packed with organic ingredients such as aloe to moisturize, wheat proteins to firm, and vitamins A, C, and E for a restorative at-home facial. Try the reFortify Anti-Wrinkle Cream ($14; at drugstores) to give aging skin a boost.
•Naturopathica's all-natural blends make them a popular spa pick. The Cleansing Facial Scrub ($52; www.naturopathica.com) is a perfect first step for any kind of facial treatment, containing jojoba beads to exfoliate and oat beta glucan to help moisturize skin.
To bring the spa to you, we talked to spa directors, physicians, and aestheticians about the latest treatments and products that will cleanse and rejuvenate body and soul.
Facials
CLEANSING, EXTRACTING, exfoliating, and moisturizing are all good detoxifying strategies--and the basis of most facial rituals. "Steaming and extraction are helpful for removing blackheads and whiteheads," says Hema Sundaram, M.D., the Washington, D.C.-based author of Face Value: The Truth About Beauty--and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It (Rodale, 2003). "Antioxidants can be used during a facial to calm inflammation. Facials also help relieve stress, thus reducing production of free radicals."
The Alpha-beta Peel Facial at the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North (www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale) in Arizona, includes a combination of alpha and beta hydroxy acids. By "peeling" away surface skin cells, these acids improve skin texture and firmness and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, brown marks, and roughness. "They stimulate the skin's natural exfoliation process," Sundaram says.
Facials can be both relaxing and rejuvenating, says Laurie Steelsmith, N.D., a naturopathic physician and licensed acupuncturist in Honolulu. "Not only do they help remove toxins, but they also help us decompress from our busy lives."
Take It Home (previous spread, from left)
•The M.D. Forte line of lotions, cleansers, gels, and creams include potent glycolic and hydroxy acids to diminish lines and wrinkles. Skin Rejuvenation Lotion II ($60; www.mdforte.com) with alpha hydroxy acid and vitamins A and E nourishes skin.
•The Healing Garden Organics products are packed with organic ingredients such as aloe to moisturize, wheat proteins to firm, and vitamins A, C, and E for a restorative at-home facial. Try the reFortify Anti-Wrinkle Cream ($14; at drugstores) to give aging skin a boost.
•Naturopathica's all-natural blends make them a popular spa pick. The Cleansing Facial Scrub ($52; www.naturopathica.com) is a perfect first step for any kind of facial treatment, containing jojoba beads to exfoliate and oat beta glucan to help moisturize skin.
