Looking to green your spa, but worried about the expenses?
Our upcoming Green Scene ("Mayan Marvel," August 2010) contains lots of information about cost-efficient ways to incorporate eco-friendly supplies into your spa.
HereŐs a taste to get you started:
Make investments that have a proven return. John Vater, co-owner of Spa Adriana in Huntington, New York, says, "solar panels pay off, as long as you continue using them to save on energy costs."
Shop locally. When Vater and his wife Adriana recently remodeled their spa, they wanted to enrich their Mayan theme by building a faŤade with limestone from the Yuc‡tan Peninsula in Mexico. Instead, they found a local company that manufactures precut concrete. "That way our renovation doesn't have the environmental impact that would result from shipping and trucking materials all that distance," John says. "It saves a lot of money too."
What supplies, products and materials do you employ to increase your spa's sustainability? Send your ideas to Katie O'Reilly, associate editor, at koreilly@creativeage.com.
Anna Nelson is CND nail-art royalty, and she was treated as such at the 2010 Mercedes-Benz New York Fall Fashion Week. Nelson, whose azure animal print nail design was chosen by fans to be the best out of 650 entrees in CND’s first online nail style competition, used the company’s Colour & Effects to create her winning piece. A welcome reception awaited her when she first arrived at the CND nail studio.
After getting a firsthand look at the week’s preparations for the fashion shows, Nelson joined CND president Jan Arnold for dinner at the Japanese restaurant Koi, which is located in the Bryant Park Hotel. What was the conversation topic of choice? Nails, of course! Although Nelson is primarily a hairstylist, her second passion is nail design. She brought along her portfolio of nail tips, which impressed Arnold.
But the fun didn’t stop there. Nelson sat front-row center in some of the week’s hottest shows, which included Diego Binetti, Twinkle and The Blonds. At each, she was invited backstage to apprentice with Roxanne Valinoti, Angi Wingle and Kristina Estabrooks, some of CND’s most noted nail professionals.
“Beauty comes first, art second,” says Nelson of her labor of love. “Nails are a treasure—you can incorporate design, color and technique into a fashionable finish.” —Stephanie Flores
DermaQuest Skin Therapy launched its mineral makeup line, DermaMinerals, just last September. And already it’s winning praise from leading industry magazines–including yours truly (see “Raves & Faves” in the April issue of DAYSPA). Its latest honor came from Natural Health, the United Kingdom’s leading magazine on health, beauty and holistic living. The pub picked DermaMinerals Dual Pan Concealer as the best in that category. It also listed DermaMinerals Breathable Coverage Liquid Mineral Foundation SPF 30 as a finalist in the Best Foundation category.
Comments from the panel include this rave about the award-winning concealer: “Not only does this cover up blend in brilliantly, it comes in a double color palette, so you can match your skin tone perfectly. The solid texture is soft enough to smooth in without being too drying. Plus, it doesn’t give you the dreaded caked-on look, or leave any tell-tale signs that you’ve been covering a blemish.”
The magazine’s annual Natural Health & Beauty Awards honor the best in the industry. A panel of experts tests thousands of products from more than 120 brands. The award-winning products will be announced in the May issue of Natural Health.
… make an organic mask! Watch as skincare expert Keith West-Harrison whips up a batch of his company’s best-selling organic product.
Who needs gritty granules to exfoliate skin? Not the green folks at My Sacred Fig. The independent product line of Great Face & Body in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is green to its core–the employees even walk to work!
The company proves that you can make a highly effective enzyme mask with a few ripe bananas and a handful of other natural ingredients. Watch co-owner and celebrity skincare expert Keith West-Harrison as he shares his secret formula for the best-selling Organic Banana Dream Exfoliating Puree.
Blossoming trends in consumer packaged goods could change
the way you do business this year.
Earlier this year, London-based independent market analyst Datamonitor released its annual “Trends to Watch in Packaged Goods” for 2010. Skin-enhancing bedding, superfruits and gluten-free products are now making a dramatic entrance on the world’s stage.
Here’s a peek at how they may impact the spa industry:
Beauty Rest
Spin: Wearable skincare products utilize nanotechnology to incorporate ultrafine particles, such as those from copper or aloe vera, into bedding and clothing. For instance, SkinGlow pillows and comforters, which are manufactured by London Luxury, feature Cupron Copper Technology. It professes to smooth or reduce the appearance of wrinkles after just a few weeks of use—as long as skin is in direct contact with the product.
Spa: Incorporate the comforters into your treatment rooms. Plus, link to wearable skincare products on your website.
Superfruits
Spin: Packed with powerful antioxidants, the latest superfruits come from rain forests and jungles all over the world. They include baobab (a tart African fruit), borojo (a natural energizer from South and Central America), maqui (a berry native to South America) and yumberry (known as yang-mi in China).
Spa: These natural wonders could be the next big thing to hit the skincare market since açaà berries and coffeeberries.
Bamboo Bonanza
Spin: This sustainable plant has become the ingredient of choice for companies that want to bolster their green credentials.
Spa: Whether it’s present in your lighting, flooring, equipment or retail products, bamboo can enhance your decor and commitment to eco-friendly practices.
A Gluten-Free World
Spin: Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye. As the incidence of food-related allergies rises each year, sufferers of diseases such as celiac—an autoimmune disorder triggered when the protein is consumed—are receiving more recognition. In fact, Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics reports a doubling of new gluten-free products since 2005.
Spa: Gluten can also be found in cosmetics and skincare products. They may irritate those who suffer from celiac disease if applied near the mouth. Reach out to this population—which affects approximately 3 million Americans—by setting up special gluten-free retail areas and treatment menus.
San Francisco’s SenSpa, which won DAYSPA’s 2010 Top Honor: Website, has another reason to celebrate in this still-young year. The facility is christening its Wellness Apothecary over the weekend of March 12-14 with a grand opening befitting the name of the new addition.
SenSpa will provide:
Workshops on skin care, stress management and aromatherapy.
Mini-makeovers using Becca Cosmetics.
Wellness Passes, which give guests 15% off products purchased that weekend and 10% off in the future.
One free travel size of a custom-blended body scrub upon purchase of a full size.
Champagne, tea and snacks.
The Wellness Apothecary will be the permanent home for SenSpa’s wellness coach and master aromatherapist. The space also holds aromatherapy and scrub bars, a cosmetics station and selections of supplements and vitamins for purchase.
March is Women’s History Month. Take inspiration from this spa and help the women in your community who need it most.
Pineapple Day Spa, the recipient of the 2010 DAYSPA Top Honor for Design, reaches out to its local community in Pine Bush, New York, to care for survivors of domestic violence.
Anna Nelson is CND nail-art royalty, and she was treated as such at the 2010 Mercedes-Benz New York Fall Fashion Week. Nelson, whose azure animal print nail design was chosen by fans to be the best out of 650 entrees in CND’s first online nail style competition, used the company’s Colour & Effects to create her winning piece. A welcome reception awaited her when she first arrived at the CND nail studio.
Earlier this year, London-based independent market analyst 
San Francisco’s