DS Minutes April 2009 — Uniquely Tween

Sustainable Sincerity

Our upcoming Green Scene ("Mayan Marvel," September 2010) contains helpful tips on how to detect greenwashing when perusing "organic" product labels. That's when companies try to unjustifiably tout a product's environmental virtues.

As John Vater, co-ower of Spa Adriana in Huntington, New York, warns, "The big print giveth and the small print taketh away."

Here's some information about avoiding this pitfall:

Read labels with a discriminating eye.
John and his wife, co-owner Adriana Vater, caution spa professionals against taking a product label at face value. "If the packaging claims it doesn't contain something, you should ask yourself what's there to do that ingredient's job," Adriana says. "Every component of a product has a purpose, and sometimes a so-called 'green' ingredient is just as offensive as the original."
Educate yourself.
The Vaters say it's important to develop an understanding of how product ingredients work. "With today's Internet access, you can quickly look up the chemical composition of any item," John says.

It's not always easy going green. How do you ensure that your spa's environmental initiatives result in real, positive change? Send your ideas to Katie O'Reilly, associate editor, at koreilly@creativeage.com.

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Uniquely Tween

Photo courtesy The SPAhhhT Youth Spa at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa

As teen facials and body treatments become mainstream, many spas are courting their up-and-coming counterparts: tweens. How does the industry win over this demographic, which generally includes children ages 8 to 12? With creative, fun treatments that produce results. Check out how a few spas across the country are appealing to the tween set.

During the summer, The SPAhhhT Youth Spa at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa (www.hillcountry.hyatt.com) in San Antonio, Texas, offers tweens relaxing hairstyling in poolside cabanas. Stylists transform their hair into a bevy of braids, jewels and beads, which are available for an additional cost. This service, and others provided at SPAhhhT, are not only fun but also help mom and daughter manage hair and nails while on vacation, says Rebecca L. Martinez, director of public relations and marketing. Maintenance is minimal, so there’s more time to enjoy R&R with the family.

Tweens double their pleasure with Ice Cream “Treat”ments at the Spa at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (www.fourseasons.com/ beverlywilshire/spa.html) in Los Angeles. Kids ages 5 to 17 can lick their cares away with a bowl of ice cream in a poolside cabana while enjoying a pedicure. Treatments can be customized with Me! Bath Ice Cream soaks available in Strawberry-Kiwi, Tropical Guava, Coconut Cove, Cucumber Melon, Land of Milk and Honey or Apricot Harvest.

Although most spa services for tweens are fun and fancy-free, some provide a dramatic image boost. For example, Eclips Kids Day Spa (www.eclipshair.com) in Ashburn, Virginia, specializes in eyebrow arching and lip waxing services for tweens. It also offers arm and back waxing upon request. Parents are often the catalyst for their children’s introduction to waxing services because they’re concerned about teasing, says spa owner Diane Fisher. “I’m happy to see parents realize that their children may feel different if they have more hair than other children their age,” she says. “The children who get waxing done at Eclips Kids are getting it done because of their self-esteem, to feel better about themselves, and learn the correct way to take care of themselves.”

Want to know more about current spa skincare trends for tweens and teens? Read “All Clear on the Teen Scene.”

>> Go to next DS Minutes article, Green Teens

Uniquely Tween

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