I just finished up with a new massage client. She said something that I've never heard during a massage treatment before. She said, "I bet I'm the FLATTEST person you've worked on!" I paused for a moment to grasp if I heard her correctly, imagining what she meant by that ... do you mean you lay really flat on the table? So I asked her, "flattest?" and she said, "Yes, I have no bosom!" I had to laugh.
What funny things go through our minds.
The usual massage client comment is, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to shave my legs today." Which also makes me laugh. That is SO FAR from what goes through our minds - whether you shaved your legs - or what size or shape of body you have.
What I hear from this is how self-conscious we are about our bodies.
For the record, breasts stay covered during a massage. But when she turned over, I bet she felt "exposed", even though she wasn't, and worried that I would spot her perceived inadequacies.
It also makes me wonder how many people don't go in for a massage or other spa treatment because of their body issues - or face issues for a facial.
I have had people tell me they didn't want to get a facial just yet because their face was breaking out! I guess we have a long way to go in educating the public about professional spa services. For the record, again, a good facial should not break you out or cause your acne to worsen. In fact, it will help speed the healing of breakouts. Your talented and experienced Esthetician can guide you toward daily home care products that will help clear your skin.
Well, I'm glad that the "flat" person went through with receiving her massage and I hoped she felt better afterward. I don't know what I can do to help inspire body confidence, but please know that whatever your body - fat, skinny, tall, short, fit, not so fit, old, or young - everyBODY can benefit from regular spa treatments!
Love yourself - no matter what the form your body is taking at this moment!
xoxox
Nancy.
I can't tell you how excited I am for Spring 2011 to arrive! I have had Spring Fever for well over a month now, even to the point of seeing blooms on a neighbors tree (that weren't there, of course!).
In the skin care world, of course Spring is indeed a time for renewal through deep cleansing facials and weekly SAM Light Therapy treatments!
Also it's the perfect time to stop shaving for a few weeks, let the hair grow to "pinchable" length, and get in the waxing rhythm before shorts weather gets here.
If you are off on a Spring break vacation, have your eyelashes tinted a waterproof black so you'll have no worries of raccoon eyes!
Vanities is the perfect spa every season, but Spring is especially a nice time to relax, refresh and renew!
Schedule today!
We empathize with your struggle. Acne is a tough problem to correct, but if you are diligent, it will improve. These are some things you can do to help control your acne.
Get enough rest and reduce your stress. Stress stimulates the adrenal glands, and in the acne-prone individual, the adrenal gland promotes oil production which leads to clogged pores. This is another reason why facials can help heal acne - by reducing your daily stress!
Avoid iodized foods, vitamin supplements and sports drinks/bars. Iodized salt, seafood, fish, seaweed, fast foods and dairy products (cows lick iodized salt licks) and especially kelp tablets (some people take these for thyroid support) are a part of this list. Contrary to popular notion, chocolate and greasy foods (unless they contain salt, which most do) do not aggravate acne.
Avoid "high androgen" foods. These are found in peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter, corn oil, wheat germ, shellfish, organ meats (i.e. liver, sweetbreads and heart). These contain hormones that exacerbate acne.
Avoid chlorine. Some swimming pool disinfectants contain Iodides and Chlorine, which can remain in the water, causing skin problems for frequent swimmers. Many swimmers find that the combination of hot and humid weather, the physical exercise of swimming and the chlorinated pools, can cause major acne flare-ups.
Don't pick. Instead of picking, rub ice on pustules and pimples for about five minutes, twice a day. Try to catch them when they are first forming and they most likely will go away. Use the Vantastic Skin Zinc & Sulfur Mask to spot-treat and heal blemishes.
Utilize Zinc. Research has found zinc to be as effective as antibiotics in reducing inflamed acne. Research indicates that the form of zinc taken maybe important. Studies have indicated that zinc monomethionine is more easily used by the body than either zinc sulfate or zinc gluconate. It is usually best to take zinc with food. Recommended dosage for supplements vary (50-100 mg) - but some research suggests that it is probably best to take no more than 100 mg per day as a dietary supplement (excessive zinc intake may lead to deficiencies in other vitamins and minerals). It is best to take this with food and not on an empty stomach.
Use fragrance-free detergents such as Arm & Hammer Free. Do not use fabric softeners or fabric softener sheets in the dryer, especially on pillowcases as they cause a waxy residue that can clog pores on acne-prone individuals.
Avoid low-estrogen birth control pills, Norplant, Provera, and Depo-Provera. Also progesterone hormone replacement Premarin can be problematic. If you have polycystic ovaries, they will cause hormonal changes and breakout. Also, the taking of birth control pills may delay the onset of acne and once off them, you may experience the acne you would've had before taking them.
Do not use cosmetics or hair products that contain pore-clogging ingredients. These ingredients cause microcomedomes to form in certain individuals resulting in various lesions ranging from clogged pores and blackheads to inflammatory pustules. If you have doubts about yours, let us see the ingredient listing. Isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, laureth-4, natural Vitamin E, most natural oils, cocoa butter and D & C red dyes all agitate acne. Benzoyl Peroxide medications found at cosmetic departments may contain isopropyl myristate and laureth-4 or oils that impede the active ingredient of benzoyl peroxide. Watch out for "oil-free" products. They may contain synthetic oils (fatty acids), D&C red dyes and detergents that can aggravate acne.
Limit sun exposure - and tanning beds - and use the Vantastic Skin SPF 30 sunscreen. Although sun exposure causes desirable scaling and drying, it also damages the follicle, exacerbates hyper-pigmentation, causes skin cancer and premature aging and can cause "solar acne" later in life, as well as "Acne Majorca" also caused by sunlight. Warm climates with heat and humidity can exacerbate acne.
In addition, please consider taking a daily PRObiotic - found in the refrigerated section of your local health food store. There is a significant link between acne and colon health. A recent lawsuit shows the use of the acne drug, Accutane, has caused severe colon dysfunction and disease in many patients!
Take my advice, natural is always the better way to health - including your skin (your largest bodily organ!)
You should also consider an acne-clearing facial every two weeks for several months. I will use professional-strength exfoliants, perform safe removal of impactions, and can utilize light therapy to kill the acne causing bacteria, and will send you home with results-specific treatment products to continue the healing process between facials.
*Some data provided by my cyber-friend, Laura Cooksey. Thanks, acne genius!
In this 'new' world of skin care where even your dentist is trying to get in on the action, I am so proud to say that Vanities Spa is NOT the place for Botox injections, dermal fillers, or plastics of any kind!
I am happily "old school". I believe in the time-proven methods of facial rejuvenation: monthly facials, the correct daily home skin care, and safe, toxin-free methods that support your skin's natural and healthy functions ... and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association agrees with me!
WHY is it that everyone wants to be in the skin care game these days? It's bad enough to find the not-professionally-educated and unlicensed clerks at the department stores selling in their lab coats (a marketing ploy to convince you to trust them), and the housewife down the street who is obviously seeking monetary gain rather than expertise. But now we (the professionally educated and licensed) have to endure ALL medical doctors, of every variety - from the GP, to nurses, to now even the DENTISTS - who think they should change careers and become skin care experts ... needle in hand aimed at YOUR FACE! (Run, by the way!)
It becomes so frustrating when I know my experience (nearly 30-years since first licensed!) and I know what I've seen and done over the years (everything!) --- to watch my chosen craft be prostituted under the assumed "respectable" guise of medicine.
A new client comes in and wants to look better. She's already experimented with Botox. - Why? because it's EVERYWHERE and the guilt to avoid it was just too much to bear. But she doesn't like the idea of going under the knife, so she seeks my services. I show her the top-of-the-line, best-of-the-best. She wants to do it, but she's afraid of the cost. This bothers me. Why is it that people can show no reservation to pay for Botox injections, dermal fillers, boob jobs, and all of that, but when it comes to doing something HEALTHY for their skin, they get wallet-shy? My treatments work. If they didn't they wouldn't be on the menu. I spend countless hours researching EVERYTHING that makes it's way into my store. If it's gimmicky, it's never considered. But, my treatments aren't on Oprah, or Dr. Oz - or in two-page advertisements in every woman's magazine. Most truly professional things aren't - they are for insider knowledge only. I'm the insider - you seek my expertise and knowledge and trust that I know what I'm doing.
If someone says, "I can make your face look younger, firmer, less wrinkled in less than 4-months (and it took 20+ years to get that way) ... and I can do it WITHOUT a blade, wouldn't you say "YES!!!"? Me, too.
It feels like such an uphill climb - constantly fighting to uphold my profession against the medical arena and the sales clerks of every venue ... why must what's right and good be so hard to defend?
How can I offer such amazing results without cutting you or damaging your skin in the hopes that it will "heal" itself (Retin-A, strong peels, etc.)? With pure science. Hard to understand science, to be sure. Take for example my SAM LED treatments - they work utilizing light rays. How does a simple thing like light benefit the skin? Well, we already know that light is damaging to the skin ... the Sun! But at the correct frequencies, light can be extraordinarily healing, and it is used medicinally in many ways. [You'll have to do your own googling, I'm trying to keep this short.] BUT, it doesn't heal instantaneously - whereas with Botox you do see immediate results - (that is after the pain, swelling and possible bruising have healed). So is that the issue? People don't want to take the time to correct their skin in a healthy manner, they want the quick fix, even if it means possible irreversible damage and toxic poisoning?
Is it the cost? It can't be, I see all the restaurants are FULL every night, the basketball stadium is standing room only, Coach is doing a fine business at Fayette Mall, and if Botox wasn't HIGHLY profitable, everyone with a medical degree wouldn't be trying to stick it in your face. Never mind the fact that my prices are extraordinarily fair, good value for the dollar. I make sure of that because I, myself, am cost-conscious. I always seek to under-promise and over-deliver with facts and honesty, no gimmicks or sneaky sales pitches. Google my facts and see for yourself.
The skin care game has gotten unfairly and unwisely competitive. Who is the consumer to trust? If you've read this far, I'm going to assume that you trust me, and for that I am immensely grateful! It's from your support that I have the strength to keep fighting for good, solid, skin care. It's such a blessing to be able to take some of your stress away, to bring you facial rejuvenation treatments that work SAFELY, and products that do great things for your skin without harshness - causing it future damage. I KNOW my way works. If I believed for ONE-SECOND that plastics was the way to healthier, happier, better-looking skin, I'd switch careers.
So, THANK YOU for believing in me and for taking full advantage of all I offer to you.
Where else can you find, under one roof, and by one extraordinary therapist owner, LED treatments, HOT ROCKS, soothing music, aromatherapy oils, a steam-shower for rinsing off your Über-groovy Cocoon Wrap, unwanted hair removal that doesn't hurt(!), VANTASTIC Skin Care Products, ... CHOCOLATE ... and most importantly the PEACE & TRANQUILITY to escape from life's daily stresses!!!
Now schedule your SAM Led Series so you can look extra-gorgeous for Christmas!
xoxo
Nancy.
Hello Fellow Chocoholics!As you may already know, I joined the direct-selling division of Dove Chocolates called Dove Chocolate Discoveries in July 2010. I've always loved sweets and have considered opening a sweets shop. However, knowing what I know now about brick and mortar (leases/advertising, etc.) I really didn't want to have that much responsibility (and risk) again. When I saw an ad for Dove Chocolate Discoveries, it really rang my bell! "This is GENIUS!" I already give away a dove chocolate to every spa guest; everyone knows the brand and loves it ... what a no-brainer!" AND, the "capital" needed for this new business: $150.00! Yep, that's it. Not the $150,000.00 (or more) I'd need for a retail shop. I started having tasting parties at the spa, and from there a client wanted me to come to her home and have a party and bring Rhonda and the massage chair! I've posted the fun photos under Dove's page here on my site. We all had a BLAST! With her party goers and a few people who wanted reorders, her sales were high enough that she got LOTS of Chocolate as her hostess gifts! And from me personally, to say "Thanks" I gave her a $20 GC to Vanities Spa! If you would like to host a party, we can have one at your house, or at the spa! There is no fee for using the spa. If you'd like Rhonda and her massage talents, we have a very reasonable rate so that everyone in the party can relax and enjoy! Check out my Dove site for the latest information and NEW products!http://www.dove-chocolate-discoveries.com/sites/ilovedove ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Dove Chocolate RecipesI've played around with the VERY EASY mousse and instead of using the high-fat Heavy Cream, you can use low-fat Cool Whip! You still get the necessary peaks and texture, and it's still yummy! DRINKSThe Chocolate Martini Mix is a crowd favorite. You can use regular vodka or a number of the new flavored vodkas. Raspberry & Chocolate are a sexy combo. Add Sprite for a fizzy cocktail! When you get your Chocolate Martini Mix you might want to pour the contents into a blender and whiz it up to blend out any settled chocolate. Then pour it back into your Chocolate Martini Mix bottle and you're good to go!
Hello readers! I've "blogged" before, but it was on a different site. I will endeavor one day to bring some of that data here for your educational enjoyment. If you'd like to read some of it now, here's the link: http://vanitiesspa.yuku.com/forums/66Aside from blogging, setting up websites, running a spa, and generally "horsing around", I also read a lot from the web, mainly spa forums where I keep in touch with my peers and learn what's going on outside my treatment room. Well, today I read a post that really bothered me. It is about an activity that I thought we had moved away from, but apparently the skin care industry is still at it:ANIMAL TESTING!The list is a LONG one, those companies who are still testing cosmetics on laboratory animals (even thought there are better methods) . BOTOX is one of the worst. If it wasn't bad enough to put a NEUROTOXIN in your FACE, this is how they test it's "saftey": every batch is tested on huge groups of mice to find the "average lethal dose" or the dose where exactly 50% live and 50% die, and that dosage becomes the standardized "unit" for that particular batch. The mice that do not die immediately will die slowly in 2-3 days of progressive asphyxiation from paralyzed lung muscles (remember, it takes 2-3 days to kick in). The testing is referred to as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) and is the only FDA approved method to standardize dosage for a biological product like Botox ... even though researchers have proposed non-animal tests that may actually be MORE effective. It is so frustrating reading this.SO ... here is my sales pitch ... Vanities Spa NEVER allows a product through our doors that has been tested on animals (except humans!). I can't believe I have to say that - shouldn't it be the norm NOT to abuse animals? Rest assured that all Vantastic Skin products are CRUELTY-FREE (and always will be). Another reason to choose us!Throw out your L'Oreal and your Oil of Olay and choose Vantastic Skin!Here is a PARTIAL (no-shopping) list:Aveeno Biotherm Cacharel ClearasilDDF Escada Fekkai GarnierGilleteArmani Head & Shoulders Helena Rubenstein Helene Curtis Ivory Herbal Essences Johnson & Johnson Kerastase Kiehls LancomeLaRoche Posay L'orealMatrix Hair MaybellineNeutrogenaNatural Instincts Nair Nioxin OLAYPantene PondsRedkenRalph LaurenRembrandt Sebastian Hair Shiseido SK-II Suave Sunsilk Most commercial deodorants and cleaning products also conduct animal testing. *If you are looking for an all-natural deodorant (not antiperspirant) a company called " Thai Crystal Deodorant Stones" works amazingly well, with no negative side effects. I find them at Whole Foods, but I'm sure they are hiding in other stores, as well. They have a convenient roll-on and a spray that I can personally recommend.BOYCOTT where you can, and CHOOSE kindness instead of CRUELTY.
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