Pick A Pumpkin For Your Next Spa Service

For the past few weeks, as I’ve been driving around the outskirts of town for my mobile spa appointments, I’ve noticed many patches of land bejeweled with brightly colored orange pumpkins, just waiting to be picked for Halloween, along my routes. Did you know that California is the second largest producer of pumpkins in the U.S. after Illinois? And did you know that pumpkins make excellent spa ingredients?

Pumpkins are good for the skin because they contain skin-friendly Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Alpha Carotene, Beta Carotene, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, and Zinc.

It’s easy to add some mashed pumpkin (raw or cooked) to facial masks and body wraps. The pumpkin will gently exfoliate your skin and leave it feeling soft and smooth. Applying nourishing pumpkins to your skin will also help moisturize dry skin, enhance your skin’s radiance and reduce inflammation associated with acne blemishes. It’s also mild enough for anyone who has sensitive skin. It smells good, too.

Pumpkin pie, anyone? If you want to nourish your skin from the inside out, then add pumpkins to your favorite baking recipes or use them in a savory side dish. The possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with pumpkins.

And don’t forget to lightly roast your pumpkin seeds after you hollow out your jack-o-lantern because they make a tasty and healthy spa snack. Also, pumpkin seed oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, can be applied to skin to help heal rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, burns, wounds and scars. It’s a great boost to any massage oil blend.

It’s no wonder spas like to feature treatments with pumpkins on their menus!

Don’t miss out on the fun. Halloween is quickly creeping up on us so pick your pumpkins as soon as you can and use them to decorate your doorstep, feed your family and clear your complexion.

Renew your inner and outer beauty this fall

Nothing beats fall when it comes to a sense of renewal. It's the beginning of a new school year, your favorite brand introduces new fall fashion, and you have nothing but cooler weather and the holidays to look forward to. What better time to adjust your beauty routine than the new season?
 

 

The change of seasons is a good time to cleanse your system, inside and out. The best way to prepare for the colder season is to get a facial, a body scrub, and a massage, and then check your diet and get plenty of sleep. This time of year is good for warming soups and stews, cooked vegetables and for a treat: fruit pies. It's also a good time to enjoy the health benefits of a cup of hot green tea and to detox before Halloween with all the candy.  

As summer surrenders to cooler temperatures, there is no better place to renew your Inner Goddess than with a renewing massage or spa service. Our tips will help you to prepare for your best fall season ever:

Detox At Home: Detoxing isn't just a dramatic one-time event, or something you do when you're at a detox spa. It's an ongoing process. And you can do much of the important work of detoxing at home by changing the way you eat and taking a closer look at what you put in your body.

Hydrate adequately by drinking eight to ten glasses of water every day. This flushes your system and replaces the water your body loses just through respiration and elimination. If you're bored with plain old water, try spa water, which is fruit-infused water. Get great spa water recipes at myspawater.com and Pam Wenzel's Spa Water book. Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates like white flour. They have no nutritional value and give you a sugar "high" that leaves you hungry and craving more sugar.

  

Get healthy fats into your diet. Essential fatty acids can be found in unrefined flax seed oils, walnuts and especially olive oil.

Sleep: Make your sleep a priority. Build boundaries around your sleep by sticking to a set bedtime, and by not eating or working in bed (no iPhone in the bedroom!). Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as they both interfere with normal sleep patterns. Prepare for healthy sleep by making a smooth transition from waking activity to quiet sleep. 

Facial: Face fall with a healthy glow, and select a facial that will clean, soften and smooth the skin. Summer sun can leave skin dry and damaged, so you'll feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Of course, it's impossible to think of fall without thinking of pumpkins, and spa pumpkin-based treatments. Though many think that the pumpkin found its highest calling in a Thanksgiving pie, the reality is that the familiar orange flesh provides tons of phytochemicals that nourish and treat the skin. An exfoliating pumpkin peel contains powerful natural enzymes and is an excellent way to instantly brighten post-summer skin by sloughing away dead skin cells and dull pigment.

Body Scrub: Fall skincare involves doing away with summer dryness and pampering your skin. For an utterly pampering experience, schedule a body scrub in the comfort of your home. Your skin is pampered and polished with essential oils and sea salts giving you a luxuriant glow. We add skin brushing to exfoliate, detox and rejuvenate. Your skin will look as great as it feels: heavenly smooth. For your daily routine, switch to a heavier moisturizer that will protect your skin as it adjusts to new, cooler temperatures.
 

Massage: For many of us a massage is the most relaxing wish-it-went-on-forever treatment. Aside from the sheer pleasure of having stubborn knots eased away, skin benefits greatly from nourishing oils. Depending on your needs you may find your massage therapist choosing a blend of delicious-smelling essentials oils to enhance your relaxation.

The great thing about fall is that it gives us all a chance to start anew and to make positive changes. May it be your best season of change yet .