Beauty Bootcamp: Body
"I don't have time for this! I just don't have time to relax right now!" I said as I walked into the spa this afternoon. All the way there I thought, maybe I should cancel and do it another time, I can't afford this, and I just don't have 1.5 hours to waste (on me ... that is).
Well, I am happy I changed my mind. I visited one of my favorite spas - a black owned spa here in DC called Soul Day Spa. I've been patronizing there for a few years now; but I can't say that I'm a good customer because I only go once in a while. Anyway, I always have good experiences when I do visit. So, today's treatment was a Tahitian Body Scrub with Vichy Shower - fan.tas.tic! The treatment included a full (head to toe) salt scrub, wrap, vichy shower (which is, according to the spa, "a pressure point warm water massage over the entire body. While lying on a massage table, rotating shower jets rain down a constant stream of pulsating warm water"). The shower was followed by a mini-massage of a shea butter body cream. It was wonderful!
I can't believe that it's been over a year since I last had one of these treatments and now my skin is radiant and super supple. Too bad those shower heads didn't melt away fat, but that's another post! When I walked out I thought that once in a while I've got to focus on the full body (which I often neglect), by either having a body treatment or a massage. The skin in those forgotten areas needs to be exfoliated and moisturized too. I will do my best to schedule these twice a year - I'm taking baby steps.
Here are a few other tips that I've picked up from here or there:
- apply lotion/cream while your skin is still damp
- substitute shaving creme with conditioner because your hair conditioner will do the same job as the shaving creme and save you a few bucks
- Try a body polish if you don't like the body scrubs. I have both and I've found the polish to be less abrasive and less oily than the salts - but I interchange them. I found a lovely body polish at Target by Soft & Beautiful (yes, the hair products line - they now have a skin care line too)
- a little glycerin and body lotion (I like Keri) is very moisturizing
- avoid scrubbing your skin with harsh material because it may strip your skin
- pat dry your skin (facial and body)
- if you don't like shaving (legs and private areas), there are a few hair removal creams on the market that work great. Make sure to use the product made for your body part though. And, be prepared to walk around for a few minutes with cream because you can't get it wet while it's at work
- waxing MAY lessen the thickness of newly grown hair (may be a wives' tale)
If you've got other tips, please share them with us.
Mamalaw is a group blog about three moms and wives who just happen to be lawyers too. We have seven kids between us which means that we have no shortage of funny stories, touching moments, reasons to rant and the occasional kernel of parenting wisdom. In our "spare time," we founded 
8 comments:
sounds divine. i may be scheduling one of those bad boys for next week. my shoulders, neck an back are so tense right now that it hurts!
Oh, sounds divine! I'm jealous. ;) Thanks for the tips. I recently discovered the conditioner in lieu of shaving cream and LOVE it.
I swear I didn't copy Fergie. I didn't read her comment before posting mine. We just both agree that your outing "sounds divine."
I've done a body polish before, and loved it! I have a gift certificate for a local Aveda spa in my cabinet right now, and I can't decide what to use it for . . . maybe your post just made up my mind. :o)
-- Nancy
I had this treatment at two different spas. The first one was at Nemacolin in Western PA. The other was at the Hershey spa in Hershey PA. I preferred the treatment at Nemacolin because you are lying on a platform which is inside of a tub and as the shower heads pulsate back and forth; the water goes into the tub and drains out underneath the tub. It was less water on the floor and the aesthetician was very skilled in keeping my body warm. Hershey used a table with the shower heads connected to an arm and when I got up the floor was soaked although she put down towels.
In terms of shaving, I read somewhere that you should exfoliate the area prior to shaving. I believe it lessens the razor bumps.
There is also a spa in Philly I have to try for a brazilian wax. They use soy wax which does to stick to the skin I assume as other waxing. I need to go back soon so I will blog about it if I recover.....
It sounds great! You said something that hit home with me, "I don't have 1.5 hours to wast on me."
OMG, I feel like that so often, there are things I need to do for my family, and I put myself on the back burner. As much as I try to do things for myself, I still revert back to my old ways.
If, I'm ever in DC, I'm looking this place up! I will look for a spa in my area. Not tell ANYONE where I'm going.
Ahhh...the spa! Sounds so great!
Have a great week! I'm out leaving comments for all my followers today!
http://juliechats.blogspot.com
This post reminds me that I really need to schedule a facial! I'm usually pretty good about keeping up with facials, but less so about all-body treatments, which are just as important!
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