Exhilarating Leg and Foot Mask

In a recent visit with one of our innovative clients, Deb Izumi at Indulgence Spa and Salon, in Wellington, Prince Edward County, we developed a lovely new treatment, using two Moor Spa products.

It’s always more cost effective to use products you already buy in different ways, and this time we came up with a winner. We combined the light and creamy Moor Gel Body Mask with the fresh and tingly Tension Balm (not coincidentally the best selling Moor Spa product in the world) to create a leg and foot mask that can raise the simple pedicure to new heights.

Simply add a few pumps of Tension Balm to about four ounces of Moor Gel, and you have enough product to do approximately 4 spa pedicures. You could incorporate this mask into a spa pedicure after a foot soak (perhaps a Moor Spa Foot Bath?), exfoliation and nail/cuticle work. Apply a thin layer of the mask to the client’s lower legs and feet, up to just below the knee, wrap with plastic, and cover with a warm blanket for up to 20 minutes. Removal of the product is easy, with either a dry or hot towel. Finish with an effleurage massage with Moor Spa Foot Cream.

Your clients will be left with a feeling of lightness – soft, moisturized and cool for hours.

We travel – for spa professionals who would like to see this protocol demonstrated, please contact us for an appointment and/or costing of the products used.

Niagara Waters Spa Grand Opening

Yesterday we had the tremendous privilege to attend the grand opening of the Niagara Waters Spa, the student spa connected with the esthetics program at Niagara College. It was a wonderful event, with delicious and dainty snacks produced by the Niagara College Culinary Institute, and buzzing with media coverage.

Among the guests were some of the elite of the Niagara spa industry, illustrating the interest in well trained estheticians for the bustling Niagara region. In her speech, Anna D’Amore of Serenity by the Falls Spa at the Marriott Fallsview, an industry partner, acknowledged Niagara College’s program as a world class spa training institution. Also in attendance was Jennifer Hipwell, of Five Lakes Aveda Spa at the Doubletree, and Sharon Weldon, of Senses Spa at the Americana Resort.

The class of students graduating in April will be the first in Ontario to be trained in hydrotherapy using the Moor Spa Integrated Spa System, which will provide a substantial benefit to spas seeking technicians who are ready to go right to work and provide the full range of spa services.

We offer our sincere congratulations to the educators and students at Niagara College, and Niagara Waters Spa, for a successful event and wonderful program.

Great job, Lisa, Susan, Tina, Laurie, Joelle and Lorraine!

Today at Trillium

Today we did one of our favourite jobs. We met a class of soon-to-be estheticians at a private college. We only had a couple of hours there, but it was such a great opportunity to have an honest discussion with open minds, and to gain insight from different life experiences.

In our school presentations, we always begin by introducing ourselves, and talking about our backgrounds. Will has been in the spa/wellness industry for more than 13 years now, and I learn something different every time he talks about his history. From a professional hockey hopeful, to a photographer, to a debilitating back injury which kept him out of work for 2 years, he’s had quite a life journey. My background is in women’s health care and research, seemingly a dramatically different field, yet not so much. I try to bring to my new field a perspective that promotes education, critical thinking skills, and as often as possible, research.

We take a holistic approach to skin and body care, and talk about how our inner health is reflected in our skin. This reinforces what the school teaches about how the systems of the body all interact to create optimal health. We talk about how symptoms (such as a skin break out, headache or even an upset stomach) are the body’s way of telling us something is going wrong. For example, a headache can be an indication of several things, from a stressful lifestyle, to dehydration, to high blood pressure. As an analogy, Will suggested that if the fire alarm went off while we sat in that classroom today, the prudent approach would be to investigate the source, as opposed to shutting the classroom door and ignoring the alarm. Closing the door would be comparable to taking an analgesic for a headache – treats the symptom, not the cause.

Whether or not our body sends out an “alarm”, we talk about how we can support it to eliminate “toxins”, and nourish with Moor to increase nutrients supplied to our cells and promote optimal health. Even if we live a relatively “clean” lifestyle, we still ingest some toxins as well as have some intrinsic toxins produced by the body itself and we must eliminate both kinds.

For some students, this is a radical new concept, which often prompts skepticism, and for others, it resonates with a world view they are already familiar with. Whatever the response, we love the flow of ideas, and the critical thinking this engenders.

We also find that students enjoy learning this holistic type of knowledge, versus just learning about individual products, which any manufacturers rep can rattle on about. Although, I have to say, once the products come out, the students can’t keep their hands off, and love to get right in there to touch and feel everything from body mask to toners! Then the questions fly, and we see the enthusiasm that brought students into the esthetics/spa/wellness industry in the first place.

We were also remarkably flattered today by the teacher, who made the comment that we are very approachable, and open to disclosing our industry knowledge. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the standard for spa suppliers. We feel that buyers need to demand that kind of transparency from their suppliers, and expect more of a partnership relationship. No matter the size of the spa, or the size of the order, estheticians and spa owners need to feel like valued clients.