Valentine's Day Special and contest

As most of you know, I am not one for gimmicks, so let me assure you that this facial, however appropriate for Valentine's Day is not a gimmick. Most of us are very aware of the benefits of dark chocolate. Well, they are good for the skin too. Rich in antioxidants and minerals. We also know that berries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radical damage, therefore, they are beneficial to all skin types and have great anti aging properties. So, what we have here is an antioxidant facial that smells divine from the fragrant raspberry and pomegranate peel to the intoxicating cocoa mask (chock full of other antioxidants and cell regenerating ingredients like acai berry and rose hip seed). If that isn't enough, I will massage your hands, neck, shoulders and face with an exotic chocolate shea butter. And it wouldn't be valentines day/month without a sweet finish. So I will send you off with a chocolate truffle.

$90.00 (this facial would normally cost $110)
Offer runs February 9 -28, 2010
(cannot be used with gift certificates)

For the first 3 customers who book this facial you will receive a complementary Chocolate Body Butter from Eco Sevi: Handmade vegan bodycare.

The ReNew Skin Care Line Expands

First of all I want to say how excited I am at the response to my skin care line. I have received amazing feedback on the cleansers, moisturizers and toners I introduced in the past few months. This encouraged me to expand the line and I have now added a gentle exfoliant. Exfoliation in moderation is very important. Exfoliation is a necessary component to good skin care. It removes dead cells, decongests the pores and allows important ingredients to penetrate the skin. The skin looks healthy and has that "glow" we all want. However, and I cannot stress this point enough, too much or exfoliation that is too aggressive is counterproductive, unless undergoing a treatment to correct a skin condition.

As we age, the skin becomes dull from layers of dead skin buildup because the cell renewal factor slows down. For instance teenagers renew their cells approximately every 21 days, in our 30's it takes around 30 days, in our 40's around 40 days. See the pattern?

There are three types of exfoliation. Mechanical exfoliation is when we physically slough dead skin cells from the surface of the skin by using a scrub. The second type of exfoliation is using enzymes, such as a papaya pineapple mask, which dissolves the dead skin. The third is a chemical exfoliation which involves using a chemical agent that dissolves the glue that binds the dead skin cells such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids. All the exfoliants I use, or recommend for home use, are made
with the finest ingredients and will exfoliate the skin without causing any trauma.
For home care I recommend a gentle scrub or enzyme mask. My gentle exfoliant contains, organic colloidal oatmeal, organic brown rice flour, organic white white powder, organic calendula flower powder and organic licorice root powder that can be used as a scrub or mask.

Is it truly an eco-friendly establishment?

Many of you probably have heard the term "greenwashing". If not, here's a definition I like from the Encyclopedia Britannica "greenwash (verb): to promote a product or service as being environmentally friendly without any basis in fact" or from LOHAS "Greenwashing is a superficial nod to the environment that marketers and businesses that historically were not interested in sustainable concerns, are doing in order to improve their public relation standings with the consumer or public." I am sorry to say there appears to be quite a few hair salons and spas jumping on this greenwashing wagon. As a supporter of environmental causes for over 30 years, I opened the first eco-friendly day spa in Baltimore three years ago and then opened my organic, eco-friendly skincare studio last year. I would love to see all business adapt eco-friendly practices. So recently when I saw that some spas and salons in the Baltimore area advertised as being eco-friendly and/or organic I was very excited. Unfortunately upon further examination I found that they are not. They incorporate some eco-friendly practices such as recycling but that does not make you an eco-friendly business. Or they carry one organic line along with other products that contain toxic and harmful ingredients. To be truly "green" or organic is a commitment to a certain philosophy and lifestyle. My studio (and the Day Spa)used sustainable furnishings, painted the walls with low voc paints, uses only compact fluorescent lighting, all stationery (business cards, menus and all office supplies) are made from recycled papers. Get my drift? As for organics, besides the ingredients coming from organic sources, I make sure that none of my products contain any toxic, petroleum based, or gmo ingredients that are harmful to human beings, animals or the planet. One spa which claims to use organic products is offering paraffin treatments. Well, for those of you who don't know, paraffin is a petroleum based product.

So buyer beware. If you are looking for products, businesses or services that are eco-friendly or organic do your research. Ask questions. Do not take a name or claims for granted.

I look forward to the day when all business take the time to learn how to be green and embrace the philosophy.