SPA INDEX NEWS / MARCH 28, 2001 
ISSN: 1533-6417 
WWW.SPAINDEX.COM  
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NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS

We love it when kindly souls forward our newsletter all over the globe, but we love it even more when you sign up for your own free copy. It keeps our sponsors happy. Please visit out homepage at www.spaindex.com and use the free newsletter sign up link, or, send an e-mail to newsletter@spaindex.com  and we'll sign up for you.

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OUR SPONSOR FOR THIS ISSUE

This issue of Spa Index News is brought to you by our sponsor, www.TheSpaTurban.Com . This terry cloth lined turban is a fashionable alternative to unattractive shower caps. Its unique design gives the sensual look of a towel turban while its waterproof coating keeps your hair dry. Twistee towels now commonly available are designed to absorb water, but the Spa Turban protects your hair from water and steam in the spa environment. At $24.95 each plus shipping, buy one for home and one for your spa bag. 1% of all profits from the sale of the Spa Turban are donated to children's charities.

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IN THIS ISSUE 

Reader Request: A Guide to Facials
Spa at Home
Spa Index Product Spotlight
Spa Cuisine
Spa Index Gift Giveaway 
Spa Specials and Deals

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READER REQUEST: A GUIDE TO FACIALS

From Angel R.:

"I am having trouble deciding on what kind of a facial treatment to get from a DaySpa on my vacation next week. I have read the brochures and talked to my friends, and when I read and hear about an aromatherapy facial, that's what I want. Then I read about a mud mask and then that's what I want. Then I read about a vitamin facial, and that sounds good too. My skin is pretty normal most of the time, but at other times has breakouts. Help!!!" Angel R.

From the Spa Index Team:

You're certainly not alone in your confusion in the array of facials now being offered at Day Spa facilities. In the survey currently featured on the home page of Spa Index, results show more than 40% of spa visitors are specifically seeking a facial for beauty treatment or a skin condition. With the treatment packages growing longer and longer, it can be difficult to decide not only which facial you want, but which facial is most appropriate for your skin type and age.

How do you filter out the "sales pitch" from the benefits offered you, and what treatments are best left to your dermatologist? With more and more Day Spas offering increased skin care, it's important to understand what can, and cannot, be offered by an aesthetician. Your day spa provider can deep-clean, smooth and soften your skin, and can treat both stress symptoms and skin problems on the face, scalp and shoulder areas through massage and use of aromatherapy or skin conditioning agents. Your day spa provider should NOT treat or deflate deep or large pimples and cystic acne, offer cortisone injections, or perform deep acid and laser peels to remove wrinkles or sun damage. Those treatments should be performed by your licensed dermatologist.

We can't emphasize enough the importance of sitting down and having an earnest discussion with your skincare provider (whether that be at your dermatologist's office or your day spa). If you visit a facility for the first time and the aesthetician reaches for her tools of the trade without even talking to you first -- stop in your tracks. Don't be vague -- tell him or her your expectations, what you'd most like to achieve, and what you can afford. Don't be shy about this. The more candid you are up front, the less chance you'll be disappointed when you leave with a moist face, but an empty purse. Do tell your skin care provider of any medical conditions, including rosacea, eczema, allergies, pregnancy, and high or low blood pressure. Do tell your skin care provider about any over the counter products you currently use -- some ingredients in these products can react with the potent products used at a spa facility. Do ask how long the treatment lasts. Some treatments only require 30 minutes, while others require two hours. Factor in not on the time you have available, but whether you'll have the satisfaction you seek from a $50.00 facial that only required 30 minutes, as opposed to two hours. 

Now, with that out of the way, on to the facials! Those intoxicating descriptions we read in a Day Spa's brochure all sound so wonderful, we want to sample from the Facial Buffet. Here are some basic facts about what to expect from the different types of facials available at most Day Spas. Most of your higher end Day Spas will offer premium skin care products,  but we have listed some very basic types of skin care products as they are most readily available at all budget levels.

European Facial -- deep cleans skin and unclogs pores. This is an extraction facial, where blackheads are removed and a mask (usually charcoal, mud or clay) is applied. You should ask if the extraction includes pore vacuuming, which has been known to burst delicate facial capillaries. Hand extraction is preferred for delicate skin. Average cost: $65.00 and higher. 

Acne Facial -- controls breakouts. This is a steam facial with manual extraction of blackheads and whiteheads, usually followed by a mask which may include tea tree oil or other natural antiseptic properties, benzoyl peroxide, zinc or sulfur. If you have severe cystic acne, this facial isn't for you. Average cost: $55.00 and higher.

Aromatherapy Facial -- offers relaxation and stress reduction. This is an extraction-free facial. Your face, and possibly your shoulders and scalp, will be massaged with aromatic products and oils such as lavender, ylang-ylang, or herbal remedies. If you have sensitive skin and your eyes water easily at the discomfort of extraction, but you crave the pampering, this is a facial for you. Average cost: $75.00 and higher.

Glycolic Facial -- offers glowing skin. The dull, dead cells from your face will be removed with a glycolic acid mask, lotion, or gel, followed by a moisturizer. Average cost: $60.00 and higher.

Vitamin Facial -- firms up your tired skin. Your skin will be exfoliated with a mask, followed by a soothing vitamin gel or serum mask. Sometimes high-frequency and painless electric wands are used to speed ingredient penetration to the deepest layers of the skin. Average cost: $60.00 and higher.

Paraffin Facial -- hydrates very dry skin. Your skin will be bathed with a rich emollient such as sweet almond oil, avocado, algae or shea butter. The warm paraffin mask is applied to seal in the moisture and increase ingredient penetration. Average cost: $75.00 and higher.

Hot Stone Facial -- for the Yoga enthusiast. Warmed stones are gently placed on chakra energy points while you are massaged with warm oils.

Cellabrasion Facial -- the newest form of power polishing since microdermabrasian. New York City's Away Spa, Peninsula Spa, and Solace spas offer this treatment, which uses a steady stream of salt to "sand" your skin. It offers a fast glow which alas, doesn't last long. Average cost: $80.00 and higher.

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SPA AT HOME

We have quick tips, easy recipes, and fun products for creating a home spa treatment for only pennies. In this issue, whip up a simple cleansing home facial to gently exfoliate your skin and restore moisture. 

SPA INDEX HONEY OATMEAL FACIAL 

1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons of honey 

Finely grind or process the oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together honey and yogurt, and then add ground oatmeal. Mix thoroughly until a smooth paste consistency has been reached. Smooth over your face and neck, leave on for fifteen minutes, and rinse off with warm water. Can be used daily.

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SPA INDEX PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Offered by Cooper Labs at www.cooperlabs.com  is a affordable line of special skin-care products using clear OATMEAL PROTEIN. Avalon Clear Oatmeal is an effective liquid oat protein therapy that offers immediate relief from dry, itchy, sensitive skin, and moisturizes and soothes irritated skin. Avalon is clean and pure, leaving no messy residue on your skin or in your tub, is hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free, and oil-free. Cooper Labs has a special running now. If you order any three Avalon Oatmeal products, you receive a complimentary 2.75 oz Cleansing Bar while supplies last. 

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SPA CUISINE

Whether you open your cupboards or you go out and buy some of your favorite oatmeal and yogurt to make our homemade facial cleanser, be sure to get a little extra so that you can indulge in this delicious and healthy breakfast afterward.

BANANA OATMEAL BREAKFAST BRULEE
Courtesy of National Dairy Council and VeryBestMeals.Com

4 cups fat-free milk
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
1 cup of low-fat French Vanilla flavored yogurt
2 bananas, peeled and sliced thinly into rounds.

Combine milk, rolled oats and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a large saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Spoon one cup of the oatmeal into each of four augratin dishes or ovenproof bowls. Press the oatmeal down with the back of a spoon to spread it evenly in the dish. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of the yogurt, spreading it evenly over the entire surface. Arrange sliced banana rounds evenly over the top of the yogurt, and then sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the remaining brown sugar. Arrange the dishes on a baking sheet or in a large baking pan and place under a preheated broiler under the sugar starts to bubble and turn dark (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.
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SPA INDEX GIVEAWAY

As we are provided with gift certificates for spa treatments, or spa products from our sponsors, we offer a Spa Index Giveaway to our newsletter subscribers, only. We randomly select an e-mail address from our subscriber list, and post the partial e-mail address here (to assure your privacy). The winner has two weeks, until the following newsletter is issued, to claim the gift by replying from the subscribing e-mail address to newsletter@spaindex.com . What happens if the winner didn't read the newsletter and claim the gift? Another name is drawn for the following newsletter! 

In our last issue, the winner DID NOT claim her free gift, so we are featuring once again a complimentary set of Back to Basics Spa Collection, which includes a bottle of Milk Body Wash, Milk Shampoo, and Milk Conditioner. 

The winner of this free gift is: MENDYSUE@__________.

MendySue, write to Newsletter@SpaIndex.Com , from your original, subscribing e-mail address, provide your mailing address, and the gift is yours. Enjoy!

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SPA INDEX BARGAINS AND SPECIALS

We are happy to provide our subscribers with a sampling of limited time offers for special packages, special rates, and workshops from spas that provide this information to us. You will find a complete list of Spa Deals page at the home page. This newsletter sampling will be updated as often as possible, or each time major spa bargains are made known to us, but do check the link on the home page to Spa Specials and Deals for a much more comprehensive list. 

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ARUBA SONESTA BEACH RESORT, SEAPORT VILLAGE, ARUBA 
http://www.arubasonesta.com 
SPA PACKAGE. Island Room or Island Suite accommodations for the number of nights selected, includes a selection of six treatments including a selection of two massages, two body treatments, two facial treatments, full use of fitness center including classes during your stay, and a welcome basket. Stay seven nights or longer and also receive a selection of two Okeanos Spa Signature Treatments. December 23, 2000-April 20, 2001 $355 to $375, per room, per night (five night stay). April 21-December 21, 2001 - $295 to $315, per room, per night (five night stay).

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CARIBE HILTON, OLAS SPA AND HEALTH CLUB, PUERTO RICO
http://www.caribehilton.com 
Through April 15, 2001
SPA PACKAGE. Three nights and four days, $350 per night double occupancy or $280 single occupancy. Features include deluxe accommodations with private balcony, breakfast buffet daily for two in Palmeras Restaurant, three treatments per person, per stay of selected Massage, Body and Nails Treatments (one treatment per category). His and Hers robes and slippers to use during stay. 

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THE EMERSON INN & SPA, CATSKILLS, NY
http://www.the.emerson.com 
April 13-15, 2001
EASTER WEEKEND SPECIAL. This package is for two people and includes; French Champagne in the room on arrival, Deluxe Accommodations, Gourmet dinner for two on both evenings, Traditional English afternoon tea, Full use of the elegant Emerson spa. Extended Easter morning breakfast on Easter Sunday 8.00am to Noon. Prices from $430.00 ( for two people in deluxe accommodation per night, excluding Taxes and Gratuities). Two-night minimum applies. 

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WHAT'S COMING TO SPA INDEX IN MARCH 2001

Day Spa Treatments for Men
Spa Facilities in Chicago for the Chicago Blues Festival
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NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS

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