Natural spa E-Book

Margaret Riley

• Herausgeber: Vyiha Publishing
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Natural spa is a multi-purpose resource for spa professionals and consumers alike. Each part of the book presents an array of ingredients found in nature that are nowadays in use in the most famous spa around the world. The ingredients are organized by different treatments so that to guide the readers through the discovery of possibilities in their next spa visit. This volume gathered the material in an easy to read, easy to understand and user-friendly format.

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

American and European ingredients

Chapter 2

Asian ingredients

Chapter 3

Ingredients for healing

Chapter 4

Ingredients for relaxation

Conclusion

References

Introduction

IN an age where information is abundant, people are becoming more aware of the content of products they use with a growing interest in using natural ingredients as opposed to chemical or artificial ones. Spas offering beauty treatments and massages are increasingly following this trend with individuals opting now for natural ingredients rather than chemically made ones. Each ingredient used in spa treatments has its own unique range of properties and usages, and it can be fascinating to study these. In nature a remedy for almost every ailment can be found, with herbs and flowers that can achieve certain specific results.

From the sea to the land there are many hundreds, if not thousands of natural ingredients having healing properties. From anti-inflammatory properties to the ability to heal and rejuvenate the skin, natural ingredients have an astounding ability to heal and repair. In general, natural ingredients used in spa treatments have all broad ranging properties. Because each ingredient has so many beneficial effects, the choice is huge for those selecting a treatment. Spas will offer a range of treatments from facials to pedicures and they will use certain blends of natural ingredients to bring the most beneficial results for the particular treatment.

People undertake spa treatments for a wide array of health problems, but they can also choose a treatment simply for its relaxing benefits. The ingredients used in a particular treatment will be tailored towards a desired result. Herbs, flower extracts and plants are the most common ingredients used in spas, however you will find some ingredients that are unexpected as chocolate or gold. Essential oils often form a main component of some treatments which are extracted from a flower, leaf or plant and then used in the treatment for their particular healing, relaxing or medicinal properties.

The chapters to come will provide an in-depth look at a broad variety of ingredients used in spa treatments, where they come from, what their main constituents and related properties are, what their benefits and potential side effects are and how they may be incorporated into the treatments offered by spas around the world.

The first chapter will contain a description of spa ingredients indigenous to America and Europe. In terms of America, one can find Native American spa treatments just steeped in history as well as relatively innovative uses of ingredients.

As far as European ingredients go instead, these can vary from country to country. America and Europe also have their own blend of natural ingredients commonly used in spas across the world. Herbs, plants and flowers are abundant in certain regions of Europe and they can be effectively incorporated into products applied to the skin during spa treatments. Asian spa ingredients in particular are renowned for use on the skin. Asian spa treatments are just as wide-ranging as those from the Western world, if not more so. With them comes a wide selection of exotic ingredients. Asian spa ingredients will be discussed in the second chapter mentioning some unique herbs found in the South-Asian countries.

The two main purposes of spa treatments are relaxation and healing, and the ingredients used for these two groups of treatments will be listed respectively in the third and fourth chapters. As a matter of fact, it is widely known that, when the proper spa ingredients are chosen, complimentary natural spa treatments can make a great difference when it comes to healing from illness. Healing and relaxation tend to go hand in hand since when people are relaxed their body tends to be more inclined to heal. Some ingredients used in healing therefore, can be interchangeably used for relaxation as well.

When you attend a treatment at a spa, your therapist will be able to tailor the treatment to a particular condition selecting a range of ingredients which work well in combination to treat and address the symptoms of particular health conditions, skin complaints or muscle tensions and pains. Knowing and becoming familiar with the natural ingredients used every day in spa treatments can make a big difference in terms of not only choosing the spa for your treatments but also understanding the effects that ingredients themselves will have on your body.

In this book you will find a clear depiction of some of the most beneficial spa ingredients and how they can help you improve your health.

The book will concludes thereforewith chapters dedicated to spa treatments used for relaxation and discussing natural ingredients with specific properties to relax the body and improve feelings of wellbeing.

Chapter 1

American and European ingredients

TREATMENTS at spas and beauty salons are becoming increasingly popular and are now used as a way for people to unwind and relax in a peaceful haven and get away from the stresses of an extremely busy life.

Until a few years ago, very few people who regularly attended a treatment at their local spa considered the ingredients in the products applied to their skin. Over recent years this has changed with spa clients showing now a greater interest in the products used on their skin with a growing interest in naturally derived ingredients rather than chemical or artificial ones.

In America as well as in Europe there are several ingredients used in spas that more and more of these going back to nature, either from plants or berries or naturally occurring substances. This section will by no means cover all of the spa ingredients commonly used in spas across America and Europe but it has the intent of presenting the primary ones currently used by therapists during their treatments.

Natural ingredients used in facial treatments

ONE of the most popular treatments at the spa are facials. Facials have extraordinary ability to rehydrate dry skin and remove flaky dead skin cells as well as removing accumulations of daily dirt and grime from the pores.

Many spas are increasingly using local, natural ingredients as part of their treatments, primarily because of their perceived benefits and special properties. During the treatment a qualified therapist will use a variety of lotions, creams and masks to be applied to the face and neck.

Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA

One of the main reasons people attend a facial spa treatment is to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and give the face a more youthful appearance.

Other than particularly invasive cosmetic procedures such as the application of Botox, there are an array of naturally occurring ingredients including nutrients and herbs that are found to be extremely beneficial for alleviating the ageing process of the skin with ALA being one of them. A powerful anti-oxidant, ALA can help the body to reprocess important anti-oxidants such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C. The acid also enables the body to protect itself against damage from free radicals. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have unpaired electrons and, because of this status, are highly reactive. In essence, their reactivity can cause damages and subsequent ageing of the skin. Alpha Lipoic Acid aims to reduce this reaction thereby reducing the damages eventually caused.

Bilberry

Bilberry is a persistent flowering shrub frequently found in moist wooded areas as well as moorland. The shrub produces sweet, blue berries often referred as huckleberries. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that the shrubs were increasingly used for medicinal purposes in remedies to alleviate a whole range of ailments. During this time, the berries were often combined with honey to form a special syrup.

The bilberry shrub is said to contain a number of anti-oxidants commonly used in many anti-ageing products as effective components thought to be successful in combating age related concerns [2]. It is commonly used as an ingredient in face masks in spas because of its unique properties to treat the skin. The ingredient contains flavanoids which help to combat damage to the skin caused by free radicals, and anthocyanocides known to stimulate the circulation and strengthening the structure of capillary blood vessels [6].