As the worst of the pandemic hopefully subsides, and we start to tip-toe back into our favorite spas for services (yay!), the next-level self-care skills we’ve honed over the past few months definitely won’t go to waste. Courtesy of indulgent at-home kits and expert intel provided by some of the spa industry’s leading lights, we can all become active participants in continuing to mitigate stress via wellness-based beauty treatments.
Think of this “transition time” as a new partnership between you and your esthetician, with the shared goal of making you feel—and look—fantastic.
While Tammy Fender and her team are happily beginning to welcome clients back to her namesake West Palm Beach spa, she’s hardly been taking it easy. In April, she added two new versions of her popular At-Home Facial Treatment kits (Purifying and Restorative), and her latest Sanctuary Saturday collection—the Winter Edition featuring Remineralizing Treatment Masque, Quintessential Serum, and a downloadable 10-minute guided meditation by Fender herself, was such a hit it quickly sold out.
Think of this “transition time” as a new partnership between you and your esthetician, with the shared goal of making you feel—and look—fantastic.
“As a holistic practitioner, my approach with clients has always encompassed spa treatments but also lifestyle shifts that can support what we do in the treatment room,” says Fender. “From my perspective, self-care includes all natural at-home skincare for sure, but also a clean and healthy diet, rest, exercise, time in nature, and time spent laughing with friends and family.”
Of course, Fender couldn’t be more thrilled to throw her doors open again, too. “The spa always has a serene energy, but it feels even more so these days, as we’re staggering our appointments and creating more space around each client’s experience,” she notes. “It’s so peaceful in the spa now, and our clients are drinking in every moment of that extra-quiet calm.”
Local Ingredients, Lifting Our Spirits
During her recent downtime, Kim Kelder, lead esthetician and skincare specialist for Miraval’s Life In Balance Spa in Tucson, has been whipping up a “farm to face” mask she swears by. To craft it yourself, simply mix one tablespoon of aloe (direct from the plant or real aloe, if you have it) with a teaspoon of locally sourced honey, three tablespoons of plain yogurt, and two to three drops of lemon essential oil. “It’s hydrating, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal, so it helps with acne and breakouts and also has exfoliating properties,” Kelder notes. “I like to refrigerate all the ingredients to make it extra-refreshing.” Now that summer has officially arrived, this is an easy way to cool down and beautify in one fell swoop.
Although The Reeds at Shelter Haven in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, hasn’t reopened yet, Spa Director Carolyn Holdsworth has been riffing on a popular treatment from the venue’s Brine Lounge menu, and soaking in a DIY Brine Therapy Bath. “I fill my tub with warm water, aiming for 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and add an abundance of Himalayan pink salt to reach one percent salinity—that means about two and a half pounds,” she notes. “After a twenty- to thirty-minute soak while enjoying my current nightstand novel, I allow myself to air dry and rest comfortably for half an hour as my body rebalances from the release of toxins.”
Ever-fixated on the health and beauty of our nails, Jin Soon Choi, founder of JINSoon Hand and Foot Spa in New York City, has provided recipes for a number of easy soaks her clients can create at home until they get back into their regular mani/pedi rotation. The “Summer Oasis,” designed to boost energy and reduce mental fatigue (something we could all use right about now), deploys peppermint to keep you peppy. After filling a basin or tub with warm water, toss in handfuls of sliced cucumbers, mint leaves, and a few drops of peppermint essential oil and let the mixture steep for a few minutes. Soak hands or feet for up to 15 minutes, and then follow with a cooling lotion like Origins Hit Refresh Cooling Body Moisturizer.
Even just paying extra attention to your surroundings can yield big benefits until you can take your next big destination spa trek. “To keep it Zen around the house, I love to take advantage of the season and bring in flowers, succulents, or houseplants to fill the indoor space with life,” says Raden James, Director of Wellness at Rosewood Sand Hill in California’s Menlo Park. “Staying positive and healthy are key to getting through any stressful times, so doing some morning yoga, taking an afternoon walk, and meditating before bed, while eating healthy are key to staying happy while at home.”
And before you know it, this circa 2020 “sheltering in place” will be in our rearview mirror, and we’ll be all about the spa once again.
Dana Wood
Dana Wood is the Contributing Beauty Editor at InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She has been writing about beauty and wellness for decades, and no matter how many times she taps the words “hyaluronic acid” or “healing modalities” into her keyboard, it never gets old. Dana spent a total of 20 years at Condé Nast, serving as Beauty Director for W, Cookie, and Brides. A transplanted New Yorker, Dana now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her peak spa experience? Dana says it’s impossible to decide between the Coco-Mango Body Buff at the Driftwood Spa at Jakes in Treasure Beach, Jamaica, The Land of Beautiful Waters Anti-Aging Facial at Four Seasons Nevis, and the 80-minute 5 Senses massage at the Spa by JW in Marco Island, Florida.