THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 20, 1997 TAG: 9701200277
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIM WADSWORTH, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: 108 lines
HAVE YOU ever read one of those soothing descriptions of a spa? The kind that begin, ``Behind `Golden Doors' await magical weeklong experiences that promise remarkable effects on your body and soul . . .'' and go on to create a whole new lifestyle of diet, skin care and exercise regimes?
It would be nice, wouldn't it? But for those of us who, due to finances or time constraints, can't escape the doldrums of the winter months and the havoc it wreaks on our bodies, what are the options?
You can prepare your skin to survive winter with a trip to a skin treatment center. Winter conditions - cold, decreased humidity, sun and wind - can influence the skin's condition, appearance and texture.
Dipping temperatures need not serve as a signal to put a freeze on beauty routines, say skin-care pros, who are called aesteticians.
For skin and body therapist Susie Harris of Virginia Beach Face and Body Center, there's no better time then the new year to rejuvenate skin.
``My clients are asking for a week at a spa in their minds, but they know that this isn't possible,'' says Harris.
``So we, as beauty therapists must help them achieve physical and mental well-being through massage, facials and beauty treatments here and now.''
Offering full European facials and body treatments, Harris recommends a full day of treatments, a complete facial followed by a seaweed body wrap, reflexology treatment and a 45-minute massage. The $200 cost for the six-hour session is a small price, Harris says. It includes two showers, 12 towels, two robe changes, slippers, three cups of herbal tea and lunch!
Harris guarantees total detoxification when you walk out. That is, if being so relaxed, ``you can walk out of here after all those treatments.''
At Skin Care Studio in Virginia Beach Melia Ingram reclines comfortably swathed in heated blankets, head wrapped, eyes covered with oil-soaked gauze, face covered with a thick white paste.
``Coming here is like going to a Disney World for adults. This is total relaxation,'' says Ingram who is being treated by aestetician Kelly Smith.
Smith, who takes a unique approach to skin care and the concept of stress therapy, is a big advocate of maintenance through continued use of skin-care products. ``If the skin is properly maintained, often times you can see great results that postpone the need for plastic surgery,'' she said.
Smith is adamant about the role a facial plays. Because the epidermis turns over every four to six weeks, it is very important to exfoliate, extract and then hydrate skin during those times of cell renewal, she says.
Angela Phillips, an associate aestetician with Smith, is particularly excited about the latest addition to their list of treatments, the Hydro-kinetic shower spa table. It offers the client a European hydro therapy treatment without having to move.
``We've geared this treatment to our client in a unique way,'' Phillips says. ``They get a body polish, a seaweed wrap, and a foot reflexology treatment without leaving the table. It's state of the art.'' You can't get pampering like that at home, she adds.
Patrice LaFont, who has been a skin-care specialist for more than 20 years, also recommends winter facial and body treatments.
``The oil glands are less active and skin becomes dehydrated in heated rooms. Now is the time to relax and rehydrate,'' says LaFont, who operates Patrice Lafont Skincare International.
LaFont likes to use a warm paraffin treatment to penetrate and draw moisture to the surface of the skin. Male clients who are frequently outdoors and exposed to the sun need soothing deep-pore cleaning as much as women, she says.
According to LaFont, a $55 facial or a $75 seaweed salt scrub is well worth it.
For those who can only indulge in a spa treatment on a rare occasion, our experts offer suggestions for maintaining healthy skin at home.
For those who have a jacuzzi, Susie Harris suggests adding several drops of essential oils to the bath (these oils are available at Fresh Market and Heritage Market in Virginia Beach, starting at $6).
``By using water to treat the body, it relieves stress and detoxes the system, permeating the body,'' she says. ``We also sell bath products like our Seaweed Bath ($6 for two baths) or the Relaxing Bath Oil ($40 for 1.7 ounces) that are very therapeutic.''
Harris also suggests using a body brush to dry brush the body before shower or bath to encourage the lymphatic system to work.
Patrice LaFont recommends burning aromatherapy candles and creating an energizing bathe using fresh herbs wrapped in cheesecloth. Adding a cup of epsom salts is also beneficial. Soak no longer than fifteen minutes.
Angela Phillips puts herbal tea bags in a pot of boiling water. Place your face over the steam with a towel over your head to create a tent for five minute, says Phillips. Then use a scrub and a mask followed by good hydration. ``It feels almost as good as going to a spa,'' she says.
Kelly Smith says, ``There's always time to use a mask.'' Her recommendation: the Sulpher Cooling Mask ($25), which is good for every skin type, sold at her location. Use twice a week, leaving on for 10 minutes while you're taking a bath or reading a book. ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS BY BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Melia Ingram relaxes in a cocoon of heated blankets after the
application of a hydrating mask at Skin Care Studio in Virginia
Beach.
April Shortsleeve gets a seaweek wrap, in which the whole body is
slathered with ``goo,'' wrapped in plastic and ``baked'' in warm
blankets for 20 minutes.
After hands are dipped in a pan of warm paraffin, the cooled wax is
peeled off to reveal...smooth, soft skin.
Photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Kelly Smith, an aestetician at the Skin Care Studio in Virginia
Beach, gives a customer a facial.