I can’t believe I just finished celebrating another great birthday at the Las Vegas Spa show. I genuinely enjoy the wide diversity of participants in these classes, including massage therapists, estheticians, and spa directors. I am always delighted to discover that we all share a common goal... to provide the best possible experience while delivering the most effective results.
My presentation was all about how to keep your treatments fresh and relevant (for you and your clients) by bringing the outside in. Using nature as our inspiration provides a never-ending source of ideas and tools.
For me, it starts with the product selection - from the muds which come from the earth, the salt glows that originate from the sea to the aromatherapy and herbal complexes from around the globe. But the connection to Mother earth goes beyond just the origins of the products to understanding and respecting her natural rhythms. Just as with seasonal foods, scent scapes make more sense (no pun intended) when they honor that connection in our treatment room.
I like to use the BIOTONE’s Signature Spa Complexes to illustrate this point. As a major part of my artist’s toolbox, they are my “go-to allies” when creating an experience. It just seems logical to feature then seasonally. For example, imagine:
- The uplifting nature of Mango and Mandarin invokes memories of carefree summer days.
- The combo of the protective anti-oxidants of Pomegranate and Cranberry with the images of fall.
- The comforting and nurturing nature of Milk and Honey counters winter’s harshness.
- The freshness of Green Tea and Lime Leaf sustains the promise of renewal during the spring.
Your choices of massage tools may also be seasonal. Can we talk about those Bamboo Massage Sticks? Universal Companies supplied the kit I incorporated, and we are so grateful. Everyone in the class was drawn to them for their ease and versatility, and so everybody played. I find them especially handy right now when it is getting too muggy to crave hot stonework. My July special is a Mango and Mandarin salt glow with a Bamboo Fusion massage delivered with Green Tea and Lime Leaf massage butter. Now that is what I call a synergy!!
Some of the other tools I introduced included a take on stones for facial, hand, and footwork. The most interesting of these tools were the polished fossils for the face. I tease my clients that we use the fossils so that they don’t ever look like one. But there is no doubt that they are intrigued, and it gives them something to talk about to their friends (translation: potential clients).
These choices go beyond contributing to the physiological (body) aspects of table work by invoking a sense of connectivity to the psychological (mind) and supporting pharmacological (skin) homeostasis.
This mindfulness elevates me from being a craftsman to being an artist and transcends the time a client spends with me from a treatment to a wellness experience that my friend is the essence of the therapeutic spa.
For over 20 years, my goal has always been to discover and share the techniques that keep clients engaged and help me stay motivated and fresh. I have found there is no successful professional in the Spa and Service industry who does not strive for the same things.
So get out there, take a hike, visit a garden, travel to an eco-resort, and get inspired. And most importantly, learn how to express your artistry.