An Editor’s Arch de Triumph

Although I’m pretty low-maintenance, there are times I think I may be doing a disservice to myself. Earlier this week, I paid a visit to Hibba NYC, a Soho salon specializing in hair removal. I had finally decided to try threading after never really giving much thought to my brows. Occasionally, I’ll come across someone with amazing arches and feel a small twinge of envy. However, like most features that haven’t undergone the knife, I’ve always chalked it up to having good genes more than anything else. Christy Turlington may have some help keeping her brows looking fabulous, but I think she had a definite head start in the genetics department. My brows, on the other hand, have always been rather forgettable, which may explain why I’ve spent the last couple of years neglecting them. Determined to change all that, I met with Hibba herself, who learned the art of threading at the tender age of 13 while living in India. Threading for family and friends, she perfected the art and later added sugaring and waxing to her hair removal arsenal. In just five minutes, she had my brows looking better than ever. And best of all, it was a pain-free experience that didn’t leave me with the customary tell-tale redness. Now that I’ve seen the difference, I think my maintenance quotient may be on the rise.

Grape Rewards in Wine Country

Last week, on my tour through the Finger Lakes wine country, I had an opportunity to stay at La Tourelle Resort & Spa (Ithaca, NY). There, I was instantly smitten with the bucolic setting and gracious staff. I was also giddy with the fact that I got to reside in a three-bedroom suite that just happened to be in a barn. It was certainly one of the more interesting and comfortable places I’ve had the pleasure of staying. I also made sure to pay a visit to the resort’s August Moon Spa, where I sampled the Finger Lakes Grape Massage ($100, 50 minutes; $145, 80 minutes). It was certainly the perfect way to top off a day that had begun with an early morning hike to one of Ithaca’s famed waterfalls. I now know why “Ithaca is gorges.” For more on the August Moon Spa and the benefits of grape-themed treatments, check out our September issue.

A French Affair in Upstate New York

Last week, I escaped the city’s ongoing heat wave with a trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. For years, I’d wanted to visit Mirbeau Inn & Spa (Skaneateles) but found the logistics of getting there without a car somewhat daunting. After deciding a getaway road trip was the perfect antidote to the summertime blues, I made sure the charming inn was the first stop on my itinerary. Reminiscent of a French country home with its Monet-inspired gardens, Mirbeau served as the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding wine country. I was especially enchanted by the culinary creations of executive chef Stephen S. Landon and by the spa, which offers a host of vinotherapy treatments. For more on the spa’s grape-themed services, check out “In the Mix” in our September issue. And look for more to come on this idyllic retreat in upcoming issues.

A Spa Enthusiast’s Epic Adventure

Although it’s always nice when the city clears out for a holiday weekend, I wasn’t looking forward to spending this recent one in town. Instead, I took advantage of an invitation to embark on a two-day inaugural cruise on the Norwegian Epic. Boasting the largest spa at sea, 20 restaurants, a casino, three waterslides, a sports complex, and more, Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship more than lives up to its Epic name. With performances by the Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, and a variety of Nickelodean characters, such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, boredom is probably the one option not available on the action-packed ship. However, relaxation can be found onboard at Mandara Spa & Salon, which features a menu that offers everything from Go Smile Tooth Whitening ($199, 30 minutes) and Botox and Dysport injections (starting at $350) to more traditional spa therapies. While I packed in as much as I could in the two days I was at sea, it wasn’t nearly enough time to try everything the ship had to offer. I did manage to find time to visit the ship’s Ice Bar (here I am donning a fur-trimmed parka to survive the frigid 17 degree temperature), a place I wouldn’t mind revisiting right about now while in the midst of an east coast heat wave. Look for more on the Norwegian Epic and its Mandara Spa & Salon in a future issue.

Make Every Day Earth Day with Tips
from the Staff at Spa Gregorie’s

Although Earth Day comes around only once a year, that’s no excuse to forego making an effort every day to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Spa Gregorie’s (Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Del Mar, CA), a founding member of the Green Spa Network, makes such eco-friendly pursuits a part of each and every day. From using recycled paper and soy ink for all printed paper materials and using unbleached paper towels for treatments to donating all towels to various non-profit organizations and recycling all bottles, cans, and products used in services, the spa and its staff is focused on thinking green. Here are some tips the staff shares with its spa-goers to help them do their part:

1. Reduce waste by buying refill bottles for your favorite product. If your favorite brand doesn’t have a refill system, consider switching to one that does. Otherwise, be sure to recycle the bottles.
2. Stop blowdrying your hair. Instead, roll your hair with Velcro rollers and let it air dry. This not only reduces energy, it also helps preserve the health of your hair.
3. Take shorter showers. A five-minute shower can use between 15 and 25 gallons of water. Also, give up hot showers, which use more energy, and substitute a lukewarm rinse.
4. Use natural light to apply makeup. Not only does it save energy, it can also give you better results.
5. Take advantage of mini freebies available at most hotels. You can also collect them in a basket for houseguests to use.

Bioelements Supports Relief Efforts in the Gulf

It’s hard not to feel helpless when you see the devastation caused by the recent oil spill in the Gulf Coast. Wanting to do something about it, Bioelements made a donation to The Nature Conservancy, which works to protect coastal wetlands and marshes, re-establish critical habitats for threatened wildlife, and restore the Gulf of Mexico’s resiliency by bringing together scientists familiar with the area’s habitats, plants, animals, and people. “All of us at Bioelements wanted to find a way to help make a difference,” says Barbara Salomone, president and founder. “We found that The Nature Conservancy is working to assess, protect, and restore what has been ruined by the oil spill. Now we want to get the word out to anyone who wants to join us and make a donation if they can, or just help spread the word.” If you’re interested in contributing to the cause, log on here.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Naples Offers
the Ultimate Girls’ Getaway

I love getting away with my favorite gal pals whenever an opportunity presents itself. And not surprisingly, imbibing and spa-ing both figure prominently, although not necessarily in that order. I couldn’t help but think of several of my friends upon hearing of a new getaway package launching next week at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples (FL). For best friends, mothers and daughters, and bachelorettes and their entourage, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Naples is launching the Sip, Spa, Shop Getaway (starting at $449), an ideal way to celebrate almost any occasion. The fun-filled package includes overnight accommodations, a welcome glass of champagne and strawberries for two, a choice of a 50-minutes signature massage or a Strawberry Rhubarb Facial for two, a 25 percent discount at the spa boutique, complimentary valet parking, and the option to spa longer by adding an additional 25 minutes of treatment time for only $50. The package is available Jul. 1 through Oct. 31. Time away with the girls is always sweeter when you add in a bit of bubbly, pampering, and retail therapy.

Stylist Riccardo Maggiore Tresses Up a Tired Look

I’ve admitted before that I don’t get my hair cut nearly as often as I should.  Fortunately, as an editor covering numerous salon-oriented events, I can often get away with waiting months between haircuts because I usually cross paths with someone who wants to start snipping away in the interim. As a result, I can’t really attribute my hair to one particular stylist. That fact was a blessing on a recent visit to the Riccardo Maggiore Salon (New York City). Scheduled for a blowout with Maggiore himself, I arrived looking a little worse for wear. It took mere minutes for Maggiore to look at my cut and declare it a disaster. Of course, I couldn’t blame him, as I had been thinking just that morning that I was long overdue for a cut. I’m sure the fact that I let anyone who comes near me with a pair of scissors free reign to chop away didn’t help. Come to think of it though, it was that same easy-going attitude that made me grant Maggiore license to work his magic. My straightforward blowout soon turned into a styling session, as he set about correcting my troublesome tresses. When he was finished, I was thrilled with the transformation, and even more so after the response I got from my American Spa colleagues.

Guerlain Spa at The Waldorf=Astoria
Confirms Its Status as an Urban Sanctuary

A few weeks ago, I was invited to indulge in a massage at the posh Guerlain Spa at The Waldorf=Astoria. I had toured the spa when it first opened about two years ago but had yet to experience a treatment there. Deciding it would be the perfect way to end a particularly stressful week and ease into the weekend, I scheduled the massage for 5pm on a Friday afternoon. Fortunately, the spa is just a few blocks from my office. Of course, that didn’t keep me from arriving drained and out of breath from having to tie up some last-minute loose ends at work. Within minutes of my arrival, I was happily ensconced in the lounge with a glass of champagne in hand. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of spas that offer a glass of vino in addition to the usual teas and cucumber water. Anyway, it wasn’t long before I was feeling more myself thanks to the decadent foot bath and healing hands of my talented therapist. And because the last thing I wanted to worry about after a sensationally soothing massage was doing math, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s the spa’s policy not to accept gratuities. It was certainly a blessing in my blissed out and arithmetic-challenged state.

The Other Side of the Sunscreen Debate

Last week, I wrote about a recent study that claimed sunscreen could possibly increase incidents of skin cancer. It was not good news to my ears, as I’m sure it wasn’t to others who happily slather themselves from head to toe with sunscreen before stepping foot outdoors. It did, however, spark some healthy debate on the topic. I’m happy to say that many of my fears have been put to rest, as I learn more. Here, Larry Lockhart, R.P., CEO of Bionresearch, offers his take on the topic:

In a widely distributed article written by Andrew Schneider and published in the AOL News, the author references “documents and interviews” that he claims will show that the inclusion of Vitamin A in sunscreens will speed the formation and spread of malignant skin cells. The author claims, again through “documents and interviews” that the FDA has been aware of this problem for 10 years. The FDA denies this allegation. Mr. Schneider also references an article published by the Environmental Working Group. This group’s mission is to review government data, legal documents “scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.” This last sentence tells it all. They are a little like the National Enquirer.

The study used both male and female hairless mice with 34 to 36 animals in two separate groups, plus a control group. As was reported in the article “testing included two concentrations of retinyl palmitate, 0.1% and 0.5%, administered topically in a cream vehicle.” The author added “In FDA’s 1-year study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent sooner in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream (at concentrations of 0.1% to 0.5%) than in control animals treated with a vitamin-free cream. Both groups were exposed to the equivalent of nine minutes of noontime Florida sunlight each day for up to a year.” Environmental Working Group stated the study “analyzed differences in the number of days recorded for each animal’s survival, a proxy for rate of tumor or lesion development. Animals treated with retinyl palmitate were withdrawn from the study 11-to-21 percent sooner than animals whose skin was treated with a neutral cream and exposed to the same doses of UV. These findings were statistically significant for both sexes and for each exposure group. Mice treated with only UV or only neutral cream combined with UV survived longer than animals exposed to vitamin A.”
The study they reported on did not list an author for the study or experience of the research team. This was not a double blind study where the researchers did not know which group was which. The groups were very small with only about 3 dozen animals tested. But the most surprising part of the study, and a true indicator of the validity of this study, is that the vitamin A was tested in a “neutral cream” and not in any type of sunscreen! Whoever did the study wants us to assume that the results would be the same between vitamin A/neutral base and vitamin A/sunscreen, but they never bothered to test the vitamin A/sunscreen combination that they claim is harmful. Instead of the title of the article being “Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer”, the title should have been “Study: Many Neutral Creams May Be Accelerating Cancer.” What they could have done was made up 5 separate groups, one with just sunscreen, then 4 that contain vitamin A plus: one with sunscreen containing Octinoxate; one with sunscreen containing Avobenzone; one with sunscreen containing titanium dioxide; and one with sunscreen containing zinc oxide. At least in this way they would have been testing the combination that they are condemning.

The FDA data are preliminary; the agency will publish its evaluation and conclusions in a report expected in October 2010. Before then, disregard this “news” report. BiON’s Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen has a very small amount of retinoic acid that is used as an antioxidant. The product is safe. In fact, if the study group had used sunscreen on top of the neutral base/vitamin A, they probably would have had significantly fewer malignant skin cells.