Spas today are taking a more serious turn. I haven’t had the fortune to spend much time in a medical spa, but I recently did a lot of research for an article in GCI magazine, covering medical spas that provide diagnosis and treatment for traditional and alternative treatments under the supervision of a licensed health care professional.

Out of a desire to do more for her patients than write prescriptions, Grace Keenan, MD, founder, Nova Medical, expanded her Ashburn, VA-based internal medicine practice by adding on a spa. Now in four locations, Nova and The Medical Spa at Nova feature a tremendous amount of integration so she can offer clients a range of services, not because alternative therapies always are the best treatment, but because sometimes they are. “Health care is overly reliant on prescription drugs and surgeries,” said Keenan. “But if it’s going to help a person, doesn’t a warm soak with therapeutic essential oil, instead of popping an anxiety pill, just make sense?” She has had great success in motivating people to help themselves and be proactive in their wellness.

This fusion of aesthetic and medical services is quickly becoming a common approach to skin care. I love the idea of being able to go one place for all your care, and letting a trained professional help you decide which treatment is better for your bad back: massage therapy, chiropractic treatments or drugs! It makes a lot of sense.

Physicians are beginning to think so, too. They are increasingly interested in providing elective wellness treatments that are sought by ever-growing numbers of men and women. Erik Goldman co-founded Holistic Primary Care in 2000 based on the observation that conventionally trained physicians were poorly prepared to address their patients’ surging interest in wellness therapies. Goldman is striving to build an information bridge between alternative health care and mainstream medicine. Whether his readers provide natural approaches themselves or offer referrals, the consumer push for complementary and alternative medicine requires physicians to be knowledgeable so that they can provide patients with useful choices.

Transitional MDs who are thinking about adding wellness care to their practice are taking their cues from patients. “People are dissatisfied with insurance-dominated, pharmaceutical-based medicine,” said Goldman.

The Internet is a primary driver; the free exchange of information, such as blogs and consumer medical sites, allows people to take control of their care. However, people need to be more discerning about what they read online. It is increasingly difficult to distinguish marketing hype from real health information. In turn, doctors have been forced by these “empowered patients” to learn more about the options they are hearing about. “Unfortunately, this is happening at a time when insurance pressures are requiring doctors to spend less time with each patient,” said Goldman. Concierge medicine, such as market leader MDVIP, and fee-for-service options are allowing doctors to see fewer patients but provide more intensive, personal care.

The spa and medical communities can and should work together. Healthy skepticism is good. Both markets need to be more discerning about what they are doing and work together for the consumer good. “Instead of playing on people’s insecurities, allow people to be healthy and enjoy their lives, making good use of medical and therapeutic resources to provide the best care possible,” he explained.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17

I bought a pair of jeans last fall that fit perfectly and weren’t stretch material (I really don’t like stretch jeans, so not flattering! but they are everywhere). BUT, they are a tad too short. I wore them a few times this year but I know I’d wear them more if they were longer. So, finally, I was inspired by my friend Kim who wore a pair of jeans she had doctored up with some beautiful fabric. Her’s was much better done but I was still proud that I had accomplished this feat, so here goes: 

First I cut a 10″ X jean-hem-circumfrance-plus-one-inch strip of fabric and folded it in half to make it 5″ wide, wrong sides together, then sewed the short ends together to make a complete circle. I angled outward a bit to keep the flare going throughout the new addition. My angle was a bit off … you might want to get out a protracter. Ha. I must admit I also had to tear out some stitches because I first sewed the two ends separately, making a very nice rectangle. Oops.

Keeping right sides together, and the unsewn edge aligned with the bottom, I pinned the fabric to the jeans.

Finally, I sewed it on. I learned through trial and error to sew from the inside so I can make a semi-straight line. This way, I could follow the jean hem.

Ta-da! After much pinning and sewing and tearing and resewing, here they are! Of course, I still have a bit of tweaking to do. But, it’s a start and a big improvement!

I don’t know what happened this winter, but after my vacation in Arizona, where I put on a few pounds, I not only didn’t lose that weight, I gained a few more! So, I have been doing the Slim-Fast diet for the past week, to get ready for spring. I have been … so … hungry! But I know that I need to be aware of what I am eating, control my portions and adjust my body’s desire for food, so I’m thinking it’s gotta be working. Then, Friday night I had food poisoning (bad orange juice?!?!) so I was throwing up for a couple hours overnight.

What is my reward? My pants don’t fit! None of my jeans, and the khakis I wore on Easter Sunday required a rubberband to clasp the button comfortably. Ugh! One of my usually comfy pairs of jeans looks like it is painted on. I look ridiculous! This is about the worst thing that can happen to a woman who is not looking forward to putting on a bathing suit when spring weather is just around the corner (and a trip to Wisconsin Dells next week!). I’ve known several people who have done and like Slim-Fast (even though I rolled my eyes), so I am going to try another week and see what happens. *sigh*

Nothing like spring to get me excited about painting my toenails a bright new hot pink! The flirty and playful feel of this season’s nail polishes are pretty, yet seductive, and definitely will get you in the mood for spring.

New colors feature a subtle play of romantic neutrals and pastels with a pop of color to complement the season’s fashion palette—filled with bold graphic prints and romantic patterns. Among current color trends for spring are muted pastels in shades of pink, lavender, gray and white, with brighter, bolder colors such as fuchsia, coral, orange and red primarily for toes. My favorites? OPI Kiss to My Karma deep red and OPI I’m Indi-a Mood for Love hot pink; Carolyn New York Pride Week, a hot pink with a touch of purple; and Essie’s Hard to Get flirty pink.

There’s also a lot of deep, dark reds and blues—which continue to be the hottest current trend. OPI’s Russian Navy nail lacquer is one such trendsetter, which has been updated with Yoga-ta Get This Blue! in the brand’s 2008 India Collection. I tried it and it’s not for me, but the color anywhere else would be be-a-utiful!

The natural look for nails (my preference for fingernails–too much maintenance otherwise!) is a continuing trend as well, so look for new sheer and natural colors that are flattering on all skin tones, in addition to reparative, nutritive products that make natural nails healthier, such as Avon’s Nail Expert and OPI’s Nail Envy. Look also for specially designed brushes for a salon look and formulations free of toluene, formaldehyde and DBP as companies improve the quality and application of their polish. Read more in the March issue of GCI magazine.

Return that box of highlight treatment you just picked up from Target (That is, unless you are not a slave to fashion and will just keep doing  what you’ve always done becuase that’s what you do–like me)! Tracey Cunningham, Redken’s creative consultant for color has the 411 on Spring 2008’s must-have hair color trends straight from the runways and her A-list clientele.  She says trends are transitioning from highlights and focusing on more rich, classic haircolors (yeah!).

Clients such as Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Amanda Peet are requesting deep reds, sophisticated browns and authentic warm blonde shades this spring. One of the hottest, easiest cuts to get is still the angle forward, popularized by Victoria Beckham. Inspirations come from runway designers such as Prada, Cynthia Rowley and DKNY, each featuring talented industry leaders who created the fashionable trends with their juxtapose of color and pattern. If you are looking to upgrade your hair color, Cunningham recommends rich, solid tonal colors for spring (usually reserved for fall). Have fun!

Packaging can be a real waste. How many times have you opened a box within a box or a plastic pacakge within a box, with extra cardboard material inside? This is particularly the case in fragrance packaging. I can understand that the fragrance, usually housed in glass, needs to be protected. However, with consumer awareness continuing to rise, companies are beginning to take some responsibility for their effect on the environment.

Brands like Modern Organic Products and Aveda reinforce an eco-conscious philosophy through their packaging, not just in the colors and labels, but in the materials used. With a diverse range of new sustainable and biodegradable materials that has become available in recent years, the packaging of cosmetics and personal care, including fragrance, finally has a chance to not only look the part but embody a green brand identity, without sacrificing a luxury look. But I believe any brand can make a difference by using some type of premium uncoated paperboard made with post-consumer waste (commonly 80% although some believe the industry eventually will be able to develop a high-quality 100 percent PCW package using a natural binder that allows virgin raw materials to be omitted). Read more about it in GCI’s February issue.

The “trend” toward sustainable materials has become a necessity, which will lead to further technological advancements for biodegradable packaging that will not sacrifice performance. As consumers, we shouldn’t have to choose between products that do or don’t care about the environment, when options are available. And, for luxury fragrance brands, offering more eco-friendly packaging is a great way to reduce the company’s overall environmental impact and give themselves the opportunity to market an environmental message consumers who are more eco-conscious than ever.

I wrote a feature on the founders of AmazingCosmetics a couple years ago so I was excited to see them in the news again. They recently announced that the brand will launch its most popular product Amazing Concealer in Sephora stores nationwide. Previously available only online and at Ulta, AmazingCosmetics will be displayed in the most coveted spot–the Treat and Conceal end cap. The Amazing Concealer has quickly became a “must have” item. It hides under eye circles, broken capillaries, blemishes and age spots. And a little amount goes a long way. It claims to last a year, and it really does. I finally had to throw mine away a couple months ago and I had it for almost two years (and it’s not for lack of need either). For those of you who know me, you know I am cheap so I am not one to just throw a $40 concealer away without having used it to its potential.

AmazingCosmetics was launched in 2000 by co-founders Lisa Thurman and Sue Katz. They built the brand around the concealer.  Since then, the two Chicago natives have turned their makeup company into a privately owned, retail powerhouse.

My daughter’s Bible verse this past week for Awana was from Psalm 139: “I am wonderfully made.” It was the first time she was able to recite any of her verses without a lot of prompting. Although what she said instead was “I am wonderful.” Close enough! The entire passage is beautiful, verses 13-17:

It’s no secret we women want it all: cosmetics that feel good, look great and last long. Oh, and it’s got to be good for the skin, too. Sound impossible? Not with the emergence of two-in-one treatment makeup that allows you to enjoy the benefits of powerful skin care active ingredients within color cosmetics.

The trend is driven by two major preoccupations in the cosmetics market: anti-aging and naturals. As we pay more attention to what we put on our faces, brands are challenged to create increasingly sophisticated products to meet all our needs.

Tarte’s Inside Out vitamin-infused lipsticks, launched at Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman in August, are “powered by Borba’s age-defying nutraceuticals” to beautify lips from the inside out. Nutraceuticals are natural, bioactive chemical compounds that have health-promoting, disease-preventing or medicinal properties. Feeding your skin by topical application is a natural way to fight the everyday environmental elements—and, thus, free radical damage.

Tarte developed a gel-based outer core to deliver long-lasting pigment coverage and formed the inner core to contain the nutrients, according to Heather Ratushny, Tarte senior manager of product development. The nutraceutical cocktail core features: acai and green tea extract to strengthen capillary walls and lychee extract to promote long-term skin hydration. The formulating team also clinically tested the formula, finding that the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in the lipstick can help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Tarte also is launching Double Dose high-shine gloss for spring 2008 with a nutraceutical core comprising a blend of the five active superfruits: goji, acai, coffee berry, noni and bilberry. The brand also is launching a new natural cheek stain for fall that has the same berry complex and two shades swirled together to give color and highlighting effects.The concept of inner and outer beauty is not new. We are seeing more ingestible ingredients from the nutraceutical market moving into topical products every day. As science plays a bigger role in bringing cutting-edge technology to your makeup bag, you can feel even better about what you put on your face.

Read more about it in GCI magazine’s November issue.

I ran a 5k today (that’s 3.1 miles for you non-runners). I haven’t run in a couple months, and I haven’t run a 5k since before the Chicago Marathon in 2002. I thought my lungs were going to explode or that I might just drop right to the ground. I was amazed, however, at what I was able to accomplish just to finish. The body is a miraculous thing. Every time I run, I am in awe of the human body and how perfectly we were formed.

Anyway, during the race, people were passing me left and right. I don’t know where they came from because I was toward the back of the running pack I thought! Finally, I came up on two young women who had slowed to a walk. I gleefully passed them, only to have them jogging past me again. I groaned, “Oh, come on! I finally passed someone.” They retorted that I had  motivated them. I guess they didn’t want an “old lady” passing them up. Thankfully, I had the last laugh. I had another chance to catch them, just two minutes from the finish (which was all up hill by the way! Who does that?). I wasn’t gonna let them leave me in the dust this time! My lungs were burning right through my chest and my legs weak as rubber by then. But I was determined to stay with them, so I picked it up just enough to  cross the finish line seconds in front of them. Ah, it felt good! I thanked them afterward for motivating me! Without them, I never would have finished at exactly 31 minutes. Yikes, I am getting old.

But I was there for a good reason, to support Kara Wherry and her two little ones. Her husband–a runner–died while they were on vacation in Texas this summer, and the event served as a fundraiser for the family and a memorial to him. For that reason, I was happy to put my body through the pain and torture. And, now that I am done, I can look back and feel good physically and emotionally about it … right after a Saturday afternoon snooze.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Here’s a chance for you to help out breast cancer research and get some early Christmas shopping done. A friend of mine sells Lia Sophia jewelry, and for the months of October ad November, she is donating 50% of her commission to the Susan G. Koman Foundation for breast cancer research. Plus, if you purchase 2 items you get 4 additional items half-off (the most expensive pieces). She is also offering free shipping and $10 off your oder.

Of course, she’s always looking for party hostesses, too, and has some great deals for you if you are interested.

For more information or to check out the new catalog, you can visit her web site www.liasophia.com/mross. You can also make a purchase online by entering “Michelle Ross” as hostess.

I am fascinated by a new “superfruit” that has been appearing in a lot of different places (first on PBS’ Scand Cook and now in cosmetics, too). The cloudberry, also known as the “Nordic Orange,” is a golden-yellow fruit rich in vitamin C, which helps strengthen, moisturize and brighten the skin. Cloudberry seed oil contains essential fatty acids Omega 3, Omega 6 (linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid), antioxidants, carotenoids and phytosterols. Together these can protect skin from radical damage and enhance regeneration. It also smells good, so they say!

Finnish brand Lumene prominently features cloudberry seed oil in its Vitamin+ Radiant C-Energy Age-Defying Intensive Care. Available at CVS in the US, the face cream is Lumene’s best-selling skin care product in Finland, according to its web site. The natural oil within helps protect the skin from free radicals and external environmental damage—UV radiation, pollution, cigarette smoke and stress. It was listed among Britsh Vogue’s 2007 top cult beauty products from all over the world.

[Edited to add 10/22/07: My friend Jen told me about her trip to Finland, where she actually had the opportunity to go cloudberry picking. Here's what she said:

They are VERY expensive berries to buy already picked but with good reason. One berry grows on a single plant, in marshy, swampy areas that are infested with mosquitos. The plants grow very close to the ground, so you are wading around with her boots on in the muck, getting chowed on by mosquitos, searching for berries that grow one per plant, and not in patches ... sound fun?

They only grow wild in Finland and our friends who are native pick them every year for extra money. In Finland, there is no such thing really as "no trespassing" so you can go all over the place looking for them. It doesn't matter if it is someone else's property.]

A bit pricey for me, but it sounds delicious!