What's Good For Baby Camels Could Be Good For Human Skin

This story might offer some ideas for those of us living in the desert! Well, not necessarily, as camels are not part of the Great Basin Desert (except during the camel races in Virginia City). Nonetheless, this article which appeared on NPR a few weeks ago, offers an interesting account of not only new ideas in skin care, but also insights into the nuts and bolts of starting a business in the health & beauty industry:

What's Good For Baby Camels Could Be Good For Human Skin

Do We Make Ourselves Busy?

As we enter the latter half of summer, we all should take time to cherish these warm, sunny days! Many of us however, feel that we're not allowed to do so because we've fallen into "The Busy Trap" - the name of an article by Tim Kreider published in the New York Times recently.
He makes some good points that we should all investigate within ourselves: Do we really need to pass through life at break-neck speed, being overwhelmed and rushed all of the time? Is this good for our health? (Probably not!) How can we throw off these self-imposed shackles and really relax once in awhile?
Take a look - "The Busy Trap" and see what you think!

Travel and your skin: Advice from Dermalogica®

Along with time on the beach, longer days for gardening, cycling, hiking etc, Summer is a favorite season for traveling. Hopefully, you'll get to take some trips this summer for pleasure, and not business, and that you'll be relaxed and renewed upon your return! But be sure to take precautions to protect your skin - as the following article posted on Dermalogica's website points out, travel can be anything but a renewing experience for your skin: www.dermalogica.com/us/yourskin/37_article_what_toll_does_travel_take_on_my_skin_.html

And don't forget, when you're on that summer vacay, be sure to snap some pics of your feet & sandals and enter our Facebook photo contest!

Which Sunscreen Should You Buy?

Which Sunscreen Should You Buy?

We close in on the Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of summer holiday-&$40;though the actual start of summer is three weeks later.).  With the arrival of summer, long days outside beneath the sun, and the closing of May, which is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the subject of sunscreen is in the forefront. 

We all want to do the right thing, so many of us take a trip to the pharmacy and arm ourselves against
the harmfull UV rays.  However, entering the sunscreen aisle can produce a wave of utter confusion, as we are confronted with a whole array of different products, with different numbers, different ingredients and different claims.  Which product is best?  Which one should you buy and use?

While the answers are often somewhat complex, Dermalogica­ has some answers and we'll simply direct you from our blog to theirs, where they have posted a very informative clip about sunscreens on the market, their different properties and what you should look for.
www.dermalogica.com/us/blog/  Be sure to
scroll down to the May 8th entry.  Read up, lotion up and have a great summer!

Massage: Not Just for People Anymore!

We think of beasts of burden as being ultra-strong and having incredible stamina. While this is true, it is also true that even they get sore and tired. Follow the link below to read about how the Grand Canyon Mules, who have for years carried people and supplies through the Grand Canyon are finally getting some relief!
Just as massage helps us humans to heal from muscular fatigue, you'll see how this licensed equine physiotherapist is helping keep the pack mules in tip-top shape!

Stubborn As A Mule's Knot: Massaging Ornery Beasts

The World's Strangest Spa Treatments

While Spa of the West doesn't offer, (nor do we necessarily condone) these very exotic treatments, we thought they were nonetheless quite interesting!
The popular travel magazine Travel and Leisure's website, Travelandleisure.com, featured an article about The-World's-Strangest-Spa-Treatments which lists treatments ranging from the fairly reasonable (for example, the Chocolate facial - similar to some of Spa of the West's monthly specials,) to the highly bizarre (the Japanese Sake Bath, or the Fish Treatments, for example...).

New Medical Research Confirms Benefits of Massage...

A recent study which appeared in the July 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine confirms what spa-goers have known for years: Massage is an effective treatment for the relief of lower back pain. Certainly, we've known that Massage is a great treatment for all kinds of health issues, but it has long been ignored by the medical community as an effective alternative to more mainstream remedies for issues such as back pain, other musculo-skeletal problems, stress, etc.
This study was widely reported in the news media and is a real breakthrough for Massage as this study, among others, will go a long way towards validating this ancient, effective treatment that is certainly much more pleasurable than surgery!

This story came out just a few weeks ago. Follow these links and read more.....

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/embargo-july-4-5pm-for-back-pain-try-massage/

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137609072/got-low-back-pain-massage-therapy-may-rub-it-out

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/04/got-lower-back-pain-massage-may-help/

Who knows, if more research validating Massage continues to be done, maybe Medical Insurers will start to cover massages! Wouldn't that be great?
In the meantime, Spa West offers an array of Massage to keep you in great health along with experienced, professional Massage Therapists...

http://www.spawestreno.com/massage.php