Beauty Secrets of the Spas

Spa Secret
Use household and kitchen staples to get spotless skin and de-puff eyes.
 

• Banish a blemish "To treat the occasional breakout, crush an aspirin and mix it with enough water to make a paste. Put it directly on the pimple and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off," says Francisco Cisneros, lead aesthetician at the Bliss spa in the chic W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona (blissworld.com). "The main ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid, which speeds healing by encouraging exfoliation."



• Lose your eye baggage "To shrink swollen under-eyes, finely chop a whole chilled cucumber," suggests Cisneros. Then roll the entire cut-up cuke in a paper towel and lay it over your eyes for 15 minutes. "Cucumber contains vitamin C and caffeic acid," he says, "which together help prevent water retention and take down puffiness."

Spa Secret
You are what you eat: Consume lots of nutrient-rich foods to shave years off your looks.
 

• Squeeze in supercharged fruit Judy Deutsch, R.D., the resident nutritionist at the idyllic Canyon Ranch spa in Lenox, Massachusetts (canyonranch.com), where rates start at $1,700 per person, suggests loading up on "exceptional" fruits, like blueberries, goji berries, red grapes, mangoes, and pomegranates, all of which contain high concentrations of antioxidants and give you the most health and beauty bang for each bite.



• Sprinkle on omega-3s "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for keeping skin supple and hydrated, which ultimately helps it stay younglooking," says Deutsch. Try topping cereal, yogurt, salads, or smoothies with omega-3-rich ground flaxseed.