Beauty Secrets of the Spas

Spa Secret
Rejuvenate your skin with an enzyme mask—and your spirits with reflexology.

• Get glowing For a more radiant complexion, Myrna Beardshear, spa director at the Sagestone Spa at the Red Mountain resort in Ivins, Utah (redmountainspa.com), recommends mixing 2 teaspoons of canned pumpkin purée with half a teaspoon of honey and a quarter teaspoon of milk or soy milk. “Apply the mixture to your face and relax for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water,” she says. “Pumpkin purée has enzymes that remove dead, dull cells, as well as vitamins A and C and zinc, which provide protective and healing benefits.”



• Step up your health “By manipulating and stimulating certain spots on your feet, you can restore wellness and balance to your whole body,” says Beardshear. To give yourself a relaxing mini massage at home, take your bare foot in your hands. Start by massaging the point at the base of the ball of your big toe, which corresponds to the brain, your body’s mental stress center. Quell anxiety by rubbing the stomach point, located at the arch of your foot. Then press the point related to your solar plexus—considered the nerve switchboard of the body—at the center of the base of the ball of the foot. Focus on each point for 30 seconds per foot.

Spa Secret
Ease pain and stress by working from the outside in.

• Minimize muscle aches Walking in heels (or running) can leave your feet and calves tied up in knots. To soothe sore legs, Lea Cordon, spa director at the celeb favorite Las Ventanas al Paraiso resort in Los Cabos, Mexico (lasventanas.com/spa.cfm), suggests creating a foot soak using hot stones (get them at rubrocks.com). “Heat the stones by placing them on an indoor grill or in a pan of water on the stove,” she says. “Then, using tongs, put the hot rocks in a shallow basin or big pot filled with warm water and slide in your feet. For a more invigorating experience, toss in a few fresh lime slices—the heat will help intensify the scent and amplify the aromatherapeutic benefits.”



• De-clutter your mind “Dwelling on the past or worrying about the future impairs your ability to enjoy the present,” says Cordon. “To get the most out of a relaxing spa treatment—or even a bath at home—you need to stay in the moment. I give my clients this meditation trick to help them focus: Picture two boxes in your head, one for the past and one for the future. Concentrate on inhaling and exhaling deeply. If thoughts come to mind, sort them into one of the two boxes until your mind feels quiet and at peace.”