Beauty Secrets of the Spas

Spa Secret
Give yourself permission to spend a few minutes on self-improvement daily. Your complexion—and outlook&8212;will thank you.

• Make time for you in the a.m. “I believe in doing a few easy stretches every morning before you get out of bed,” says Lisa Hedley, president and creative director of the spa at the opulent Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut (mayflowerinn.com), where rooms go for up to $1,600 a night. “This gets your blood flowing and gives you a soothing start to the day rather than just letting the world come at you.” She recommends the following moves: “Take three long, deep, cleansing breaths. Then give yourself a mini scalp massage by rubbing the pads of your fingers slowly all around your head, including your earlobes. Not only are you stimulating energy points, you’re also bringing circulation to the scalp to help encourage healthy hair growth,” says Hedley. “Last, warm up your joints by doing circles with your ankles, wrists, and shoulders.”



• Iron out wrinkles Give yourself a quick facial massage after you shower to get your blood flowing and temporarily smooth out creases. Hedley suggests coating your fingertips in moisturizer, then rubbing your face, concentrating on the lines on your forehead and between your eyes. Be sure to use a firm—but not too aggressive—touch.

Spa Secret
Moisturize and exfoliate to get silky all over.

• Quench parched skin. "When your skin lacks moisture, it looks dull and, worse yet, shriveled and wrinkly," says Kate O'Connel, lead aesthetician at the Spa at the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (fourseasons.com/jackson hole/spa), where suites start at $1,500 a night. To stay hydrated, down six 8-ounce glasses of water a day and slather on a moisturizer with a powerful humectant, such as hyaluronic acid. Two to try: Chanel Hydramax + Active Serum Active Moisture Boost ($80; chanel.com) or Peter Thomas Roth Viz-1000 ($65; sephora.com).



• Buff your body “Brushing your body helps you shed rough, dead cells and get better tone and texture,” says O’Connel. We like the Bath & Body Works Curved Back Brush ($10; bathandbody works.com).